We've gone and ranked the essential Korean films by IMDB Rating and have included the added perk letting you know whether or not it is on Netflix US.
(Hat tip to BigEye4You who originally posted the Korean Film Chart)
Movie Title
IMDB Rating
Year
IMDB Genre
Director(s)
Runtime
Rated
Plot
On Netflix US?
Oldboy
8.4
2003
Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Chan-wook Park
120 min
R
After being kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must find his captor in 5 days.
yes
A Moment to Remember
8.3
2004
Drama, Romance
John H. Lee
117 min
N/A
A Korean love story about a young couple's enduring love, which is tested when 27 year old Sun-jin is diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease.
no
My Sassy Girl
8.2
2001
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Jae-young Kwak
123 min
NOT RATED
Based on a series of true stories posted by Ho-sik Kim on the Internet describing his relationship with his girlfriend. These were later transformed into a best-selling book and the movie ...
no
Castaway on the Moon
8.2
2009
Drama, Romance
Hae-jun Lee
116 min
N/A
A failed suicide attempt leads a heartbroken man to live a life in the wilderness.
no
Memories of Murder
8.1
2003
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Joon-ho Bong
132 min
UNRATED
In 1986, in the province of Gyunggi, in South Korea, a second young and beautiful woman is found dead, raped and tied and gagged with her underwear. Detective Park Doo-Man and Detective Cho...
no
3-Iron
8.1
2004
Crime, Drama, Romance
Ki-duk Kim
88 min
R
A transient young man breaks into empty homes to partake of the vacationing residents' lives for a few days.
no
Breathless
8.0
1960
Crime, Drama, Romance
Jean-Luc Godard
90 min
UNRATED
A small-time thief steals a car and impulsively murders a motorcycle policeman. Wanted by the authorities, he reunites with a hip American journalism student and attempts to persuade her to run away with him to Italy.
yes
Oasis
8.0
2002
Drama, Romance
Chang-dong Lee
133 min
N/A
Jong-du, a young man just out of prison for manslaughter, is a social misfit: fidgety, snuffling, laughing inappropriately, without a super ego. When released, he calls on the family of the...
no
The Chaser
7.9
2008
Thriller
Hong-jin Na
125 min
N/A
A cash-strapped pimp and former police detective draws upon the skills of his old job to track down his missing stable of prostitutes.
no
Joint Security Area
7.9
2000
Drama, Thriller, War
Chan-wook Park
110 min
N/A
In the DMZ separating North and South Korea, two North Korean soldiers have been killed, supposedly by one South Korean soldier. But the 11 bullets found in the bodies, together with the 5 ...
no
Children
7.9
2006
Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Alfonso Cuarón
109 min
R
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have become somehow infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.
no
The Man from Nowhere
7.9
2010
Action, Crime, Thriller
Jeong-beom Lee
119 min
R
A quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past takes on a drug- and organ trafficking ring in hope of saving the child who is his only friend.
no
The Classic
7.9
2003
Drama, Romance
Jae-young Kwak
127 min
N/A
Shy Ji-hae's friend is having problems expressing her feelings to the boy she loves, so she asks Ji-hae to write e-mails to him in her name. As the boy falls in love with her letters, ...
no
Battle Ground 625
7.9
2005
Comedy, Drama, War
Kwang-Hyun Park
133 min
N/A
Soldiers from both sides of the Korean divide live among villagers who know nothing of the war.
no
Marathon
7.9
2005
Biography, Drama, Sport
Yoon-Chul Chung
117 min
N/A
(Korean with English subtitles) This hit inspirational movie follows an autistic young man, who finds solace only in running. His mother is the caring force that never gives up on him. Even...
no
Peppermint Candy
7.9
1999
Drama
Chang-dong Lee
129 min
N/A
Consists of five phases of a man's life about why he committed suicide in the end.
no
Masquerade
7.9
2012
Drama, History
Chang-min Choo
131 min
NOT RATED
Amid national chaos and fear for his life, tyrannical King Gwanghae orders his trusted councilor Heo Kyun to find a royal body double. He hires Ha-seon, a peasant mimic who bears a perfect ...
