10 Best South Korean Movies to Watch

By Vlad Zakh · July 7, 2025

South Korea Action intense thought provoking

Parasite’s Best Picture win introduced many viewers to a national cinema that had been working at that level for two decades, and South Korean thrillers commit harder to their premises than most, rarely playing it safe. Decision to Leave has a detective falling for his murder suspect, I Saw the Devil is a revenge thriller so relentless it’s almost an endurance test, A Taxi Driver is a true story set in the Gwangju Uprising, and The Wailing keeps switching genres until its final act. Burning, The Handmaiden, Train to Busan, Memories of Murder and Oldboy round out the list.

Decision to Leave (2022)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A detective falls for his own murder suspect, shot with real formal control.

Directed by Park Chan-wook · 2h 19m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

I Saw the Devil (2010)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 83% Metacritic 67

A revenge thriller so relentless it borders on an endurance test.

Directed by Kim Jee-woon · 2h 24m · Rated R

17 wins & 21 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Philo · Rent or buy: Google Play Movies

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

A Taxi Driver (2017)

TMDB ★ 8.0

A cab driver is caught up in the Gwangju Uprising in this drama based on true events.

Directed by Jang Hoon · 2h 18m

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Wailing (2016)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A horror-mystery hybrid that keeps changing genres until the very last act.

Directed by Na Hong-jin · 2h 36m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Fandor Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, Hi-YAH, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Hi-YAH Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Burning (2018)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A slow-burn mystery that never confirms whether anything sinister actually happened.

Directed by Lee Chang-dong · 2h 28m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Fandor Amazon Channel, AsianCrush, Cineverse, Cineverse Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Handmaiden (2016)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 96% Metacritic 85

An erotic con-artist thriller told in three perspectives, each one recontextualising the last.

Directed by Park Chan-wook · 2h 25m · Rated R

Won 1 BAFTA Award72 wins & 108 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video · Rent: Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Train to Busan (2016)

IMDb ★ 7.6 RT 95% Metacritic 73

A zombie outbreak confined to a moving train, and somehow it never runs out of tension.

Directed by Yeon Sang-ho · 1h 58m · Rated NR

36 wins & 42 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Memories of Murder (2003)

IMDb ★ 8.1 Metacritic 82

A serial-killer procedural more interested in institutional failure than a tidy resolution.

Directed by Bong Joon Ho · 2h 11m

34 wins & 13 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Oldboy (2003)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 82% Metacritic 78

The hallway fight scene alone made this a reference point for action cinema worldwide.

Directed by Park Chan-wook · 2h 00m · Rated R

46 wins & 28 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Parasite (2019)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 99% Metacritic 97

A poor family schemes its way into the lives of a wealthy household, with unforeseen consequences.

Directed by Bong Joon Ho · 2h 13m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars309 wins & 261 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

10 Best South Korean Movies to Watch

Decision to Leave (2022)

I Saw the Devil (2010)

A Taxi Driver (2017)

The Wailing (2016)

Burning (2018)

The Handmaiden (2016)

Train to Busan (2016)

Memories of Murder (2003)

Oldboy (2003)

Parasite (2019)

You might also like

50 Best Action Movies of All Time

50 Best Revenge Movies of All Time

22 Best Serial Killer Movies of All Time

8 Best Movies of 2016

8 Best Movies of 2019

8 Best Movies of 2010