Top 10 Korean Films from the 2000s You Haven’t Seen

Some (2004)
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directed by Jang Yoon-hyeon (장윤현)
starring Ko Soo (고수), Song Ji-hyo (송지효)
365 votes

Starring My Sassy Girl’s Cha Tae-hyun, Speed Scandal is ridiculous in its name and premise: A well-known radio personality finding out he’s got not only a daughter, but also a grandson. This sounds normal enough until one realizes the man in question is only in his 30s and quite the bachelor. And, of course, all sorts of hijinks ensue. Ultimately, though, the film is one of the most charming, enjoyable family comedies from any country in the past few years and shouldn’t be slighted for appearing silly on the outside.

Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen. By definition, they’re expected to follow a formula, and only once in a while does one hit all the right notes to become a classic (such as My Sassy Girl). In contrast, When Romance Meets Destiny, about two brothers who have opposite approaches to love, sticks to memory because of how it flips the switch right when you think everything’s become predictable. It works both on a lighter level as well as digging into deeper questions about “the one that got away.” It also includes Kim Ah-joong’s first significant role before her rise to fame in 200 Pounds Beauty.

A powerhouse cast (including A Man from Nowhere’s Won Bin and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance’s Shin Ha-kyun) depict a quartet of assassins who are more of a dysfunctional family than a professional troupe. Jang’s direction results in a light-hearted, though poignant, black comedy: Amidst killings and a detective on their tail, they love and enjoy the little things in life. Guns & Talks was a relatively big hit in Korea, but unfortunately came out before Korean cinema really took off in the West. Stylish and well-produced, there are genuine laughs here that are in dire need of greater appreciation.

A pity that Family Ties was mismarketed as a slapstick comedy domestically: The Korean populace missed out on a meticulously crafted take on the nuances of family life, generations and how time helps people heal and grow. While there are typical melodrama storylines present, Kim does an excellent job in making sure to not continuously delve into cliches. The dialogue is true to life, often genuinely comedic and timed just right. It’s rare to find a film nowadays where one minute you’re in a pit of sadness, and then suddenly you find yourself laughing uncontrollably.

Raw, brutal and absolutely beautiful. When the star/director Yang came out and said, “Fuck the Korean film industry,” he meant it. Not since Gary Oldman’s underappreciated Nil by Mouth have we seen domestic violence treated with this kind of uncompromising passion. And while passion may not seem like a word to describe a film of unabashed violence, it’s hard to argue that the violence of man is founded on a kind of ignorant, blind intensity that leads him to do things that don’t always make sense. Sometimes he doesn’t understand it himself until it’s too late. Breathless is that kind of film, where things happens as you would expect them to, no holds barred. Its anger is saddening but organic. There is no sentimentality, just the force of raw emotion that devours all of us.

Hong has defined himself as the master of relationships in Korean cinema. His films are intricate in their exploration of how we interact with the opposite sex. And no film of his does this better, arguably, than the mystifying but constantly compelling On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate. Some would argue that if you’ve seen one of his films, you’ve seen them all, but the most obvious counterpoint is that humans are complex animals. We don’t often recognize how our emotions deviate in the slightest of ways, so Hong makes it a point to set up situations where minor adjustments in attitude and action result in drastically different outcomes. His works, including Turning Gate, are mirrors that allow us to self-analyze many of the things we tend to take for granted.

Starring Oldboy’s Min-sik Choi, Crying Fist is a kind of Rocky that makes you think twice about blindly supporting protagonists. The sports genre is hellbent on always making it a tale of good vs. bad, so you always know who to cheer for. But what if both combatants have a story? What if both combatants tug at your heart strings? Many of our obsessions with players and teams are based on a long history of loyalty and are undoubtedly one-sided. But here’s a drama rich with backstory that makes us hope for everyone to be a winner.

Marriage is a Crazy Thing explores the sad disconnect between passion and practicality and the compromises people make. Yu’s career as a poet shines through the lens in his delicate approach to a how society’s judgmental eye forces many to look past their happiness for a life of certainty and prestige. The ideas aren’t new, but his strength in storytelling and lack of judgment upon the characters takes this to a different level. Built on a wonderful performance by Kam Woo-seong and an impressive feature film debut by popstar Uhm Jung-hwa.

There are so many layers to A Good Lawyer’s Wife that a minimum of two viewings are recommended. But even on the first viewing, it’s fairly evident that Im’s created a fine work exploring the status of the modern Korean family, analyzing issues with aging, infidelity, class distinction, adoption and love/loneliness. It’s easy to imagine a sophomore film class dissecting the ground beneath the film for a week, pondering exactly what Im intended to say, and what is just a natural consequence of the world he’s trying to represent. Topping it all off is Moon So-ri, arguably Korea’s best actress, with a fervent performance that’s of the utmost caliber.