Summary

• South Korean movies on Netflix span a wide range of genres, from romance and comedy to historical drama, action, sci-fi, and horror.
• Space Sweepers is a praised sci-fi movie with likable characters and special effects that explores morality in a dystopian future.
• Kill Boksoon is a thrilling action movie with shades of John Wick that follows an assassin seeking revenge in South Korea.

The best Korean movies to stream on Netflix encompass nearly every existing genre in modern film. Like Hollywood in the West, South Korea's movie industry has grown globally, not just through theatrical releases, but also through streaming platforms like Netflix. Over the past couple of years, Netflix has broadened its horizons to include movies and K-dramas from South Korea, creating an even bigger fanbase. While certain Korean movies have become cult classics, like Oldboy and Train to Busan, there many on Netflix that aren't as well-known but are just as high quality.

While South Korea's entertainment industry is mostly known for its K-dramas, including on Netflix, feature-length content is just as high quality and entertaining. Korean movies are just as renowned as South Korea's globally dominating TV shows, and many have found their way to international acclaim (with notable frequency considering how few are dubbed into English). From romance and comedy to historical drama, action, sci-fi, and horror, Netflix offers a wide range of Korean movies to stream.

20 Space Sweepers (2021)

Endearing Sci-Fi Featuring An Unforgettable Android

The sci-fi/space opera movie Space Sweepers tells the story of a dystopian future in which the Earth is no longer inhabitable, and the government allows citizens to live in spacecraft as space sweepers. The Spaceship Victory collects some debris that comes with an unexpected surprise. Inside is a child named Dorothy (Park Ye-rin) who is actually a robot made to be a mass weapon of destruction. As the crew grows attached to her, the morality of the group and their mission is examined in a surprisingly heartfelt way. The movie was praised for its likable characters and special effects, earning several award nominations, including Best Film at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

19 Tune In For Love (2019)

A South Korean Romance Movie Spanning Several Years

Time jumps appear in many K-dramas, and many South Korean movies also utilize them. With its plot unfolding across the space of many years, Tune in For Love is a charming romance that puts the technique to great use. The story centers on two characters who meet each other again and again over time as their lives slowly change, somehow always finding their way back to each other. As their lives change and time moves forward, the simple but beautiful story unravels while making a compelling use of typical K-drama tropes. The talented cast was also recognized with Jung Hae-in winning several Best Actor awards.

18 The Fortress (2017)

The Historical Epic From The Squid Game Director

Before Hwang Dong-hyuk captured international attention with the phenomenal survival drama Squid Game, the director's career took an interesting detour with this historical movie based on the novel Namhansanseong by Kim Hoon. Set during the Qing invasion of Joseon in 1636, The Fortress takes on a defining moment in Korea's history as well as the controversial figure of King Injo. With the nation caught between making peace with the Qing dynasty and attempting to make a last stand to maintain their pride, stand-out performances from Lee Byung-hun, who also played the Front Man in Squid Game, and Park Hae-il as the tortured Injo elevate the movie.

17 Pandora (2016)

Nailbiting South Korean Disaster Survival Movie

In Pandora, Jae-hyeok (Kim Nam-Gil) is a worker at a local power plant who is forced into action after an earthquake causes the reactor to overheat. With the town in jeopardy and a nation in panic, the movie follows his attempts to prevent further catastrophe as things rapidly spiral out of control. A technically impressive survival story with some great performances, Pandora received 10 nominations at Korea's Grand Bell Awards.

16 Kill Boksoon (2023)

The South Korean Action Movie With Shades Of John Wick

There have been countless action movies about assassins who find themselves targeted by their former employers, with David Fincher's latest Netflix movie The Killer as a very recent example. Kill Boksoon is another movie that takes that very familiar premise and finds something original to do with it. It follows a skilled assassin named Bok-soon (Jeon Do-yeon) who juggles her life in the deadly game with being a mother only for her organization to turn on her. With elements of John Wick and Kill Bill thrown in, Kill Boksoon is a thrilling entry into South Korea's action movie genre.

15 20th Century Girl (2022)

The Nostalgic South Korean Rom-Com

20th Century Girl is another charming rom-com from South Korea with a nice nostalgic twist. The movie takes place in 1999 and follows a kind and imaginative teen who begins keeping an eye on the boy her best friend has a crush on, only to develop unexpected feelings of her own. The movie was praised for its heart and light tone with the lead performance from Kim Yoo-jung being the highlight. The movie captures the feeling of a high school crush while its pre-cellphone setting makes it feel like an era of a simpler time.

