Korean Movies You Should See
EditorialSteffen20 titles08/24/2026
A Jinjja selection of defining audience favorites and modern classics. Only released titles from our Korean catalog are included; the order follows their current popularity in the catalog, so this isn't an all-time best list. The clearly stated rule is what matters: movies · by popularity …
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- 1
Colony
Colony ranks at No. 1 because, according to the established criteria, it represents the “Korean Films You Should See” selection particularly well. Its 2026 release year puts it in context.
- 2
Ghost in the Cell
Ghost in the Cell ranks at No. 2 because, according to the established criteria, it represents the “Korean Films You Should See” selection particularly well. Its 2026 release year puts it in context.
- 3
Parasite기생충
What it's aboutThe Kim family is unemployed and lives in a cramped basement apartment, scraping by with odd jobs. Then a friend gets their son Ki-woo a job tutoring English for the wealthy Park family, even though he isn’t qualified. With a few embellishments, Ki-woo enters the Parks’ villa for the first time. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, starring Song Kang-ho, Choi Woo-shik, Lee Sun-kyun, and Cho Yeo-jeong.
- 4
Train to Busan부산행
What it's aboutDivorced fund manager Seok-woo missed his daughter Su-an’s birthday performance, so he boards the KTX high-speed train with her in Seoul to travel to Busan. Just before departure, an infected woman gets on unnoticed. Soon, an epidemic spreads through the moving train, turning passengers into zombies. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, starring Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, and Kim Su-an.
- 5
Obsessed인간중독
What it's aboutSummer 1969 at an army base: Colonel Kim Jin-pyeong (Song Seung-heon) has returned from the Vietnam War and lives in a loveless marriage with Sook-jin (Jo Yeo-jeong). When Captain Kyung Woo-jin (On Joo-wan) is transferred to the base with his wife, Jong Ga-heun (Lim Ji-yeon), a passionate affair begins under the watchful eyes of the entire camp. Directed by Kim Dae-woo.
- 6
Die Taschendiebin아가씨
What it's aboutKorea in the 1930s, under Japanese rule: A con man posing as Count Fujiwara plans to marry wealthy Japanese heiress Hideko and take her fortune. To do so, he places the young pickpocket Sook-hee as Hideko’s maid at the remote estate where she lives with her uncle. Directed by Park Chan-wook, based on Sarah Waters’s novel “Fingersmith,” starring Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, and Ha Jung-woo.
- 7
Oldboy올드보이
What it's aboutBusinessman Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) is kidnapped and locked in a windowless room. For 15 years, he has no idea who’s holding him or why. Then he’s suddenly released, and he wants only one thing: to find his tormentor and get answers. Directed by Park Chan-wook, based on a Japanese manga, starring Yoo Ji-tae and Kang Hye-jung.
- 8
Hope
Hope ranks at No. 8 because, according to the established criteria, it represents the “Korean Films You Should See” selection particularly well. Its 2026 release year puts it in context.
- 9
The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil악인전
What it's aboutA serial killer seems to choose his victims at random, and one of them survives: gangster boss Jang Dong-soo (Ma Dong-seok). Rebellious detective Jung Tae-seok (Kim Mu-yeol) has been tracking the killer for a while. The gangster and the cop make a pact to catch him, each for his own reasons: one wants revenge, the other wants to solve the case. Directed by Lee Won-tae.
- 10
Memories of Murder살인의 추억
What it's aboutOctober 1986, a small town in the countryside: Two women are found raped and murdered. Local detective Park Doo-man (Song Kang-ho) relies on harsh interrogations and forced confessions, while Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung), sent from Seoul, relies on files and forensic evidence. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, based on a play by Kim Kwang-lim and inspired by the real Hwaseong serial murders.
- 11
Oligosaccharide The Movie
Oligosaccharide The Movie ranks at No. 11 because, according to the established criteria, it represents the “Korean Films You Should See” selection particularly well. Its 2017 release year puts it in context. A legal streaming option is known, but it isn't currently listed as available in Germany.
- 12
Hidden Face히든페이스
What it's aboutCellist Soo-yeon disappears without a trace, leaving only a video message for her future husband, conductor Seong-jin. Cellist Mi-joo takes her place in the orchestra, and Seong-jin soon finds himself drawn to her. An erotic thriller by Kim Dae-woo, based on the 2011 Spanish-Colombian film “The Hidden Face,” starring Song Seung-heon, Cho Yeo-jeong, and Park Ji-hyun.
- 13
The Witch: Part 2. The Other One마녀 2
What it's aboutAfter a bloodbath at a secret research lab, a girl who has never seen the outside world wanders through the forest. Kyung-hee (Park Eun-bin) saves the stranger from gangsters and takes her in. But soon, a very different group of pursuers is after the girl. Directed by Park Hoon-jung, starring Shin Si-ah, Seo Eun-soo, and Jin Goo.
- 14
No Other Choice어쩔수가없다
What it's aboutMan-su is an award-winning veteran of the paper industry who lives with his wife, Mi-ri, and their two children in the house where he grew up. Then the company is sold, and he’s laid off. He gives himself three months to find another job, but openings are scarce, and Man-su devises a sinister plan targeting his competitors. Based on Donald Westlake’s novel “The Ax,” starring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin, directed by Park Chan-wook.
- 15
Humint휴민트
What it's aboutIn Vladivostok, agents from North and South Korea investigate a crime near the border and get in each other’s way. Soon, Chae Seon-hwa, who works at a North Korean restaurant, becomes the focus: both sides want to recruit her as an informant. A spy thriller by Ryoo Seung-wan, starring Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Park Hae-joon, and Shin Se-kyung.
- 16
Possible Love
Possible Love ranks at No. 16 because, according to the established criteria, it represents the “Korean Films You Should See” selection particularly well. Its 2026 release year puts it in context.
- 17
Scarlet Innocence마담 뺑덕
What it's aboutAfter a sex scandal, literature professor Shim Hak-kyu (Jung Woo-sung) is banished from Seoul to a small town. There, he begins an affair with naive Deok-yi (Esom), who sells tickets at an amusement park. For her, it’s the love of her life; for him, it’s just a diversion. She knows nothing about his family in Seoul. Directed by Yim Pil-sung, loosely based on the classic tale “Simcheongga.”
- 18
Snowpiercer설국열차
What it's aboutA failed attempt to stop global warming triggers a new ice age. The last humans live aboard a train that circles the world without stopping, strictly divided by class: the privileged up front, the poor in the back. Resentment grows in the last car. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, based on the French graphic novel “Le Transperceneige,” starring Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, and Tilda Swinton.
- 19
The Stranger곡성
What it's aboutA string of mysterious acts of violence strikes the mountain village of Gokseong: Residents suddenly turn on their own families. Village cop Jong-goo is baffled, while rumors grow about a Japanese man who recently began living in seclusion in the woods. When his young daughter starts to change too, the search for answers becomes personal. Directed by Na Hong-jin, starring Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Chun Woo-hee, and Jun Kunimura.
- 20
Peninsula반도
What it's aboutSince a zombie outbreak swept through South Korea, the peninsula has been cut off from the rest of the world. Former soldier Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won) barely escaped to Hong Kong and now lives a bleak life there. Then he gets an offer: retrieve a truck carrying $20 million from the middle of Seoul, and he can keep half. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, starring Lee Jung-hyun.
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