Korean entertainment has gained massive popularity over the last few years. K-Dramas, K-Pop, Mukbangs have succeeded in gaining fans from all over the world. Along with the other entertainment areas, Korean movies are also becoming popular day by day. Of course, Korean movies are the opposites of Korean dramas, to be frank. Korean movies, to begin with, are much more realistic than Korean dramas. I won't deny that many K-Dramas show the real side of society too, but when it comes to K-movies, the realistic concepts are much more common. K-movies, in some cases, maybe disturbing too, and there are times when certain movies can have a deep impact on one's mind. If we dig deep into the world of K- movies, we'll find other different genres like fantasy, supernatural, horror, comedy, etc. If you're a beginner, choosing a particular k-movie to watch out of the thousands of them must be hard. So, if you're interested, I can suggest the top 4 K-movies to watch as a beginner, and with that, within a short period of time, you'll be a pro and go for other interesting ones.
1. Parasite
This movie has to be mentioned. This movie gained an insane amount of popularity worldwide, even among the people who aren't into Korean culture or entertainment. One of its popularity is that this movie won the Oscar award for Best Picture in the year 2020 and made history. Another reason this movie was loved by many is that it shows the dark reality of human lives around the world, the difference between the rich and the poor, how greed can lead to doom, and how there's no excuse for greed, not even when someone's the most pathetic person on earth. Furthermore, many are drawn towards the interesting plotline of the movie.
Parasite, along with the Oscar for the Best Picture in 2020, won many other awards like Palmed d'Or, British Academy film awards, etc. Parasite premiered at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2019. This 2019 movie has an IMDb rating of 8.6/10. The box office collection is $258.9 million. Directed by Bing Joon-ho, this movie is the perfect one to start your K-movie journey with.
2. Train to Busan
If you're into zombie movies, then Train to Busan is the perfect choice for you. The horror/action movie starring one of the most popular Korean actors, Gong Yoo, is about Seok-woo's main character and his daughter's journey on a train to Busan. The journey takes a different turn when a zombie apocalypse takes place. The thrilling story can make you have goosebumps. Kudos to the cast and crew members as they succeeded in giving a real thrill to the viewers.
This 2016 movie, directed by Yeon Sang-ho, has an IMDb rating of 7.6/10 and a box office collection of $98.5 million, making it one of the highest-grossing movies from South Korea.
3. Midnight Runners
The 2017 movie midnight runners, starring Park Seo-Joon and Kang Ha-neul, is perfect action and comedy. The plotline revolves around Ki Joon(Park Seo-Joon) and Hee-yeol(Kang Ha-neul) from Korea National Police University. The duo accidentally involves themselves in a human trafficking case, and that's what the story is all about. This movie will take you on a roller coaster ride of a perfect blend of action and comedy. Directed by Jason Kim, this movie is worth a try.
4. Scandal Makers
Scandal Makers is a 2008 Korean film starring popular Korean actors like Park Bo-young and Cha Tae-Hyun. This was the highest-grossing Korean film of the year. The plotline is one of the funniest I've ever witnessed. Through his radio program, a former idol and a current radio DJ, Nam Hyeon-soo(Cha Tae-Hyun), interact with a single mother, Hwang Jeong-Nam, and knows about her struggles. He then comes to know that she's going to meet her father. Turns out that she's the daughter of Hyeon-soo's first love, which means he's the father. That's when the adventures begin for both of them.
The movie was directed by Kang Hyeong-Cheol, and the box office collection was $47.9 million. I strongly recommend everyone watch this movie for relaxation and as a break from the day-to-day exhausting life.
And this was my list of top 4 Korean movies for beginners. Some other mentions are Train to Busan 2, Ms. and Mrs. Cops, A Tale of Two Sisters, A Werewolf Boy, etc.
Trust me, as a beginner, watching these movies will make you want to explore the world of Korean movies more, and you'll find many other masterpieces.
You must be logged in to post a comment.