14 Veteran (2015)

Genre-Mashing Noir Detective Action-Comedy

Some of the best Korean movies manage to seamlessly blend genres together, and Veteran is a great example of this. Starring Hwang Jung-min as Seo Do-cheol, a tenacious police detective determined to take down the sadistic heir to a powerful conglomerate, the movie has a typical noir plotline and plenty of violent action. Despite that, it's also an action-comedy with plenty of jokes too. The intense plot never slows down for the sake of the comedy though, which turned out to be a winning move for a hugely successful movie with no shortage of fans. Undoubtedly one of the best Korean movies to stream on Netflix, Veteran won Best Film at the Sitges Film Festival.

13 Sweet & Sour (2021)

Steamy Long-Distance Romance With A Shocking Twist

There are plenty of steamy K-dramas about the struggles of falling in love with the wrong person, but Sweet & Sour is unique in the way it portrays the relatable themes of long-distance romance and falling out of love. It follows Jang-hyuk (Jang Ki-yong), a man who finds himself drawn to an attractive co-worker while his long hours and tiring commutes cause him to drift apart from his frustrated partner (Chae Soo-bin). Sweet & Sour is a decidedly different Korean movie with a truly unexpected twist which is further elevated thanks to the charm of the lead actors.

12 Steel Rain (2017)

A North Korean Agent Must Prevent A Nuclear War

Based on the webtoon of the same name, Steel Rain is among the best Korean movies on Netflix when it comes to action. The film has a delightfully tension-filled atmosphere as its North Korean special agent main character suddenly becomes responsible for preventing an all-out nuclear war after rescuing the supreme leader from a planned coup. Things get worse as the agent, played by Jung Woo-sung, tries to keep the gravely wounded leader alive while trying to stop international tensions from spiraling out of control. With a rapidly escalating plot, Steel Rain makes for an engrossing action thriller and won the Korean Association of Film Critics Award as one of the year's top movies.

11 Blackpink: Light Up The Sky (2020)

Award-Winning Documentary On The Global K-Pop Phenomenon

K-pop is a global phenomenon, and the Korean Netflix movie Blackpink: Light Up the Sky is a fascinating glimpse into the rise of the massive girl group Blackpink. Directed by Korean-American filmmaker Caroline Suh, the documentary also gives an insight into each of the group's four members during their meteoric journey. Though clearly made for fans of Blackpink, less invested viewers will nonetheless find this inside look into the K-pop machine a truly mesmerizing affair. In fact, the movie won Best Documentary at the SEC Awards in 2021.

10 #Alive (2020)

Brutal Yet Lighthearted Korean Zombie Movie

While not reaching the same heights as the Korean zombie movie hit Train to Busan, #Alive proves there is still a lot of fun to be had in the genre. In addition to being one of the best Korean movies on Netflix, it's also one of the best zombie movies on the platform. The movie follows a video game liver streamer who documents his attempts to stay alive while he is trapped in his high-rise apartment in Seoul during a zombie outbreak. The movie became a massive hit during the pandemic with the plot of an isolated hero feeling oddly relatable. It is a brutal, intense, and even funny take on the zombie genre that found international success.

9 The Call (2020)

Terrifying Horror Starring Jeon Jong-seo

A phone call has never been scarier than in the Korean horror movie The Call — a mix of frights, thrills, and a hint of fantasy. The movie was actually inspired by the British and Puerto Rican movie, The Caller, and it takes its audience through the brutal reality of what changing one's fate can lead to. The movie is centered on the premise that two women, Seo-yeon (Park Shin-hye) and Young-sook (Jeon Jong-seo), living in the same house 20 years apart are connected by the titular phone call. That's just scratching the surface of a movie full of dark twists that keeps the viewer guessing until the very end. Jeon Jong-seo's central performance went on to earn several awards and nominations.

8 Miss Granny (2014)

Age-Reversal Comedy From The Director Of Squid Game

For subscribers who only know the director Hwang Dong-hyuk from violent dramas like Squid Game, the inclusion of Miss Granny in Netflix's Korean movie library is the perfect opportunity to see his lighter side. A comedy-drama about a woman in her 70s who magically finds herself in the body of her 20-year-old self, the movie has a sense of fantastical fun from the beginning. Shim Eun-kyung delivers a compelling performance as the title character as she tries to adjust to her sudden change in circumstances. Funny, sweet, and constantly entertaining, Miss Granny is a great display of the country's comedic movies.

