A feeling of suspense, surprise, excitement, anticipation, and anxiety is what the mood of a thrill defines. So, here’s our must-watch list of the best Korean thriller movies. Check out the list and binge-watch.
Best Korean Thriller Movies
The craze of K-pop is growing in leaps and bounds these days. In that, thriller movies have their separate fan base. And here are some of the best Korean thriller movies that are a must-watch.
1. Train to Busan
Movie Name: Train to Busan
Also Known as: Train Via Busan, Busan line, For Busan, Busan Bound, and Busanhaeng.
Country: South Korea
Director: Yeon Sung Ho
Screenwriter: Park Joo Seok
Release Date: July 20, 2016
Duration: 1 hr. 58 min.
Genres: Action, Thriller, Horror, Zombies.
Related content: Peninsula (Train to Busan 2)
Cast
- Gong Yoo, as Seok-woo, a fund manager.
- Kim Soo-A, as Soo-An, daughter of Seok Woo, wants to meet her mom on her birthday.
- Ma Dong Seok, as Yoon Sang-hwa, husband of Seng-kyeong.
- Jung Yu-mi, as Seong-kyeong Sang-hwa’s pregnant wife.
- Choi Woo-Shik, as Min Yong-guy, a high school baseball player.
- Ahn So-hee, as Kim Jin-hee, Yong guk’s friend.
Story-line
Seok woo, a fund manager in Seoul, separated from his wife and life and lives with his daughter Soo-An. Seok-wo doesn’t show any affection or spend time with her.
On the night before Soo-An’s birthday, Soo-An insists on seeing her mom on her birthday. Seok woo had no other choice, and he took her early the next morning to Busan. They took the KTX train for Busan at Seoul station.
A Zombie-like girl jumps onto the train before the KTX train leaves from Seoul. The girl is infected with a horrific virus that is spreading to others like wildfire. Soo-An and the other passengers on the train have to fight for their lives.
This film is also available in the English Language at MX player and is undoubtedly one of the must-watch Korean thriller movies. One of the best Korean thrilers to exist.
2. Joint Security Area
Movie Name: Joint Security Area
Country: South Korea
Director: Park Chan-wook
Writer: Park Sang Yeon, Jeong Seong-Sun, Kim Hyeon-Seok, Lee Moo-Yeong
Producer: Seok Dong-Jun
Cinematographer: Kim Jung-Bok
Language: Korean
Release date: September 9, 2000
Duration: 1 hr. 50 min.
Genre: Drama, Mystery, War, North Korean, Award-winning
Cast
- Lee Byung Hun as Sgt. Lee Soo-Hyuk
- Song Kang Ho as Sgt. Oh Kyeong-Pil
- Shin Ha-Kyun as Jung Woo-Jin
- Lee Young-Ae as Maj. Sophie E. Jean
- Kim Tae-Woo as Nam Sung-Shik
Story-line
The plot is set along the “Bridge of No Return” in Panmunjom, the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea. The unique plot makes this movie one of the must-watch Korean thriller movies.
One day two North Korean soldiers were killed by a rifle bullet, and the suspected marksman is one South Korean soldier (Lee-Byung Hun), who is found wounded in the middle of no-man’s land.
The 11 bullets were found in the body and 5 remaining bullets in the assassin’s magazine clip, but normally a gun holds only 15 bullets.
This incident will have grave repercussions. The North accuses the South that the incident is a ‘terrorist attack’ while South Korea suspects the North of having attempted an ‘abduction.
Both the sides appeal to the authorities of the neutral states and neutral countries (NNSC) for help and ask them to investigate the affair.
A female swiss army Captain Lee Yeong-Ae of Korean Descent from the neutral countries overseeing the DMZ suspects that there is another involvement too and is then sent to Panmunjom to investigate the death of the North Korean soldiers on border ground.
Watch the Joint Security area’s trailer here!
3. I Saw the Devil
Movie Name: I saw the Devil
Country: South Korea
Director: Kim Jee-Woon
Assistant Director: Seok Min-Woo
Writer: Park Sang Yeon, Jeong Seong-Sun, Kim Hyeon-Seok, Lee Moo-Yeong
Cinematographer: Park Hoon-Jung
Language: Korean
Release date: August 11, 2010
Duration: 2 hr. 21 min.
Genre: Suspense-Thriller, Award-winning, Best film-movie of the year.
Cast
- Lee Byung-Hun as Soo-Hyun
- Choi Min-Sik as Kyung-Chul
- Jeon Kuk-Hwan as Det. Jang
- Oh San-Ha as Joo-Yeon
- Kim Yoon-Seo as Se-Yeon
- Cheon Ho-Jin as Det. Oh
- Choi Moo-Sung as Tae-Jo
Story-line
A woman gets stranded on a snowy night in her broken-down car. Her name is Joo-Yun Oh San-ha. She talks to her fiance on her cellphone while she waits for a tow truck. Her fiance works as an agent for the National Intelligence Service.
Out of the blue, a van stops in front of her broken down car. A man exits the van and comes to knock on the woman’s window. He offers to help her to start the car.
Meanwhile, she was on the phone with her fiancé, and her fiancé advised her to stay in the car until the tow truck arrived. She says the same to the creepy man standing outside her and closes the window.
But after a few moments, the creepy man outside breaks her window and beats her until she is unconscious. Kyung-Chul takes Joo-Yun to his home.
Watch the trailer of this one of the best Korean thrillers.
