Must-Watch Korean Movies That Will Make You Laugh, Squeal, Cry & Shocked

By Wei Yin on 11 Mar 2020

Digital Editor

Korean movies are not as popular as K-dramas except for a few exceptions like Train to Busan and The Handmaiden, but they deserve as much love and recognition as K-dramas!

Korean movies are equally capable of making your heart flutter, inducing tears and letting you laugh without catching a breath. We have compiled a list of Korean movies of every genre that you will surely love.

Read on to find out what they are and see which tickles your fancy!

Movies that will keep you guessing till the very end:

The Negotiation (2018)

Photo from Pinterest

Starring the leads of hit K-drama Crash Landing on You, Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin, The Negotiation is an action crime thriller showing how an ace crisis negotiator attempts to figure out the real motivation of a man who has kidnapped two people and crack his calm demeanour.

The two actors take on totally different roles compared to their characters in Crash Landing on You and once again shows viewers just how great their acting skills are.

Parasite (2019)

Photo from iMDb

If dark humour is your kind of thing, Parasite is the movie to watch. It's about how greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kims. This masterpiece has won countless accolades at the Cannes Film Festival and Oscars!

When you think you've got the plot all figured out, the twists and turns will surprise you till the very end.

Forgotten (2017)

Photo from Dramabeans

When his abducted brother returns, seemingly a different man with no memory of the past 19 days, Jin-seok chases after the truth behind the mysterious kidnapping. Forgotten is a mystery thriller film that might confuse you at first but the ending will blow your mind.

Movies that will make you cry buckets of tears:

Miracle in Cell No. 7 (2013)

Photo from Cineplex.com

Inmates at a Korean prison join forces to protect a comrade and his young daughter, who cannot bear to be separated for even a moment. The description of the movie sounds simple but there is so much more to Miracle in Cell No. 7 that will tug on your heartstrings and melt even the toughest hearts.

Beware, you will cry a lot so prepare lots of tissues!

A Moment to Remember (2004)

Photo from Film Affinity

A Moment to Remember is based on a Japanese television drama, Pure Soul. It follows the theme of discovery in a relationship and the burdens of loss caused by Alzheimer's disease. Sounds tragic already, right?

This is another great movie starring Son Ye Jin so if you are a fan of her, you need to watch this!

Movies that will make your heart flutter:

On Your Wedding Day (2018)

Photo from MyDramaList

One day, Hwang Woo Yeon receives a wedding invitation from his first love whom he met in high school. On Your Wedding Day is a romantic comedy film that depicts the ten-year love and friendship of two people from teenage days to adulthood.

This movie is about youth, love and loss and is extremely relatable, reminding you of the good ol' days.

Architecture 101 (2012)

Photo from Pinterest

Architecture 101 tells the story of two students who meet in an introductory architecture class and fall in love. 15 years later, the girl tracks down her first love to seek his help in building her dream house.

This is a really well produced movie with good acting and will probably remind you of your first love too! ?

Movies that will make you laugh so much your tummy aches:

Midnight Runners (2017)

Photo from Pinterest

Ki-joon and Hee-yeol are students at the Korean National Police University. At around midnight one night, they witness a kidnapping on their way back from the club and they embark on their own amateur investigation.

Midnight Runners is possibly one of the funniest Korean movies we have ever watched! Plus there are eye candies like Park Seo Joon and Kang Ha Neul, what's not to like about this movie?

Exit (2019)

Photo from HallyuSG

Yong-nam was one of the best rock climbers in college but hasn't had much luck elsewhere after graduation. For his mother's 70th birthday, he insists on having the party at Dream Garden because his old crush, Eui-ju, works there. When a disaster strikes, covering an entire district in Seoul with mysterious white gas, he has to use his rock climbing skills with the help of Eui-ju to get everyone to safety.

Exit is an action comedy film that will make you laugh at one moment and keep you on your toes at the next.

Movies that will scare you out of your wits:

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

Photo from B.O.M. Film Productions Co.

This critically acclaimed film centres around a teenage girl's life with her sister, mother and new stepmother after returning home from a mental institution. Revelations about their dysfunctional family's dark past unfold and the story evokes just as much heartbreak as terror.

A Tale of Two Sisters is a carefully structured film about grief, guilt and horror that will definitely stay etched in your mind for days to come.

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)

Photo from Hive Mediacorp

If you love haunted houses and movies like Paranormal Activity, you will love Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum! A horror web series crew head to an abandoned asylum to film a live broadcast. They seem to be prepared but as expected, things go very wrong.

The film is based on and filmed in the actual Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, one of the most well-known haunted places in Korea.

Click here to see 10 Korean horror movies that will make your heart race (in a good or bad way, you decide).