no
Poetry
7.8
2010
Drama
Chang-dong Lee
139 min
UNRATED
A sixty-something woman, faced with the discovery of a heinous family crime and in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, finds strength and purpose when she enrolls in a poetry class.
yes
I Saw The Devil
7.8
2010
Crime, Drama, Horror
Jee-Woon Kim
141 min
NOT RATED
A secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.
yes
Brotherhood
7.8
2006–2008
Crime, Drama
N/A
60 min
TV-MA
Set in an Irish neighbourhood in Providence, the series reflects around two brothers on opposite sides of the law: one a gangster (Jason Isaacs) and the other a politician (Jason Clarke).
no
The Attorney
7.8
2013
Drama
Woo-seok Yang
127 min
N/A
An ambitious tax attorney decides to represent an old friend in court.
no
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
7.7
2002
Crime, Drama
Chan-wook Park
129 min
R
A recently laid off factory worker kidnaps his former boss' daughter, hoping to use the ransom money to pay for his sister's kidney transplant.
yes
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
7.7
2005
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Chan-wook Park
112 min
R
After a 13-year imprisonment for the kidnap and murder of a 6 year old boy, beautiful Lee Guem-ja starts seeking revenge on the man that was really responsible for the boy's death. With the...
no
Il Mare
7.7
2000
Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Hyun-seung Lee
105 min
N/A
Eun-joo moves out of her house "Il Mare", leaving behind a Christmas card for the eventual new owner of the house in 1999. In it she asks him/her to forward any mail of hers to her new ...
no
A Bittersweet Life
7.7
2005
Action, Crime, Drama
Jee-Woon Kim
120 min
N/A
Things go wrong for a high ranking mobster when he doesn't proceed by his boss's orders.
no
Hindsight
7.7
2015–
Comedy, Drama
N/A
30 min
N/A
Becca, as she nears 40, is about to embark on her second wedding to Andy Kelly, but her joy is tempered by the absence of her old best friend Lolly who's a no-show, having dropped out of their relationship years ago.
no
New World
7.6
2013
Action, Crime, Drama
Hoon-jung Park
134 min
NOT RATED
Story about a conflict between the police and the mob through the eyes of an undercover cop.
no
Montage
7.5
2013
Thriller
Geun-seop Jeong
120 min
N/A
15 years ago, a mother lost her child in a kidnapping case. A similar crime happens again and she won't let him go this time.
no
Sad Movie
7.5
2005
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Jong-kwan Kwon
108 min
N/A
Several couples struggle with their relationships
no
Going by the Book
7.5
2007
Comedy
Hee-chan Ra
102 min
N/A
Things get out of control when Doman, an eager and saintly traffic cop, is asked the play the role of the bank robber in a robbery intervention police training program.
no
A Man who was Superman
7.5
2008
Comedy, Drama
Yoon-Chul Chung
102 min
N/A
A snobbish producer makes a documentary about the extraordinary behavior of her neighbor who believes himself to be Superman.
no
Ode to my Father
7.5
2014
Drama
Youn Jk
126 min
N/A
Amid the time of Korean War, a young boy's vow to take care of his family marked the beginning of a lifelong promise spanning 60 years.
no
A Dirty Carnival
7.5
2006
Action, Crime, Thriller
Ha Yoo
141 min
N/A
Byung-du is a 29-year-old career criminal, working for the middle-rank enforcer Sang-chul. Burdened with a terminally ill mother and taking care of younger siblings, Byung-du is feeling ...
no
The Yellow Sea
7.4
2010
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Hong-jin Na
136 min
R
The story of a cab driver in Yanji City, a region between North Korea, China and Russia. His wife goes to Korea to earn money, but he doesn't hear from her since in 6 months. He plays ...
no
Save the Green Planet
7.4
2003
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Joon-Hwan Jang
118 min
UNRATED
Byeong-gu believes that the world is on the verge of an alien invasion, and sets out to save the world.
