The 25 Best South Korean Movies to Watch Online

The 25 Best South Korean Movies to Watch Online

March 20, 2025

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With hallyu, or the Korean pop culture wave, taking the world by storm thanks to global media phenomena like Parasite and Squid Game, South Korea has become an even greater premier destination for art and entertainment. Korean cinema and television has always been a popular export from the country, but now the trademarks of its movies and shows have become eminently recognizable. Be it their emotionally powerful romances and melodramas, their oddball comedies, or their vicious and violent thrillers, Korean filmmakers have found their own expressive language that resonates across all demographics.

And with the sea of Korean content available to us today, some of their great films might be buried under the algorithms. So here we’ve selected 10 movies to help keep your hallyu fixation fresh.

21. Ballerina (2023)

7.8

Genres

Action, Adventure, Crime

Director

Lee Chung-hyun

Actors

Jang Yoon-ju, Joo Hyun, Jun Jong-seo, Kim Ji-hun

Moods

Challenging, Dark, Discussion-sparking

Stoic, unflinching, and almost near silent, Ballerina takes a fitting approach to enact its protagonist’s revenge. Within its lean 90 minute runtime, ex-bodyguard Ok-ju single-mindedly searches for answers, through following the lead from her friend’s suicide note. The film shares nothing personal, no doubts, worries, or fears from Ok-ju – except for her affection for best friend Min-hee. Instead of capitalizing on Ok-ju’s tears, or on the violence inflicted on Min-hee, writer-director Lee Chung-hyun relies on action, on stunning cinematography, and on Jeon Jong-seo’s performance to create a spectacle that doesn’t hold back from the gruesomeness, but somehow still incredibly restrained. Jeon Jong-seo delivers Ok-ju’s bloody revenge, a fitting retribution to all perpetrators of sexual violence.

22. Yellow Door: ’90s Lo-fi Film Club (2023)

7.7

Genres

Documentary

Director

Lee Hyuk-rae

Actors

Ahn Nae-sang, Bong Joon-ho, Choi Jong-tae, Ju Sung-chul

Moods

Easy, Feel-Good, Heart-warming

Given a budget from Netflix to make a documentary on Korean film, some would have chosen instead to make one for big Korean filmmaking personalities like Academy Award winner Bong Joon-ho, who is featured here. However, director Lee Hyuk-rae instead creates Yellow Door, a love letter to the ‘90s film club that inspired a generation. The warm way each member tries to remember the club made decades ago, and the handy, almost cheeky, animations makes it feel like we’re there in the club with them, just listening to friends reminisce about the way they obsessed about film, even if it wasn’t the major they were studying in. It’s so nostalgic and sentimental, and in shifting its focus, it celebrates the lovely experience of finding a community of like-minded people that’s just obsessed with film as you are.

23. The Host (2006)

7.7

Genres

Drama, Horror, Science Fiction

Director

Bong Joon-ho, Joon-ho Bong

Actors

Ah-sung Ko, Bae Doona, Baek Do-bin, Bong Joon-ho

Moods

Action-packed, Character-driven, Discussion-sparking

So far, chemical waste hasn’t mutated amphibious creatures enough to create giant monsters large enough to swallow people whole… yet. This sort of monster film premise is familiar, especially for fans of 1950s sci-fi movies, but in the hands of director Bong Joon-ho, The Host transforms what could have been B-movie schlock into a drama examining the ways generations within a family, as well as generations within a country and within the world, have failed each other. As the Park family try to save their own, the actions they take feel all the more important, knowing what’s at stake on multiple levels. While at the time, there were doubts that Bong Joon-ho and the Korean film industry could pull off the monster, The Host proved that there was more to come from the then emerging film giant.

24. 3-Iron (2004)

7.7

Genres

Crime, Drama, Romance

Director

Ki-duk Kim, Kim Ki-duk

Actors

Choi Jeong-ho, Gweon Hyeok-ho, Hee Jae, Hyuk-ho Kwon

Moods

Challenging, Character-driven, Discussion-sparking

Falling for and running away with the stranger who broke into your home is a strange choice to make in real life, especially when your dynamic is formed through glances in near silence. But the limitation makes for an unusual love story in 3-Iron, in a world where voice means power, affluence, and status, and the two have nothing but a tragic love song from the other side of the world, and the sight of each other even when the world refuses to see them. Viewers might find the slow pace and silence disorienting, but 3-Iron is undeniably an original, beautiful take on a classic cross-class romance.

25. Miss Granny (2014)

7.7

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Music

Director

Hwang Dong-hyuk

Actors

Jung Jin-young, Lee Jin-uk, Na Moon-hee, Park In-hwan

Moods

Character-driven, Easy, Funny

The fantasy of being able to have the body you once had is impossible in real life, but we can watch it play out in fiction. While previous depictions of this idea rightfully point out ageism and how much worse people treat the old, Miss Granny also celebrates the wisdom and experience that could only come from the years Oh Mal-soon has gone through, through an engaging script and the quirky performance of Shim Eun-kyung. It’s so funny seeing people taken aback, surprised, and astounded by old Oh Mal-soon in her young body, but what makes it work is the way director Hwang Dong-hyuk introduces her to us bit by bit, crafting a character that at first glance seemed to be a rude and controlling grandma, but is actually a woman that didn’t get to enjoy her youth due to the sacrifices she made for her loved ones. Miss Granny makes the case that there are timeless things that we can return to and appreciate, but there are also things that we’re willing to let go of our youth for.

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