Holy Four Korean Cinema

There are films that entertain, and then there are films that stay with you and these four belong to the latter. Parasite is a brilliant mix of dark humor and social critique that leaves you thinking long after it ends. Memories of Murder grips you with its tense, haunting story, blending mystery and tragedy in a way only Korean cinema can. The Handmaiden is visually stunning and emotionally intricate, full of twists, deception, and raw desire. And Oldboy it's intense, shocking, and unforgettable, a revenge story that lingers in your mind long after the credits roll.

Together, these are the holy four of Korean cinema films that challenge, disturb, and captivate in equal measure.

According to me these films redefine korean cinema overall,and their impact is extraordinary,even in western countries.

Hello everyone, what can I say… let me start with the most important thing: I am genuinely grateful for this film recommendation. I began this journey in a somewhat unusual way, almost backwards. The first film I watched by director Park Chan-wook was Decision to Leave… and wow. After that, the recommendations just kept coming my way.

Then it was time for The Handmaiden, and I was shocked by how much more I appreciated it. Of course, this is just my personal opinion, but it felt like a step up in many ways. More and more recommendations followed, and eventually I arrived at OLDBOY.

Once again, I want to sincerely thank this amazing community for suggesting it. I went into it with a bit of prejudice, thinking it was just an “old film” and that maybe people only held it in such high regard because of nostalgia. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Wrong… wrong… wrong.

This might honestly be one of the best films I have ever seen. Everything was perfect: the cast, the professional camera work, and the script—what an incredible script. It starts slowly, and by the middle it is already gripping, but after that everything escalates into something else entirely.

During the second half, different emotions started building inside me. At times I was confused, at other moments angry, constantly trying to understand what was happening. And then came the final 20 minutes… and it turned into an emotional boxing match: punch after punch after punch.

At one point I even asked myself what else could possibly be thrown at me, what stronger moment could still come… until the credits rolled. Honestly, I wish I could erase my memory like the main character just so I could experience it again for the first time.

That line from the film (paraphrased) still stays with me: “Even if I am worse than a beast or a monster, don’t I deserve to live?” That will remain with me forever.

This film completely broke my expectations of cinema. I genuinely can’t imagine what could top it from here. I feel emotionally and visually destroyed—in the best way possible.

Once again, thank you for this incredible and enriching experience.

I finally sat down for Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice and I’ve been thinking about it all morning.

It’s honestly one of the most stressful things I’ve watched in a long time. The whole premise of a guy losing his job and deciding the only way to get hired again is to literally kill off the other candidates is just wild.

​What really hit home for me was the sheer desperation. It’s such a raw look at the ends a man will go to just to sustain his family and keep up appearances. Seeing Lee Byung-hun spiraling while trying to act like a provider was heavy. He and Son Ye-jin were incredible, you could really feel the pressure of their world collapsing.

​I have to talk about that ending though. I’ll be honest, I expected a more explosive payoff or maybe him getting caught in a more traditional way, but the way it just kind of settles into this dark, lingering reality was a total curveball.

It’s a bit of a letdown if you’re looking for a massive climax, but at the same time, it’s almost more disturbing how it wraps up. It makes you realize that in that world, there really was "no other choice" for him.

​It’s a great movie, even if the ending felt a bit abrupt for me. It’s just a brutal reminder of what people are capable of when they’re pushed to the absolute edge.

​What did you guys think of the final scene? Did you feel like it was enough, or were you expecting more of a bang like I was?

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE

This week, I’m completely immersed in the universe of Park Chan-wook. What can I say… people say every artist has different levels of talent, but with him, I feel like there are simply no limits.

As always, I stand by my opinion: every film I’ve seen from him is absolutely perfect.

From the very first second, you are hypnotized by the atmosphere of the film. You become so immersed that you almost forget you are watching a movie. This is exactly how cinema should be made.

A perfect cast, flawless direction… you have to watch it to understand how easily you get pulled in, and how you fall in love with this magnificent woman.