no
Bedevilled
7.3
2010
Crime, Drama, Horror
Chul-soo Jang
115 min
N/A
A woman subject to mental, physical, and sexual abuse on a remote island seeks a way out.
yes
Miss Granny
7.3
2014
Comedy, Fantasy, Music
Dong-hyuk Hwang
124 min
N/A
A 74-year-old widow realizes she is becoming a burden on her family. She mysteriously regains her physical appearance from the age of 20.
yes
The Good, The Bad, and the Weird
7.3
2008
Action, Adventure, Comedy
Jee-Woon Kim
130 min
R
The story of two outlaws and a bounty hunter in 1940s Manchuria and their rivalry to possess a treasure map while being pursued by the Japanese army and Chinese bandits.
no
Windstruck
7.3
2004
Comedy, Crime, Drama
Jae-young Kwak
123 min
N/A
The heart-warming romance story between Kyungjin and Myungwoo. Even though he has passed away, he will be always with Kyungwoo forever.
no
Time
7.3
2006
Drama, Mystery, Romance
Ki-duk Kim
97 min
N/A
To save her relationship, a woman puts herself through extensive plastic surgery.
no
Address Unknown
7.3
2001
Drama, War
Ki-duk Kim
117 min
R
Romances end in blood and the frail hopes of individuals are torn apart in a vile karmic continuity of colonialism, civil war and occupation. After surviving Japanese colonization, Korea ...
no
A Tale of Two Sisters
7.3
2003
Drama, Horror, Mystery
Jee-Woon Kim
115 min
R
A family is haunted by the tragedies of deaths within the family.
no
The Warrior
7.2
2001
Action, Drama, History
Sung-su Kim
158 min
R
1375. Nine Koryo warriors, envoys exiled by Imperial China, battle to protect a Chinese Ming Princess from Mongolian troops.
yes
Thirst
7.2
2009
Drama, Horror, Thriller
Chan-wook Park
133 min
R
Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is stricken with vampirism and is forced to abandon his ascetic ways.
no
A Hard Day
7.2
2014
Action, Crime, Thriller
Seong-hoon Kim
111 min
N/A
Detective Go Geon-soo is having a hard day, and the following events happen to him in less than 24 hours: He receives a divorce notice from his wife. His mother passes away. He and his ...
no
Seven Days
7.2
1998–2001
Sci-Fi, Action, Drama
N/A
45 min
N/A
An ex-CIA is the point man for a government organization dedicated to time traveling to correct errors that occurred in the previous week.
no
Silmido
7.2
2003
Action, Drama
Woo-Suk Kang
135 min
N/A
Based on a true story of 1968 Korean Republic Army plan to assassinate North Korean president Kim Il-Sung. 31 criminals and death row inmates are recruited into secret training on the ...
no
Radio Star
7.2
2006
Comedy, Drama
Joon-ik Lee
112 min
N/A
Once a superstar with a music award on his belt, rocker CHOI Gon now sings in a run-down café. But an incident with one of the guests at the café has him end up locked behind bars. His ...
no
Samaritan Girl
7.2
2004
Drama
Ki-duk Kim
95 min
R
Jae-Young is an amateur prostitute who sleeps with men while her best friend Yeo-Jin "manages" her, fixing dates, taking care of the money and making sure the coast is clear. When Jae-Young...
no
Nameless Gangster
7.2
2012
Crime, Thriller
Jong-bin Yun
134 min
N/A
On the verge of being fired, a corrupt customs official finds a haul of drugs and teams up with a vicious gangster to become the most powerful crime partnership in Busan.
no
Secret Reunion
7.1
2010
Drama, Thriller
Hun Jang
116 min
N/A
A North Korean spy and a former South Korean agent form a tense partnership.
yes
The Show Must Go On
7.1
2007
Crime, Drama
Jae-rim Han
109 min
N/A
In-gu is a full-time gangster aspiring to be a full-time husband and dad. Shunned by his daughter and wife, his only goal is to live a quiet life with his family out in the country. But ...