4. Memories of Murder
Movie Name: Memories of Murder
Country: South Korea
Director: Bong Joon-Ho
Writer: Cha Seoung-Jae, Kim Moo Ryung, Lee Kang-Bok, No Jung-Yun
Cinematographer: Kim Hyung-Ku
Language: Korean
Release date: May 2, 2003
Duration: 2 hr. 8 min.
Cast
- Song Kang Ho as Det. Park Doo-Man
- Kim Sang-Kyung as Det. Seo Tae-Yoon
- Kim Roe-Na as Det. Cho Yong-koo
- Song Jae-Ho as Sergeant Shin Dong-Chul
- Byun Hee-Bong as Sergeant Koo Hee-Bong
Story-line
In 1986 Gyunggi Province. The body of a young woman is found dead in a brutal rapped and murdered condition. A Similar series of rapes and murders was repeated two months ago in a previous incident. And in a country that had never known such kinds of crimes.
The plot progresses with a detective studying the whole incident. This is one of the best Korean thriller movies to watch with some unthinkable plot twists.
5. A Bittersweet Life
Movie name: A Bittersweet life
Director: Kim Jee-Woon
Writer: Kim Jee-Woon
Producer: Park Dong-Ho, Eugene Lee
Cinematographer: Kim Ji Jung
Language: Korean
Release date: April 1, 2005
Duration: 1 hr. 59 min.
Cast
- Lee Byung-Hun as Sun Woo
- Shin Min-A as Hae-Soo
- Kim Young-Chul as Mr. Kang
- Hwang Jung-Min as President Baek
- Kim Roe-Ha as Moon-Suk
Story-line
Gangland Boss Kang suspects his girlfriend of being unfaithful and sends his right-hand man Sun-Woo to sort out the situation.
In a moment of weakness, Sun-Woo falls for Hae-Soo, taken by her grace and humanity. When Sun hoo catches Kang’s girlfriend with her lover, instead of killing her and allowing her to flee, this infuriates Kang, and he orders his thugs to beat Sun-Woo.
Watch the trailer to know more about this one of the must-watch Korean thriller movies.
6. Horror Stories
Movie Name: Horror Stories
Director: Min Kyu-Dong, Lim Dae-Woong, Hong Ji-Young, Kim Gok, kim Sun, Jung Bum-Sik
Writer: Jung Bum-Sik, Min Kyu-Dong, Hong Ji-Young, Kim Gok, kim Sun, Byun Hye-Joo, Jung Bum-Sik
Producer: Min Jin-Soo, Kim Won-Guk
Language: Korean
Release date: July 26, 2012
Duration: 1 hr. 48 min.
Cast
- Kim Jee won as a Kidnapped student
- Yoo Yeon-Seok as Kidnapper
- Kim Hyun Soo as Sun yi
- No Kang-Min as Moon Yi
- Ra-Min Ran as Mother
Plot-line
The film begins with a female high school student who is kidnapped by a serial killer with a speech impediment. She then starts telling the scariest stories to the killers.
A suspicious delivery man knocks on the door where a young brother and sister are waiting for their mom.
Watch the trailer to learn more about this one of the best Korean thriller movies to watch.
7. The Chaser
Director: Na Hong-Jin
Writer: Hong Won Chan, Lee Shinho, Na Hong Jin.
Producer: Choi Moon-Su, Jeong Seung- Kim
Language: Korean
Release date: February 14, 2008
Duration: 2 hr. 3 min.
Cast
- Kim Yoon-Seok as Jung Ho
- Ha Jung Woo as Ji Young-Min
- Seo Young-Hee as Mi-Jin
Story-line
Ex-detective Jung-Ho is angry as his girls keep disappearing without clearing his debts. One night, he gets a call from a customer, and he sends Mi-jin to meet the customer.
Jung-Ho realizes that the phone number of the customer matches that of the calls the missing girls got last. And the story progresses from there.
This movie is based on the real-life serial killer Young-Cheol Yoo who was guilty in 2005 of murdering 20 people. Through this debut film, Na Hong-jin proved his quality as a filmmaker. It is undoubtedly a must-watch Korean cinema.
8. Lady Vengeance
Director: Park Chan Wook
Release date: July 29, 2005
Duration: 1 hr. 55 min.
Cast
- Lee Young Ae as Lee Geum-Ja
- Choi Min Sik as Mr. Baek
- Kwon Yea Young as Jenny
- Kim Si hoo as Guen-Shik
Story-Line
A musical procession waits with a symbolic block of tofu outside a prison for the release of Lee Geum-Ja, a reformed female prisoner. Geun-Ja becomes a national sensation after that because of the young age.
However, she became a role model for prisoner reform during her incarceration, and her apparent spiritual transformation earned her an early release. Free, she is now intent on revenge.
Watch the trailer to learn more about this one of the best Korean thriller movies to watch.
Some other Korean Movies that come on the list of best Korean thrillers are:
- Crime thriller Film By Kelvin Costner
- Parasite film by Bong Joon Ho
- Steel Rain (A political thriller movie) of 2019 by Woo Seok Yang.
- The Man from Nowhere (2010)
- The Yellow Sea Directed by Na Hong Jin
- Nameless Gangster by Yun Jong-Bin
- A Tale of two sisters by Kim Jee-Woon
- Old Boy and Mr. Vengeance
This list is a great starter for movie fans who are new to Korean cinema and want to try the best Korean thriller movies.
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Last Updated on by Laveleena Sharma