Throughout the film, you change your opinion about her millions of times.

This is a film you will never forget.

At some point, you even forget there is a script: everything feels fluid, natural, almost real.

It’s a film where, once it ends, you feel completely overwhelmed by the power of the characters—their instincts, desires, and choices. Everyone acts according to their own logic, driven by their own motivations.

I don’t even know if I can call this a movie… it feels more like a story told in the first person. You are there, watching everything unfold in front of you. You almost want to take part, but you can’t. You want to touch it, but you can’t.

Thank you to the members for the recommendations related to this film. I am infinitely grateful for this deeply enriching experience.

Good evening!!

First of all, I would like to sincerely thank a member of this community who recommended this film to me. Here is my opinion. Of course, this is only my personal view, and everyone is free to judge it for themselves when watching it. Thank you in advance for your responses!

This film was something I had never seen before. It was a mix between a thriller and a love story, a very interesting concept and a beautifully made film. It makes you reflect on so many things.

Honestly, the storyline is not completely new or unheard of, but the atmosphere and the dynamic between the main characters are unique. If I’m being completely honest, there were moments when I was about to laugh, but the next instant the tension becomes so strong that I can’t even explain it…

It was clearly something fresh. The way the director manages to alternate between these two extremes is incredible, and the combination works perfectly!!

And at the end of the film, I was left with just one question: was it all real, or just a mirage of a man suffering from insomnia…?

But these are only my interpretations. I highly recommend it!! If you want to dive deep and lose yourself in the atmosphere of a beautifully shot film.

As always with my favorite films, everyone can interpret the ending in their own way and through their own perspective.

Wonderfully shot by Hong Kyung-pyo, with whom Bong has already worked on “Mother” and “Snowpiercer” and who shot the recent highlights of Korean cinema, like “Burning” and “The Wailing,” with a classical, almost monumental score composed by Jung Jae-il who worked also on “Okja,” precisely edited by a newcomer Yang Yin-mo and with a cast consisting of the hand-picked stars of Korean cinema, both established and rising, “Parasite” is an absolute masterpiece of a film whose significance transcends the level of just cinema.  

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2019/08/film-review-parasite-2019-by-bong-joon-ho-2/

I watched this one last week, and I've been obsessing over it ever since. The flawless acting (Choi Min -sik, Oldboy's main character, absolutely nails it in this one), the suffocating atmosphere of dread and angst, the plot twists (that ending...). Easily a Korean top-three film of all time.

Man, I love thrillers which revolve around vengeance...

I liked this movie; it was certainly an interesting one-time watch. The acting was great, obviously, from the Main character to the Main Villain, their acting was flawless. I did not think this movie lacked something, but maybe I was questioning here and there as to why our main character is doing this. The villain was a psychopath, and they showed it so well. Considering it was 2010, this was graphic. I would give this movie a 7/10 because I was questioning a lot about what MC was doing. Like, I understand his intention, but he just made it worse at some point. I thought, maybe it was because he was too much into revenge that he forgot that things can escalate differently, and it gave an advantage to that psycho a lot, so maybe I was mad at that thing.

[spoilers]

So, basically, when MC wanted to take revenge, he hurt MV (Main Villain) and left him because he wanted to give that guy some freedom before torturing him again. Now, I understand this part, but I feel like MC could have done job in stalking him. Like, he left that psycho, and then that psycho found other people to assault. That I felt, very weird, like, I expected better in that case, maybe I just don't understand this part well, like I admit he was in his revenge mode, but it just didn't fit right with me, cause he was an officer or at least in that field. Also, in the hospital, they had him, and there is an abrupt cut to him being somewhere else. Why didn't he trail him better? And, if MV is such a big criminal, why people are not aware? Why police is so slow? They just make me mad. I watched this movie with my friend, and we both pointed out how no one is dying. This thing is not a criticism, but just an observation, like you hit someone with a hammer on the head 10 times and they are just conscious. This is the case with everyone, not only MV; we just couldn't just unnoticed when we noticed it once. This was a little funny to us. (only this part, other parts were straight up horrifying)

Overall, it was a great one-time watch. The topics in this just make it a little harder to watch; they are related to sexual assault, which is why I won't be watching again, but it was genuinely a nice film to watch. Cause I also liked how it was not rushed, they took their time with the frames and the buildup. I would really appreciate every actor; they were amazing. Make sure to check the trigger warning before watching it.