no
The Admiral
7.1
2014
Adventure, Biography, War
Han-min Kim
126 min
N/A
At the strait 'Roaring Currents', master strategist Admiral Yi and his 12 battleships oppose enemy's fleet of 330, and win the most incredible victory of history.
no
Arrow, the Ultimate Weapon
7.1
2003
Drama
Ki-duk Kim
103 min
R
On an isolated lake, an old monk lives on a small floating temple. The wise master has also a young boy with him who learns to become a monk. And we watch as seasons and years pass by.
no
The Show Must Go On
7.1
2007
Crime, Drama
Jae-rim Han
109 min
N/A
In-gu is a full-time gangster aspiring to be a full-time husband and dad. Shunned by his daughter and wife, his only goal is to live a quiet life with his family out in the country. But ...
no
I'm a Cyborg, But That's Okay
7.1
2003
Drama
Ki-duk Kim
103 min
R
On an isolated lake, an old monk lives on a small floating temple. The wise master has also a young boy with him who learns to become a monk. And we watch as seasons and years pass by.
no
Deiji
7.1
2003
Drama
Ki-duk Kim
103 min
R
On an isolated lake, an old monk lives on a small floating temple. The wise master has also a young boy with him who learns to become a monk. And we watch as seasons and years pass by.
no
The Quiet Family
7.1
1998
Comedy, Crime, Horror
Jee-Woon Kim
101 min
N/A
A family opens a mountain inn where their first guest commits suicide. Suddenly all their guests befall horrible fates.
no
Barking Dogs Never Bite
7.1
2000
Comedy
Joon-ho Bong
110 min
N/A
An idle part-time college lecturer is annoyed by the yapping sound of a nearby dog. He decides to take drastic action.
no
Miracle in Cell No. 7
7.1
2003
Drama
Ki-duk Kim
103 min
R
On an isolated lake, an old monk lives on a small floating temple. The wise master has also a young boy with him who learns to become a monk. And we watch as seasons and years pass by.
no
Attack the Gas Station!
7.1
1999
Comedy
Sang-Jin Kim
113 min
R
Four disaffected youths rob a gas station but find their plans complicated and sidetracked before the night is through.
no
Tokyo!
7.1
2008
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Joon-ho Bong, Leos Carax, Michel Gondry
112 min
UNRATED
A cinematic triptych of three Tokyo-set stories.
no
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring
7.1
2003
Drama
Ki-duk Kim
103 min
R
On an isolated lake, an old monk lives on a small floating temple. The wise master has also a young boy with him who learns to become a monk. And we watch as seasons and years pass by.
no
Three... Extremes
7.1
2004
Horror
Fruit Chan, Takashi Miike, Chan-wook Park
125 min
R
An Asian cross-cultural trilogy of horror films from accomplished indie directors.
no
Confession of Murder
7.0
2012
Action, Mystery, Thriller
Byeong-gil Jeong
119 min
N/A
After the statute of limitation expires on the murders he has committed, Lee Du-seok publishes an autobiography describing all his murders in great detail. Detective Choi, who investigated ...
yes
Hwayi: A Monster Boy
7.0
2013
Action, Thriller
Joon-Hwan Jang
126 min
N/A
A boy with five fathers who is attached to the criminal underworld. A sinister past is about to be revealed as he is forced to join the killing spree.
no
Voice of a Murderer
7.0
2007
Drama, Thriller
Jin-pyo Park
122 min
N/A
One day, the only son of famous news anchor HAN Kyung-bae, disappears without a trace. Soon, the kidnapper calls the mother demanding a $100,000 ransom. The police assign a veteran ...
no
Running Turtle
6.9
2009
Comedy, Crime, Drama
Yeon-woo Lee
117 min
N/A
Jo Pil-seong, a rural detective, is an unhappy husband, often blamed by his older wife for gambling. Despite her being hard on him, he steals money from her to bet on bull butting. ...
yes
The Suspect
6.9
2013
Action, Thriller
Shin-yeon Won
137 min
N/A
Dong-chul is the best field agent in North Korea until he is abandoned during a mission, his wife and daughter murdered. Hunted and on the run, torn between grief and vengeance, his revenge mission begin.
