TUC 5 Korean Films You Must Watch

The global popularity and success of South Korea’s film industry continue to grow. In 2019 Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho, became the first South Korean film to receive not one but six Academy Award nominations. The film won four awards and became the first non-English film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture.

Korean filmmakers like Bong, have taken storytelling through film to another level. No matter the genre, they touch on hard subjects while never failing to give us scenes that are visually appealing.

If you are looking for new films to watch, I have compiled a list of 5 Korean films that will leave you wanting more.

1. Parasite (2019)
Parasite, a thriller film, is centered around two families living opposite lives in the same city. The Kims, living in a small basement apartment and working low-income jobs desperately seek to get out of poverty. An opportunity opens up when a friend of Kim’s son suggests he pose as a university student and tutor for the daughter of the rich Park family. One by one they scheme their way into being employed by the Parks but things take a dark turn when they get the old housekeeper fired. This film shows how much power the rich have over the poor and the lengths one will go to for a better life.

2. Train to Busan (2016)
This zombie horror film begins with the story of a divorced workaholic father, Seok-woo, whose daughter, Su-an, wants to spend her birthday with her mother in Busan. They board a train departing for Busan where an infected woman gets on the train unnoticed until she turns into a zombie and bites a train attendant. Seok-woo, his daughter, and other passengers escape to other cars and soon find out that an epidemic is spreading across the country. Though the story is fictional and action-filled, it shows how even when facing death, humans can be both selfless and selfish.

3. Decision to Leave (2022)
Decision to Leave, follows the case of a mysterious death. A homicide detective, Hae-joon, interviews Seo-rae, wife of the deceased and potential suspect. Though he is married, they both become infatuated with each other, and he falls in love with her. He slowly uncovers the truth and goes as far as helping Seo-rae cover up her involvement with the murder. In this tragic love story, emotions speak louder than words.

4. House of Hummingbird (2018)
This coming-of-age film is about Eun-hee, an eighth-grader searching for what it means to love and be loved despite enduring her brother’s abuse and a challenging homel ife. She spends her time with her best friend and experiences romantic relationships with both boys and girls. It isn’t until she forms a bond with her Chinese professor where she no longer feels alone and neglected. Despite Eun-hee being the main character, this film uncovers how each member of her family is facing their own challenges.

5. Moonlit Winter (2019)
Moonlit Winter is centered around a mother, Yun-hee, who was recently divorced and lives with her daughter, Sae-bom, a high school student and soon-to-be graduate. Sae-bom accidentally reads a letter from a Japanese woman addressed to her mother. With hopes to get her mother out of her depression, she secretly plans a trip to Otaru, the small village where the letter came from. They visit various places where they create memories and eventually, her mother encounters the person who wrote the letter, her first love. This heartfelt story will leave you feeling warm despite the cold setting.