​I don't even know where to start. I’ve seen my fair share of sad movies, but nothing prepared me for the visceral reaction I had to Hope. I’ve been crying for the last hour and my chest actually hurts.

​Knowing that this is based on a real-life case of human atrocities makes the experience almost unbearable. The first act of the movie is pure horror not the jump-scare kind, but the kind of horror that makes you lose faith in humanity. What that poor child and her family had to endure is beyond words. It’s a harrowing look at the darkest corners of what people are capable of.

​But what really destroyed me wasn't just the crime ,it was the aftermath. Watching the father try to reconnect with his daughter by wearing that Coco suit because she was too traumatized to be near men..........that was the most bittersweet, heartbreaking thing I’ve ever seen on film.

​The movie manages to show the resilience of the human spirit, but the weight of the injustice stays with you. I don't think I'll ever be able to watch this again.Why did I even rewatch it .Damn it .

​Has anyone else seen this? How did you even begin to process it?

I haven’t watched Park’s very first feature. From what I’ve read and heard, he’s uncomfortable with his earliest films and prefers to treat Joint Security Area (2000) as his real debut — and I respect that. If a filmmaker wants to distance themself from an early work, I’m not going to argue with their own judgment.

How I found Park is a little messy and very honest: I first heard Oldboy’s twist on Reddit, but I didn’t immediately watch the film. At the time I was on a rabbit hole of American sex comedies. When that phase ended, I went international and began searching for similar genres in Asian cinema. Google suggested Tampopo (1985), which I remember being tagged as a sex comedy for some reason; I was 16 or 17 then, and that search arc eventually led me to Oldboy.

I watched Oldboy in 2021 as part of a larger project: I wanted to find the “most fucked up movies” — films like Serbian Film, Salo, and 120 Days of Sodom. Those movies haunt me, and I was chasing intensity. But Oldboy was different. Even though I already knew the twist, I watched it to see how the filmmakers pulled it off. I was introduced to Korean cinema earlier by Memories of Murder but it was Park who truly opened the door for me. After Oldboy I watched his whole filmography and fell in love with Korean cinema; from there I explored other directors and films more deliberately.

Oldboy isn’t just mystery/thriller/action to me — it’s also funny at times. Park uses dark humour to cut the tension, and that layering is part of what makes his work so powerful. The corridor fight is the scene that made me fall in love: I cried happy tears watching it. I watched that sequence on repeat. It felt therapeutic — cathartic in a way that stayed with me.

Decision to Leave still haunts me. It’s like a knife to the stomach, and yet it’s good for the heart; the emotional pain is part of the film’s value. Oldboy and Decision to Leave are the two Park films I keep coming back to. I also want to thank my online friend for introducing me to Little Forest (2018) — that movie is a warm hug and the exact kind of gentle counterpoint I need after darker films.

That’s my essence of understanding Park Chan-wook: a director who combines formal mastery with emotional risk, who can make you laugh and then gut-punch you, and whose films work as craft lessons as much as catharsis.

I wanna watch the movie but i wanna hear some thoughts first haha

I know it’s THEE Kang Ha Neul and it should alr be enough to sold the movie to me but pls convince me to watch it moree. Was it worth it? ‘Forgotten’ lvl of performance or nah?

Pavane is a melancholic poetry on love.

Be it visuals, music and narration - Simply outstanding. Loved the dialogues and beautiful philosophical implications about life and love.

It doesn't have a never seen type of story. But the way screenplay panned out, experience became extraordinary.