no
Gangster High
6.9
2006
Action, Crime
Ki-hyeong Park
100 min
N/A
The film opens with Sang Ho being interrogated by a man, informing him that he is arrested for murder.To the man surprise Sang Ho says he belongs to a soccer club called the 'Tigers'. The ...
no
Moss
6.9
2010
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Woo-Suk Kang
163 min
N/A
A mysterious person calls a young man and informs him that his estranged father has died in a country village. The curious son travels to the town to discover what happened. From there out ...
no
The Thieves
6.8
2012
Action, Crime
Dong-Hoon Choi
135 min
NOT RATED
In order to let things cool down from their latest heist, Popeye and his group of thieves go to Macau on a job. But the mastermind behind this job is none other than Popeye's old partner ...
yes
The Crucible
6.8
1996
Drama, History
Nicholas Hytner
124 min
PG-13
A Salem resident attempts to frame her ex-lover's wife for being a witch in the middle of the 1692 witchcraft trails.
no
Arahan
6.8
2004
Action, Comedy
Seung-wan Ryoo
114 min
N/A
When a thief driving a motorcycle steals a purse of a pedestrian, the clumsy, naive and honest rookie policeman Sang-hwan runs after him, but the skilled specialist in martial arts Wi-jin ...
no
Sky Blue
6.8
2003
Action, Fantasy, Animation
Moon-saeng Kim
86 min
UNRATED
Civilization has been destroyed by war and pollution, but the survivors have built the last city of Ecoban. As most natural resources have been exhausted, Ecoban is powered by pollution. ...
no
Flu
6.7
2013
Drama, Thriller
Sung-su Kim
122 min
N/A
The worst epidemic ever seen is sweeping through Bundang, the suburb of Seoul. After smuggling illegal immigrants into the country, Byung-woo dies from an unknown virus. Soon after that, ...
yes
A Company Man
6.7
2012
Action, Drama, Thriller
Sang-yoon Lim
96 min
NOT RATED
Hyeong-Do (So Ji-Sub) is an assassin for a company that masquerades as a metal trading company. One day, he takes on a job partnering with a man Hyun-Yi, who is he is to kill afterwards. ...
yes
No Tears for the Dead
6.7
2014
Action, Drama
Jeong-beom Lee
116 min
N/A
A hit man traumatized from accidentally killing a young girl during a job is given the mission to eliminate her mother, and begins the ultimate fight to save her life.
yes
Spider Forest
6.7
2004
Drama, Horror, Mystery
Il-gon Song
112 min
R
A recently widowed TV producer is drawn to an isolated cabin in a mysterious woods.
no
Running Wild
6.7
2006
Action, Crime, Thriller
Seong-soo Kim
124 min
N/A
Jang is a homicide detective who likes to use violence with criminals, while Oh is a prosecutor who believes in the importance of evidence. After the murder of his younger half-brother ...
no
Princess Aurora
6.7
2005
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Eun-jin Pang
106 min
N/A
A woman gets killed in a department store. No one imagines this could lead to serial murders, but two days after the first murder, another homicide occurs. A woman is suffocated to death ...
no
Rainbow Eyes
6.7
2007
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Yun-ho Yang
99 min
N/A
Officers Kyung-yoon CHO and Eun-joo PARK are on the hunt a killer following duo of ghastly murders. The victims carry a common military past, and the secret of their past must be unraveled to find the killer.
no
The Housemaid
6.5
2010
Drama, Thriller
Sang-soo Im
106 min
NOT RATED
A man's affair with his family's housemaid leads to a dark consequences.
yes
Dead Friend
6.3
2004
Horror
Tae-kyeong Kim
98 min
N/A
A teenage girl suffering from amnesia discovers that she is somehow connected to a group of people who are being killed off one by one by a vengeful ghost.
no
Wishing Stairs
6.0
2003
Horror, Drama
Jae-yeon Yun
97 min
R
A staircase leading to the dormitory