1. “Ode to My Father”
Korean Title: 국제시장
This is Korea’s version of Forrest Gump and is one of the most successful movies the country has ever produced.
It follows the life of a boy named Deok-soo whose family got separated during the Hungnam Evacuation of the Korean War. His father and sister got left behind in the North while he and his mother were able to flee south.
2. “Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War”
Korean Title: 태극기 휘날리며
This is the touching story of two brothers when they each get conscripted to fight in the Korean War.
Jin-tae, the older brother, has always looked after his younger sibling Jin-seok. When war breaks out, Jin-tae seeks to protect his brother by striking a deal with his commander that if he earns the highest military honors, his younger brother will be released from military service and sent home.
3. “Train to Busan”
Korean Title: 부산행
This movie was the certified hit of 2016, and it briefly resurrected the dying “zombie apocalypse” genre.
Seok-woo, a workaholic fund manager played by Gong Yoo, is on a train with his young daughter and headed for Busan—a port city 300 kilometers south of Seoul. The divorced dad is taking the child to see her mom as the kid’s birthday gift.
Just when the train doors are about to close, a woman with a bite wound steps onto the platform and into the train. She’s about to wreak havoc on every passenger inside.
4. “Miss Granny”
Korean Title: 수상한 그녀
“Miss Granny” is a funny look into what sort of trouble a 70-year-old grandmother could get herself into if she suddenly reverted back to her 20-year-old self.
Mal-soon is a difficult old widow, living with her son and daughter-in-law. She’s a foul-mouthed, controlling mother-in-law constantly getting on the nerves of the couple. One night, after being told that her own son is going to leave her at a nursing home, Mal-soon wanders the streets, hurt and dejected. She finds herself in front of a mysterious photo studio that claims to take pictures that make one look young. She goes in to have her photo taken.
5. “The King and the Clown”
Korean Title: 왕의 남자
The King and the Clown was the most watched Korean movie of 2005 and was the country’s official entry for the 2006 Academy Awards for Best Foreign-Language Film.
The movie has plenty of elements to make it interesting: a deranged king with unchecked powers, incredible theatrical performances, a love triangle composed of three men and social unrest brewing in the background.
6. “Secretly, Greatly”
Korean Title: 은밀하게 위대하게
Three men come to live in a peaceful village in South Korea. There’s Bang Dong-gu, a carefree young man, Lee Hae-rang, an aspiring rockstar (who doesn’t know how to play the guitar) and Ri Hae-jin, a high school student.
But things aren’t what they seem. These men are actually highly-trained North Korean spies sent to infiltrate the South.
They’ve settled quite nicely in the village, getting to know folks and living a quiet and ordinary existence.
7. “Addicted”
Korean Title: 중독
In a freakish coincidence, two brothers, Dae-jun and Ho-jun, simultaneously suffer car accidents. Dae-jun crashes his car in a race, at the same time, somewhere else, his brother Ho-jun’s hired taxi drives straight into a truck.
Both brothers suffer comas, to the deep despair of their partners.
A year later, one of the brothers, Dae-jun, wakes up.
He immediately started acting very different and very strange. Ho-jun’s wife became gradually convinced that her husband’s spirit now resides in her brother-in-law’s body. They begin living together as man and wife. (Meanwhile, Ho-jun’s real body is still in coma.)
8. “Christmas in August”
Korean Title: 8월의 크리스마스
Death and love are the themes of this film. How would you deal with one, when the other comes knocking on your door?
Jung-won runs an old photo studio that caters to the picture needs of the people in his neighborhood. He works with elders who want a well-framed photo for their funeral, and teens wanting a blow-up picture of their crushes. (Note: The movie came out in 1998, well before Instagram.)
Darim, on the other hand, is a traffic constable, whose work constantly brings her to the studio.
Gradually, feelings develop between these two.
When everything is perfect and at its best, Jung-won suddenly closes the studio and ceases all contact with Darim, leaving the later in absolute despair. Why, you may ask? Well, you’ll have to watch to find out.
“Christmas in August,” is perfect for beginners of Korean. The dialogues are light, easy to follow and paced just right.
9. “The Face Reader”
Korean Title: 관상
Nae-kyung’s talents for reading faces is unrivaled in all the land. He can look at the lines of someone’s face and predict their personality, habits and ultimately, their future.
Little does he know his odd talent will put him in the center of one of the biggest power struggles in Korean history.
Nae-kyung’s ability gets the attention of the King, who wants to use his services to point out the bad eggs in the royal court.
When the King suddenly dies, he finds himself in the middle of warring princes who wanted to take the vacant place of king.
10. “Mother”
Korean Title: 마더
Finally, we have the movie “Mother,” which tackles the lengths a mother would go to in order to prove her son’s innocence.
In a small Korean town lives a mother and her adult son, Do-joon, who has an intellectual disability. The mother dotes and fiercely protects her son, whom she supports by selling herbal medicine to local clients. Do-joon is normally timid and agreeable but often bursts into violence whenever someone points out his intellectual disability.
One night, a drunken Do-joon follows a girl into an abandoned building.
The next morning, that girl is found lifeless on the rooftop. Do-joon becomes the primary and convenient suspect when a golf ball with his name inscribed on it is found near the crime scene. The young man is then made to sign a confession that gives the police the right to detain him.
Bibliography:
“Top Korean Movies: 20 Can't-Miss Films to Watch in 2020.” FluentU Korean,
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