The Wailing is a psychological horror film about a cult and an ancient folk tale set in a remote mountain town. In light of some gruesome murders, a suspicious newcomer, and villagers suffering from sudden illnesses, a police officer sets out to find the main suspect in the case in order to save his daughter's life.

The Wailing seamlessly transitions from one activity to the next, from the lighthearted beginnings to an exorcism to a classic whodunit as everyone scrambles to find reasons to accuse each other in the hysteria of the moment. It's a tasty horror trap that will keep you glued to your seats until the very end.

Detailed information:

Directed by: Na Hong-jin

Starring: Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Chun Woo-hee

Release date: May 12, 2016

Running time: 156 minutes

The 2019 South Korean black comedy thriller film Parasite is directed by Bong Joon-ho, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Han Jin-won. The plot revolves around a poor family attempting to gain employment with a wealthy family and infiltrate their household by posing as unrelated, highly qualified individuals.

On May 21, 2019, Parasite premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it became the first South Korean film to win the Palme d'Or. Many critics consider the film to be the best of 2019 and one of the best of the twenty-first century. Among its many awards, Parasite took home four at the 92nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film, making it the first non-English language film to win Best Picture.

Detailed information:

Directed by: Bong Joon-ho

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong

Release dates: 21 May 2019

Running time: 132 minutes

Park Chan-wook directed and co-wrote the neo-noir action thriller film Oldboy. The film is an adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name, and it follows the story of Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), who is imprisoned in a cell that resembles a hotel room for 15 years without knowing the identity of his captor or the motivations of his captor. Dae-su is finally released, but he is still entangled in a web of conspiracy and violence. When he falls in love with an attractive young sushi chef, Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung), his own quest for vengeance becomes intertwined with romance.

The film received the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, as well as high praise from the jury's president, director Quentin Tarantino. Oldboy has received positive reviews from critics in the United States, with film critic Roger Ebert stating that it is a "powerful film not because of what it depicts, but because of the depths of the human heart which it strips bare." It was also praised for its action sequences, particularly the single-shot fight sequence. It has been hailed as one of the best neo-noir films of all time and has been named one of the best films of the 2000s by several publications.

Detailed information:

Directed by: Park Chan-wook

Starring: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung

Release date: 21 November 2003

Running time: 120 minutes

Lee Chang-dong wrote and directed the 2010 South Korean film Poetry. It tells the story of a suburban woman in her 60s who discovers a love of poetry while dealing with Alzheimer's disease and her irresponsible grandson. Yoon Jeong-hee plays the lead, which is her first film role since 1994. The film was chosen for the main competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded Best Screenplay.

The Grand Bell Awards for Best Picture and Best Actress, the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Best Actress, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress, and the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Achievement in Directing and Best Performance by an Actress are among her other honors.

Detailed information:

Directed by: Lee Chang-dong

Starring: Yoon Jeong-hee

Release date: 13 May 2010

Running time: 139 minutes

Starring Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik, the film revolves around bloody and tearful revenge after the fiancée of South Korea's Central Intelligence Agency agent Kim Soo-hyun (Lee) is brutally murdered by serial killer Jang Kyung-chul (Choi). Through each stage of the revenge, the loss in Soo-hyun grows bigger and he himself gradually sells his soul to the devil.

I Saw the Devil had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011 and had a limited theatrical run in the United States. It was also shown at a number of other international film festivals, including the Fantasporto Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Sitges Film Festival, the San Sebastian Film Festival, and the London Korean Film Festival.

Detailed information:

Directed by: Kim Jee-woon

Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik

Release dates: 12 August 2010

Running time: 141 minutes

Miracle In Cell No.7 is the story of a mentally challenged man who is wrongfully imprisoned for murder and forms friendships with the hardened criminals in his cell, who in turn help him see his daughter again by smuggling her into the prison. The film is based on the true story of a man who was tortured and pleaded guilty under duress to the rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl in Chuncheon on September 27, 1972, before being exonerated in November 2008.