7 Forgotten (2017)

The Korean Thriller That Leaves Viewers Questioning Reality

A fascinating mystery that keeps the viewer guessing until the very end, Forgotten takes stories about not being able to determine reality from lies to whole a new level. Centered on Jin-seok (Kang Ha-neul), a young man who moves into a new home with his parents and older brother Yoo-seok (Kim Mu-yeoi), his life gets turned on his head after he sees his brother getting abducted. To then make matters even more confusion, Yoo-seok then returns as a completely different person. Jin-seok soon begins to discover that everything he thought he knew about his own life may have been entirely wrong. Forgotten is a sharp Korean psychological thriller with a riveting, twist-filled plot.

6 Ballerina (2023)

Vivid Action Sequences Make For A Compelling Korean Revenge Movie

Ballerina is one of the latest South Korean movies to stream on Netflix. From Lee Chung-Hyeon, the director of The Call, Ballerina follows a young bodyguard Ok-ju (Jun Jong-seo) whose skills make her a valuable asset in her profession. When she is asked to avenge the death of her close friend, she sets out on a relentless and brutal mission. While the movie is a typical revenge story, it is elevated thanks to the central performance of Jun Jong-seo and the vivid action sequences. The movie became the most-watched non-English title on Netflix when it debuted.

5 Okja (2017)

Boong Joon-Ho's Tale Of Friendship With A Genetically Enhanced Pig

Bong Joon-ho's Okja is a Korean-American co-production that features a mix of Hollywood stars and Korean talent. The movie is centered on Mija, a young farm girl who raised a genetically modified "super pig" named Okja and goes on a mission to rescue her from the meat industry in the US. Filled with imaginative and thought-provoking moments, Okja is a damning and heartwrenching critique of humanity's relationship with animals and showcases the director at his very best. Okja was nominated for the Palmes d'Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and showcases more of the amazing versatility of Bong Joon-ho as a filmmaker.

4 Silenced (2011)

Unflinching Korean Drama Starring Train To Busan's Seok-woo

Gong Yoo may be best known for his starring role as Seok-woo in Train to Busan, but the actor gives an underrated performance in this drama from Hwang Dong-hyuk. He plays the newly appointed art teacher at Benevolence Academy, a school for the hearing impaired, that is secretly the center of a sexual abuse scandal that has been kept buried by the community. Silenced doesn't shy away from the bleak nature of its subject, as well as the horror of how the abuses suffered by vulnerable children are cast aside. Silenced was nominated for eight Blue Dragon Film Awards while also having a real impact on court cases of this kind in Korea.

3 The Man From Nowhere (2010)

Internationally Acclaimed Neo-Noir Thriller

The neo-noir thriller The Man from Nowhere is another South Korean movie on Netflix that has found an international audience. The movie stars Won Bin as a mysterious man with a deadly set of skills. When the only person in his life who seems to understand him, his young neighbor, is kidnapped, he sets out on a relentless mission to bring her back. The movie became the highest-grossing movie in Korea in 2010 and was a huge award winner at several of the Korean and international award ceremonies.

2 The Wailing (2016)

A Mysterious Sickness Overwhelms A Remote Village

Becoming one of the most popular South Korean horror movies in recent years, The Wailing is a supernatural ride that is unforgettable. Taking place in a small village, a strange sickness begins overtaking the community following the arrival of a mysterious stranger. It is then a race against time as a dedicated policeman attempts to get to the bottom of the mystery in order to save his daughter. The movie scored a near-perfect 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, while it became a hit with audiences outside of Korea with its atmospheric vibe and compelling mystery.

1 Burning (2018)

The Acclaimed Slow Burn Drama Starring Steven Yuen

The South Korean psychological thriller Burning is a slow-burn masterpiece that continues to find more fans in the years since its release. The movie stars Yoo Ah-in as a young deliveryman who reconnects with a childhood friend (Jeon Jong-seo) and rekindles their friendship. However, when she introduces him to her wealthy boyfriend (Steven Yeun), Yoo begins to worry for her safety. At nearly three hours, Burning as a deliberate pace that draws the audience in and grips them as the mystery takes form. It was named in several international critics' Top 10 of the Year lists and has even been included on lists of the best movies of the 21st century, and remains the best Korean movie on Netflix.