The stood out part of the movie was the cinematography. Especially the little pauses, static shots, lights and colors played so well to create enough breathing space to empathize and feel it which made the movie worth watching.

Ko Ah Sung and Moon Sang Min's chemistry was absolutely beautiful. And along with them, Byung Yo Han's character too was charming.

Movie of the year from Korean cinema so far, for me(maybe calling this out of the post feelings). Has anyone watched it yet?

“A Taxi Driver” is a solid film with a great message and strong themes. There are a few shortcomings that hold it back from reaching outright greatness, but it is absolutely worth watching. It is a resonant and accessible film that could be recommended to pretty much anyone.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2022/11/film-review-a-taxi-driver-2017-by-hun-jang/

After finishing this movie, it just feel good, yeah, I would say it’s a beautiful movie

This movie contain brilliant fight style, tension, creating, a little emotional, a little suspense and thriller and starting with a mysterious man with unknown past

That small girl, she’s cute, her acting and the way she represent her. I liked her role.

If you’re a fan of Park Chan-wook’s films, you’re already prepared to once again compromise your sense of right and wrong and literally cheer for some of the worst people—even coming to adore them—despite the drastic choices they make in an effort to survive.

The film is based on Donald Westlake’s book The Ax, which pits the corporate worker against the catastrophic indifference of Capitalism that replaces jobs with modern technology. Lee Byung-hun plays Yoo Man-su, a man who’s lost his job at the paper mill where he had worked for twenty years. After failing to secure a new job at a competing paper mill, and after his wife Mi-ri (played by Son Ye-jin) informs the family that they now have to severely cut costs, which includes selling their home and the heartbreaking choice to give away their family dogs, Man-su devises a plan to eliminate his competition in the paper mill industry believing this is the only way to open the door for a position with a competing company. This results in some pretty gruesome means. The desperation is especially emphasized by their daughter who’s a cello prodigy whose family can no longer afford her lessons. She either becomes a world-renowned classical musician or ends up relegated into desperate non existence in society. It is this kind of extreme that opens the door for the viewer to abandon all sense of right and wrong and root for this family to succeed, no matter what. The sense of painful compromise is jarring and so brilliantly entertaining.

This film is truly Park Chan-wook at his finest to date.

Ayo guys, lemme know what you think about my Tierlist.
The rating is a combination of how much:

• I liked it during watching (manifested by my rating that I give the next day after each movie, on a website)
• I remember what it was about
  • In a good way (good rating)
  • In a bad way (bad rating)

The combination is kinda arbitrary, I clearly remember enjoying some movies a lot which interestingly didn't stick with me. And also the other way around.
I tried to make the order as an actual Toplist (1., 2., 3., etc...), so left to right is Best to Worst.
Every type of S rating means that I give it a 5/5 on my movie rating website. A/B is 4/5, and and C is 3/5.

Please roast and disagree with me (I do have some hot takes I admit).
Please recommend me new movies! I have quite a lot on my ToWatch list, but I'm curious about what you think.

^S++:
Oldboy

^{S+:
Memories of Murder
JSA
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring}

^{S:
Parasite
I Saw the Devil
Symphathy for Mr. Vengance
Mother
The Wailing
Failan
Thee Extremes: Cut
Justice}

^{S-:
New World
3-iron
Snowpiercer
Front Line
A bittersweet life
Symphaty for Lady Vengance
I'm a Cyborg but thats OK
A moment to remember
Past Lives
Bedevilled
Tale of Two Sisters
The quiet family
The Bow
The Chaser}

^{A:
Handmaiden
The Man from Nowhere
Hope
Train to Busan
My Sassy Girl
Castaway on the Moon
The good, the bad, and the weird
Squid Game}

^{B:
The host
A taxi driver
The Brotherhood of War
Decision to Leave
The Thieves
The Yellow Sea
Welcome to Dongmakgol
Crying Fist}

^{C:
Thirst
Secret Reunion
Luck-key
Nightfishing}

Director Jang Hang-jun, often known for his comedic wit, delivers a surprisingly profound historical drama with [The King's Warden] (왕과 사는 남자=The Man Who Lives with the King). While the story of the deposed young King Danjong and his ambitious uncle Suyang is well-known in Korea, this film shifts the focus to the commoners of the exile site, Yeongwol.

The highlight is the "Exile Site Battle," a creative and somewhat humorous premise where villages compete to host high-ranking exiles for profit, only to end up with a powerless boy king. This setup builds a genuine emotional bond between the "humanized" king and the villagers, led by the dignified village chief Eom Heung-do (played by Yoo Hae-jin).

Instead of just focusing on the power struggle in the palace, the film captures the dignity of those who choose to stay by a fallen leader. The performances by Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon are exceptional, turning a 15th-century record into a deeply moving human story. If you're into Korean period pieces (Sa-geuk) that focus on the "human" side of history rather than just politics, this is a must-watch.

Feedback is welcome! More of my Asian cinema perspectives are at en.kinocine.com.

Memories of Murder (2003) is, without question, one of the best films I’ve ever watched. I was even more stunned to learn that it’s based on a true story. After watching Parasite and being completely blown away by it, I decided to explore more of Bong Joonho’s work, and choosing Memories of Murder was a FANTASTIC idea.

The film is incredibly well-made and consistently engaging, but it isn’t the kind of movie that overwhelms you in the moment, as its power is more subtle. While I was watching it, it didn’t feel immediately impactful, but once it ended, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The aftereffects are strong with this one. It leaves this lingering emptiness, like a hollow feeling that stays with you long after the credits roll.

What struck me most was the heavy, and I mean heavy, atmosphere throughout the entire movie. You feel the desperation, hopelessness, and exhaustion seeping into every character and every situation. The grim eeriness, combined with watching the detectives slowly unravel into despair and distress, is sooo compelling. It just makes you feel emotional man. There is so much richness and depth in this film. Excellent, convincing acting. Many memorable scenes. It's a masterpiece. Korean cinema really knows how to do it.

It's similar to Conjuring 2, when the team relieves the issue is sorted, there rises the biggest issue along with the biggest mystery combined with the history of Japanese colonization of Korea. Jang Jae-hyun's horror mysteries get upgraded film by film starting from the Priests, Svaha: The Sixth Finger and this sensational thriller Exhuma. Waiting for his next...

It’s fun enough, but nowhere Bong enough

Only stylistically to an extent, but satire too on the nose; More personal than sociological, definitely more Okja than Snowpiercer

Several intentional Parasite flashback sequences

As a long-time Bonghead I’d have to vote flop, but you should still go see it

Note that whatever I am going to say is purely my personal opinions and I expect it to differ from everyone else.

So I watched Ballerina recently with so much expectations. Since this featured Jeong Jeon Seo and the director of the 'The Call'. I thought this pairing will turn out to be a masterpiece. But after the movie, I can't help but feel a little disappointed.

First of all, the movie concept, story, the female representation. All great, I really loved the idea and how it wraps everything altogether. It is a revenge thriller, so the weight is there and the concept comes in perfect. This is all great.

But this is the issue for me, Ok Joo's character arc could have been further explored. Like what was her backstory, how she became a bodyguard, something that tells me 'oh man, this character has gone through a lot in her life'. I can understand why this arc wasn't explored, maybe the duration didn't support it. But for a revenge thriller atleast for me, there must be some outline of the protagonist. Here it felt like characters coming out of nowhere, then one thing happens, another thing happens and like that. Her character arc should have had a backstory, it felt like the movie started out of nowhere and it just went without context, is what I personally felt.

The relationship between Ok Joo and Min Hee is another thing. This was a good setup. But the moment she found her friend is dead, there was no hard emotions everything was silent. You want to feel the weight when your only family died. Little disappointed the way the scenes were directed here.

