Given the tensions between South Korea and Japan (currently at a high point because of trade), the Koreans will take some delight in having produced a better Haruki Murakami adaptation than any Japanese filmmaker. The cause of this list deserves a place high up on it. Still, the Oscar telecast in that country was punctuated by commentator Lee Dong-jin’s scream of disbelief over the Best Picture announcement, and South Korea’s political conservatives (longtime enemies of Bong) are now proposing to build a statue of him. In South Korea, Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar victories are being taken less as a national triumph and more as an “oh, you finally noticed us” moment. Director Lee Chang-dong (formerly South Korea’s Minister of Culture) views her plight in an unsentimental fashion and lead actress Jeon Do-yeon (who won the best actress prize at Cannes) delivers a crushing performance. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t mention this in my Korean cinema article, but this drama about a widowed mother who’s put through an almighty wringer is a devastating experience like few others. That gives even more sharpness to this dangerous and oh so very sexy lesbian romance.
The resulting film improved on both the book and the TV serial by being set at a time when Koreans were second-class citizens in their own country. Park Chan-wook intended this film to be a straight-up adaptation of Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith set in Victorian England, but changed his mind when he found out the BBC had already done one. Even so, there is an embarrassment of riches here, especially if you like action thrillers, so kick back with a cold glass of soju and watch. Also, since Kim Sang-jin’s Attack the Gas Station! was never theatrically released in this country, I can’t consider it, either. I’m using the Academy’s rules that the film has to be at least half in the Korean language to count as a Korean film, which regrettably means that I have to axe Snowpiercer. I was wrong when I stated that I had never seen a Korean film directed by a woman Kim So-yong and Eom Yo-na are both women. From arthouse films, to big budget options, and critically-acclaimed picks featuring beloved stars, here are the best Korean movies on Netflix you can watch right now.I promised myself that if Parasite won the Best Picture Oscar, I’d run this listicle of the best Korean films I’ve seen since the turn of the millennium, so here’s a supplement to my beginner’s guide to the movies of that country. Plus, there's no barrier to entry because all those movies can be streamed with English audio and subtitles. Or, perhaps you're seeking a fun and raunchy comedy, like Seoul Searching, because we could all use a laugh right about now. Looking for a flick that's outside the box? The award-winning Okja by Parasite's Bong Joon-ho is genre-defying. Are thrillers and horror movies more your thing? Try The Call, which features both time travel and a serial killer.
Searching for something romantic? Stream Tune in for Love. Essentially, there's a lot more where Squid Game -a K-drama that skyrocketed to popularity in 2021-came from. Korean cinema has a long history of creating groundbreaking movies with international acclaim. If you're looking to delve more deeply into the world of Korean movies, or you stumbled upon K-dramas on Netflix and want to know what else you can watch, luckily there are a ton of great options.
By now you've probably heard of-if not already watched- Parasite, the South Korean movie that swept the 2020 Academy Awards and made history as the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture.