Many Asian films are considered hidden gems, and especially Korea is becoming increasingly popular as a film country even in the mainstream. Nevertheless, the country offers a wide range of critic and audience favorites despite its relatively short film history. You can find the best Korean films according to IMDb here.
What kind of films are these? The selection of titles is based on their positive ratings and great popularity. We have complemented this with an editorial selection to achieve more diversity.
What criteria were used for selection?
- They must be Korean films
- The ranking is based on user ratings on IMDb (as of 24.07.2023, via IMDb )
- We excluded films with a good rating but very few votes
If you are looking for a list of science fiction films, you can find it here:
The 13 best science fiction films according to IMDb
7. The Woman in the Fog
The newest film on the list is by cult director Park Chan-wook, considered one of the best in his field. Detective Hae-Joon must investigate the death of a mountain climber and meets the dead man’s wife in the process.
He does not believe in an accident, stalks the woman at night, and gets dangerously close to her. His entire focus is solely on this woman. A dangerous longing develops between the two. The film is often compared to Hitchcock films and reminds one of ancient Greek tragedies.
The film has a rating of 7.3 on IMDb based on 44,881 votes.
6. Train to Busan
Train to Busan is a modern classic of zombie cinema. The film takes place on a train between Seoul and Busan. During the journey, a zombie virus breaks out, and a father must try to survive with his daughter. In 2016, the film brought fresh air into the zombie genre.
The film offers good action, a thrilling premise, and sympathetic characters with whom one can empathize. Sang-hwa, played by Ma Dong-seok, is a highlight. Main actor Gong Yoo will be familiar to some from the hit series Squid Game.
The Korean zombie action holds a good rating of 7.6 on IMDb with 238,011 votes.