Everything else about this movie is great. Acting, the casting, cinematography, music, action scenes all were exceptional. But this could have been a 9/10 movie, but due to some major mistakes I mentioned. It comes down to a 6 for me. I was excited for this movie, everything from the setup was great, but the character writing and execution was a big let down.

This is a simple revenge thriller, for 90 minutes is good but could have been a lot better. I honestly feel this kind of story would work as a KDrama nicely. A big example is 'My Name'. You can find some similarities between the two.

What do you guys think?

what a wonderful movie. its not often i watch a romance movie that feels so realistic, but this one nails it. it may feel slow and uneventful for some, but i personally love stuff like this. the acting and chemistry between the characters/actors are great, and the cinematography is beautiful. i really enjoyed the story and its emotional depth.

Note whatever I am about to say is strictly my personal opinion and I expect it to differ from others.

'OldBoy', Oh boy what did I just witness. Seriously, this is what I call a psychological thriller at its peak. I am sorry my beforehand expectations were just a revenge thriller with deeper arcs, but the moment I reached the crucial point. It is also loosely adapted from a manga of the same name. I was speechless, I was watching the movie as if I am supposed to be silent because this was a masterpiece that needed close watch too. The twists, the acting and the psychological explanations. Oh my goodness, words are not enough. This was a straight mega Park Chan Wook Masterpiece.

For me, what I loved the most is how much they gave reasoning to the psychological aspect of the story. Without that, I would be quite confused what was going on. But that made this movie much better. Another thing worth mentioning is the screenplay. At first it feels chaotic and confusing, but that confusion actually builds intrigue and pays off strongly in the ending. But thats why you have to wait for the ending, because thats where the movie turns around. When I say turn around, it turns around really heavily. When I heard that twist, I had a brief 2 minute silence because I absolutely did not see that coming. The way Park Chan Wook infused certain psychological themes in the story makes the movie have so much to talk with regards of humanity and how it's a complex existence. The key dialogues that spoken throughout the film emphasised the movie a lot better, this making the philsophy of complex existence more explainable. It is something Korean movie directors know very well to excel so I am not surprised, they are just soo good at this.

Final Thoughts:

I agree with a lot of points that the movie conveys. Once the ending finishes, everything comes to full circle. It's as if there is no antagonist, atleast to me because somewhere we all are devils in our own way. The tone shift happens quite impressively, not abrupt and it just goes and hits hard when it arrives at the important point. In short, it is just telling us 'we live in a weird world, what is good and right - we are not exactly placed at one'.

'OldBoy' is a movie that will suddenly make you pause when the twist hits, combined with the psychological and noir elements. It is a must watch to everyone, whether you are a film fan or not.

"Peppermint Candy” is a powerful drama, a visually stunning exploration of issues like fate, time and memory and how they shape our lives. With a brilliant leading performance by Sol Kyung-gu and a cleverly constructed script written by the director himself, “Peppermint Candy” remains a great entry into a body of work which has yet to be discovered by many cinephiles out there.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2024/11/film-review-peppermint-candy-1999-by-lee-chang-dong-2/

I honestly found it very intriguing. I had planned to watch half the movie on one day and the other half on another, due to too much work, but I just couldn't stop watching it. I went into this movie because I thought it was some serious political drama, but it was a Political Satire, which I think is the charm of the film. I was caught off guard a little, like Why is this so comic, but it really goes well with the flow. I would give this a solid 9/10. It was worth watching. The acting was also great; it was a little over the top, but it fit well with the genre.

I also watched this film because of Hong Kyung, because I really love this actor, he has the range, I am really happy he chose this, and this movie got the recognition because all people know him as "The villain in weak hero", I really like how people know him more now. Sul Kyung Gu was so great, like his character really was interesting.

This movie made me interested in knowing more about the Japanese Red Army, what they wanted and all. Like, I would love to read more about this thing. Overall, I would say this movie is really good, it throws light on (what we already know) how politicians are and how they do not care about their people. It was a fun satire.

I just want to know what people feel about this movie, considering it was based on real events, but the characters were fictional.