Although Halloween is a Western holiday, that doesn’t mean South Korea doesn’t join in the spooky festivities. South Korea boasts a collection of adept, genre-blending horror movies that take their audience through love, laughter, and, most of all, fear. This is an astonishing accomplishment, especially considering that South Korea’s Motion Picture Law didn’t legally allow independent filmmakers until 1984 due to censorship. However, with the rise of South Korean arthouse cinema in the 90s, an array of impressive and unique films emerged.
From the moment South Korea entered the horror genre, they’ve produced some of the industry’s finest, ranging from standout creature features to psychologically tormenting films.
Whether you choose to watch them dubbed in English, with subtitles, or decide to learn Korean, you’ll be missing out if you don’t watch the best Korean horror movies.
The Host (2006)
Director:Bong Joon-ho
Cast:Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona, Go Ah-sung
The Hostis a monster feature from 2006 that was directed byBong Joon-ho, who went on to direct the Oscar-winning movieParasite.His ability to expand genres of films into multiple layers that create a deep and authentic meaning is executed spectacularly inThe Host. The story follows a family’s struggle to rescue their daughter from a terrifying creature that emerges from the Han River. The visual effects of crowds running scared when the monster’s first attacks were filmed in a voyeuristic style are brilliant and effective. Bong Joon-ho balances out the horror with dark comedy and slight undertones of environmental politics, creating one of the greatest South Korean horror flicks ever made.
Stream on Paramount+ with Showtime
Train To Busan (2016)
Director:Yeon Sang-ho
Cast:Gong Yoo, Ma Dong-seok, Jung Yu-mi, Kim Su-an, Kim Eui-sung
Train To Busancaptured the hearts of undead movie fans and the zombie averse alike. It presents incredible action scenes and touches on class division within South Korea whensurvivors on a trainare forced to work together. The touching premise forces viewers to become very invested as a single father, played byGong Yoo(Squid Game), sets off to deliver his daughter, portrayed byKim Su-an(The Battleship Island), to her mother in Busan. Each character’s development drives such a phenomenal story that viewers almost forget, until they are violently surprised, that killer zombies are on the loose.
Stream on Prime Video
Peninsula (2020)
Cast:Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Re, Kwon Hae-hyo, Kim Min-jae
For better or worse,Peninsulais an action-packed sequel toTrain To Busan. In this version, the story focuses on the incredible action scenes used sparingly by the former film. Set four years after the tragic train ride, a team of former soldiers battles thousands of zombies in a post-apocalyptic South Korea. It shows an entirely different perspective from the original film, appealing to fans who prefer a moreMad Max-style horror movie.
Stream on Shudder
I Saw The Devil (2010)
Director:Kim Jee-woon
Cast:Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik, Jeon Gook-hwan, Chun Ho-jin, Oh San-ha
After the horrifying dismemberment and murder of Kim Soo-hyun’s (Lee Byung-hun) wife, he sets off on a path for vengeance against the sadistic serial killer, Jang Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik). Utilizing the National Intelligence Service suspect leads, Agent Soo-hyun tracks down the alleged perpetrators in an unrelenting quest for retribution.
Midnight (2021)
Director:Oh Seung-uk
Cast:Wi Ha-joon, Jin Ki-joo, Park Hoon, Kim Hye-yoon, Gil Hae-yeon
When a deaf woman, played byJin Ki-joo(Little Forest), witnesses a stabbing, she becomes the target of a terrifying killer. The suspenseful silence inMidnightsets up the audience for intense jump scares and creates a unique perspective for a woman stuck in a seemingly impossible-to-win chase.
A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
Cast:Im Soo-jung, Moon Geun-young, Yum Jung-ah, Kim Kap-soo, Lee Seung-bi
The psychological horrorA Tale of Two Sistersis about two sisters who return home to their dysfunctional family after the older sister, Bae Su-mi (Im Soo-jung), is released from a mental institution. As the sisters uncover a haunting past, the eerie home slowly becomes a nightmare.
Stream on Kanopy
The Wailing (2016)
Director:Na Hong-jin
Cast:Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Chun Woo-hee, Jun Kunimura, Kim Hwan-hee
The Wailingis a horror-mystery film that follows a policeman, Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won), in a village who begins to investigate an illness that is taking the lives of citizens all around him. With the ever-present threat to his daughter Hyo-jin (Kim Hwan-hee), Jong-goo must protect her and uncover the folklore behind a supernatural killer.
Thirst (2009)
Director:Park Chan-wook
Cast:Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-kyun, Kim Hae-sook, Park In-hwan
When devout priest Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho) takes an experimental vaccine, he becomes a vampire. Torn by faith and morals, Sang-hyun must take on an internal battle between his fate and the unquenchableThirstfor blood.
Stream on Peacock
The Medium (2021)
Director:Banjong Pisanthanakun
Cast:Napat Chokejindachai, Sawanee Utoomma, Sirani Yankittikan, Thanatorn Oudsahakul, Jidarat Maknanta
The Mediumis a supernatural-horror film that’s a blend of Thai and South Korean production. Filmed in mockumentary style, the film follows a group who travels to Isan to uncover the folklore around a possessed shaman who, in turn, wreaks havoc on a rural family.
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)
Director:Jung Bum-shik
Cast:Wi Ha-joon, Park Ji-hyun, Moon Ye-won, Park Sung-hoon, Yoo Je-yoon
In this found-footage-style film,Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, a group explores an abandoned mental health facility only to discover paranormal activity. As they explore deeper into the haunted incidents rumored to occur at the location, they are pulled into the nightmares of each cursed room.
Stream on Freevee