The movie received a large number of awards and nominations, including the Grand Prize for Film and Most Popular Actress at the 49th Baeksang Arts Awards; Best Screenplay, Special Jury Prize at the 50th Grand Bell Awards; Most Popular Film at the 34th Blue Dragon Film Awards and so on.

Detailed information:

Directed by: Lee Hwan-kyung

Starring: Ryu Seung-ryong, Kal So-won, Park Shin-hye

Release date: December 23, 2013

Running time: 127 minutes

Train to Busan is a South Korean action horror film released in 2016. The majority of the film takes place on a high-speed train from Seoul to Busan as a zombie apocalypse breaks out in the country, threatening the passengers' safety. Sok-woo, a father who doesn't have much time for his daughter Soo-Ahn, is boarding the KTX, a fast train that will take them from Seoul to Busan. During their journey, however, the apocalypse occurs, and the majority of the world's population transforms into flesh-craving zombies. While the KTX speeds towards Busan, passengers fight for their families and lives against the zombies - and each other.

On May 13, 2016, the film premiered in the Midnight Screenings section of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. On August 7, the film broke the audience record of over 10 million theatergoers, becoming the first Korean film of 2016. Peninsula, a stand-alone sequel, was released in South Korea on July 15, 2020.

Detailed information:

Directed by: Yeon Sang-ho

Starring: Gong Yoo, Ma Dong-seok, Jung Yu-mi

Release dates: 13 May 2016

Running time: 118 minutes

The Handmaiden is a South Korean erotic psychological thriller film released in 2016. It is based on Welsh writer Sarah Waters' 2002 novel Fingersmith, with the setting changed from Victorian-era Britain to Korea under Japanese colonial rule.

At the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, the film was chosen to compete for the Palme d'Or. It was released to critical acclaim in South Korea on June 1, 2016. It earned more than $38 million worldwide. The film won the Best Film Not in the English Language category at the 71st British Academy Film Awards. The film was also screened in the Special Presentations section of the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was named one of the festival's top 15 films by The Playlist.

Detailed information:

Directed by: Park Chan-wook

Starring: Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo

Release dates: 14 May 2016

Running time: 144 minutes

Kim Ok-Bin, the exquisite South Korean actress, captured everyone's attention with her stunning performance as Sook-hee, a merciless female assassin who has been trained to be the best and the worst since childhood. She attempts to conceal her terrible secrets by posing as a sleeping agent for an intelligence agency. However, two crucial pieces of evidence from her past reappear, putting her secret in jeopardy.

It is possibly one of the best-made films of 2017. "The Villainess" was shown at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, where it received high reviews for its sleek action and fascinating tale.

Detailed information:

Directed by: Jung Byung-gil

Starring: Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-kyun, Sung Joon

Release date: 21 May 2017

Running time: 129 minutes

Burning is a psychological thriller film released in South Korea in 2018. The film is based on Haruki Murakami's short story "Barn Burning" from The Elephant Vanishes, with elements inspired by William Faulkner's story of the same name. The plot revolves around a young delivery man named Jong-su (Yoo) who runs into his childhood friend Hae-mi (Jeon). They soon meet an enigmatic young man named Ben (Yeun), whom Jong-su suspects and suspects Hae-mi is in danger.

The film had its world premiere on May 16, 2018, at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or and won the FIPRESCI International Critics' Prize. It received almost universal critical acclaim, owing to its unsettling atmosphere, ambiguous narrative, and performances. It was chosen as South Korea's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, and while it was not nominated, it was the first Korean film to make it to the final nine-film shortlist. Some critics consider it to be one of the best films of the twenty-first century.

Detailed information:

Directed by: Lee Chang-dong

Starring: Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, Jeon Jong-seo

Release dates: May 16, 2018

Running time: 148 minutes