Korean Cinema of the 2010s
EditorialSteffen20 titles08/24/2026
A Jinjja selection of international hits and homegrown audience favorites from an extraordinary decade. 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 …
machine translated
- 1
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.
- 2
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.
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
Oligosaccharide The Movie
Oligosaccharide The Movie ranks at No. 6 because, according to the established criteria, it is a particularly clear fit for the selection “Korean Cinema of the 2010s.” Its 2017 release year places it in the right period. A legal streaming option is known, but it is not currently listed as available in Germany.
- 7
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.”
- 8
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.
- 9
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.
- 10
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum곤지암
What it's aboutThe creators of a YouTube horror channel want to draw record numbers with a livestream. Their destination is the abandoned Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital, a real place that CNN Travel named one of the world’s most haunted in 2012. Armed with cameras, the team enters the building as viewers watch live. Directed by Jung Bum-shik, starring Wi Ha-joon and Park Ji-hyun, filmed in a found-footage style.
- 11
I Saw the Devil악마를 보았다
What it's aboutOn a snowy evening, the woman intelligence agent Kim Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun) planned to marry is killed by a serial killer. Soo-hyun swears revenge on the culprit, Jang Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik), a school bus driver. He doesn’t want to kill him outright; he wants him to suffer the way his victims did. Directed by Kim Jee-woon, written by Park Hoon-jung.
- 12
The Treacherous간신
What it's aboutJoseon, the 11th year of King Yeonsangun’s reign: The ruler (Kim Kang-woo) governs as a cruel tyrant, and anyone who supplies him with women gains influence at court. Ambitious courtier Im Sung-jae (Ju Ji-hoon) has women selected across the country for the palace, with help from his father, Im Sa-hong (Chun Ho-jin). Directed by Min Kyu-dong; the main characters are based on historical figures.
- 13
Hope
Hope ranks at No. 13 because, according to the established criteria, it is a particularly clear fit for the selection “Korean Cinema of the 2010s.” Its 2013 release year places it in the right period. A legal streaming option is known, but it is not currently listed as available in Germany.
- 14
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion
The Witch: Subversion ranks at No. 14 because, according to the established criteria, it is a particularly clear fit for the selection “Korean Cinema of the 2010s.” Its 2018 release year places it in the right period. A currently known German streaming option makes it easy to start watching right away.
- 15
The Servant
The Servant ranks at No. 15 because, according to the established criteria, it is a particularly clear fit for the selection “Korean Cinema of the 2010s.” Its 2010 release year places it in the right period. A legal streaming option is known, but it is not currently listed as available in Germany.
- 16
The Outlaws
The Outlaws ranks at No. 16 because, according to the established criteria, it is a particularly clear fit for the selection “Korean Cinema of the 2010s.” Its 2017 release year places it in the right period. A currently known German streaming option makes it easy to start watching right away.
- 17
The Concubine
The Concubine ranks at No. 17 because, according to the established criteria, it is a particularly clear fit for the selection “Korean Cinema of the 2010s.” Its 2012 release year places it in the right period. A currently known German streaming option makes it easy to start watching right away.
- 18
Burning
Burning ranks at No. 18 because, according to the established criteria, it is a particularly clear fit for the selection “Korean Cinema of the 2010s.” Its 2018 release year places it in the right period. A currently known German streaming option makes it easy to start watching right away.
- 19
Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds
Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds ranks at No. 19 because, according to the established criteria, it is a particularly clear fit for the selection “Korean Cinema of the 2010s.” Its 2017 release year places it in the right period. A currently known German streaming option makes it easy to start watching right away.
- 20
Young Mother
Young Mother ranks at No. 20 because, according to the established criteria, it is a particularly clear fit for the selection “Korean Cinema of the 2010s.” Its 2013 release year places it in the right period. A legal streaming option is known, but it is not currently listed as available in Germany.
machine translated