Top 10 Korean Movies of 2022 (2023)

Top 10 Korean Movies of 2022:The popularity of South Korean films with international audiences has skyrocketed since Bong Joon-Ho's darkly-comedy thriller Parasite made history by winning the Best Picture trophy at the 2019 Academy Awards. of that, but Parasite's Oscar win definitely gave it a boost. English-speaking audiences in particular are watching more Korean films than ever before and, most importantly, reading the subtitles, likely after taking the guesswork out of Joon-Ho's now-iconic Oscar speech.

Ease of access was another important factor. Now that almost everyone has Netflix, getting the latest Korean movies has never been easier. And we were spoiled for choice thanks to their incredibly constructive methods of delivering content after content without compromising on quality. In fact, one of the many reasons why Korean movies have so many channels is that almost all of them are extremely engaging and entertaining, which is something most people are looking for in a movie theater.

2022 was a very fruitful year for Korean cinema and with the year coming to an end, we tried to make a list of the top 10 best Korean movies of that year. It's not an easy task considering that lists can never offer something for everyone, and it's also pretty hard to choose just 10 movies from a plethora of good to great movies. But the idea here is to have something for everyone. Here we go.

10. Seoul atmosphere | Director: Moon Hyun-sung

Originally touted as a South Korean version of Fast and Furious (especially Fast V), the car chase and heist thriller set at the 1988 Seoul Olympics features so much more. While there are enough fast-paced car chases and nerve-wracking moments to keep you satisfied, the action game also subtly devolves into political drama as you take on military dictator President Chun Doo-Hwan.

With a heady mix of dazzling VFX wonders and down-to-earth, down-to-earth stunts, the action comedy is an all-around immersive experience. The cast, made up of famous actors such as Yoo Ah-in (Burning), Go Kyung-Pyo, Lee Kyu-Hyung, Park Ju-Hyun and Ong Seong-wu, is particularly impressive and is worth mentioning for portraying the characters in such a way. they had known each other forever in real life.

9. Special Delivery Directed by Park Dae-min

Parasite's Park So-dam stars in Dae-min's action-crime thriller Park as a highly skilled delivery driver who delivers unusual objects (read: people). Despite being thematically similar to movies like Baby Driver and Drive, the movie manages to stand on its own by focusing on a truly compelling story of one of the deliveries going south for the Driver.

While the plot doesn't offer anything you haven't seen before, the film's treatment is fantastic, making for a great viewing experience. So-dam is fantastic as a lead, and her lovely chemistry with Jung Hyeon-jun, another actor from Parasite, is commendable.

8. Hunting | Directed by Lee Jung-Jae

Lee Jung-Jae of Squid Game makes his directorial debut in this spy action thriller in which he also stars. Set in the 1980s, Hunt tells the story of two South Korean security officials trying to stop a possible North Korean invasion by encountering a spy following the assassination of South Korean President Park.

during the moviereceived its fair share of criticism for not being historically authentic despite such critical subject matter, was praised for its action sequences, narrative that moves at breakneck speed, and for being overall a worthwhile watch. Building on his success in the Squid Game, Jung-jae nailed it again.

7. Kassiopeia | Regie: Shin Yeon-shick

In Cassiopeia, the life of a successful lawyer falls apart after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, until her father takes care of her. The deeply moving human drama, themed on the royal constellation with appropriate plot meaning, is one of the most compelling films in South Korea this year. Best known for his ambitious arthouse films, director Shin Yeon-shick continued his style with the latest film; quite successful. What makes Cassiopeia rise even higher are the two leads of Ahn Sung-ki as a father and Seo Hyun-jin as a daughter.

6. The Summary | Directed by: Sang-yong Lee

Ma Dong-seok, one of the most popular South Korean actors thanks to the now legendary Train to Busan (2016) and MCU's Eternals (2021), is back with a new film that has every chance of becoming another mass sensation at any moment. Directed by Sang-yong Lee, The Roundup follows police officer Ma Seok-do as he travels to Vietnam to extradite a suspect, but finds himself tangled in the web of a dangerous serial killer who is killing a Korean tourist. This is the second film in the Crime City series, as Dong-seok reprises his character from the first film The Outlaws (2017), which focused on the Sino-Korean gang war and a ruthless loan shark. The events of the last edition continue four years after the first.

Like the first film, The Roundup received universal acclaim for its heady blend of heart-pounding action and nail-biting comedy. Despite a new director and new writing team, The Roundup not only manages to keep up with its predecessor; in fact, it's better, considering box office numbers and audience reaction. A third film in the series, The Roundup: No Way Out, is already in production and is scheduled for release in 2023.

5. Foreigner | Director: Choi Dong Hoon

South Koreans have always been known for coming up with incredibly wild, genre-bending film ideas. In keeping with that tradition, Choi Dong-hoon's Alienoid blends historical fiction, alien invasion and, of course, time travel into one narrative, something none of us could ever imagine.

The basic premise is that humans in our time are trying to hunt down a captive alien trapped in a human body; If that wasn't enough, their paths will cross thanks to time travel portals with people from centuries ago involved in the same cause. The result is a maddening two-and-a-half-hour viewing experience, twisted by the minute and adrenaline-pumping that you come to enjoy, though the plot often feels disorienting and sometimes understandably difficult to follow. And don't forget, the cliffhanger ending just opens up possibilities for sequels in the future, which we'd love to see.

4. Director Makler: Hirokazu Kore-eda

Undeniably one of the greatest working directors of our time,Hirokazu Kore-edamade its first foray into South Korean films with "Broker". The Japanese director, known for his very relatable and realistic human dramas, as well as his stronghold of stories, managed to convince audiences with his latest film, even with the twelve-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. Film Festival is all to go.

For his first South Korean film, Kore-eda san cast what may be the biggest South Korean star of our time, the now legendary Song Kang-ho, who has starred in some of the most popular films of the past two decades, from Memories to Murder to Snowpiercer for the Oscar-winning parasite. In Broker, Kang-ho plays a laundry owner who runs an illegal business stealing abandoned church babies and selling them for adoption on the black market. The film revolves around a young woman who previously abandoned her baby, which goes back to Kang-ho and his partner, and the three of them go on a journey to find the potential father. Adding to this eccentric mix are the two detectives hot on his trail.

3. The Novelist's Film | Directed by Hong Sang-soo

Hong Sang-soo is unstoppable. The South Korean champion, who shoots films at lightning speed but also doesn't compromise on quality, directed two films in 2022, Walk Up, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and The Novelist's Film, which premiered at the celebrated Berlin International Film Festival. Film Festival, where he received the Director's Silver Bear for the fourth time. Although both films have Sang-soo's signature, distinct style;"The Novelist's Film"it's one that wins this competition for being almost as immersive an experience as watching something like Top Gun: Maverick or a good superhero movie at the cinema; as strange as that may seem.

The film tells the experience of a novelist wanting to make a film, who visits her old friend's bookshop and ends up, over the course of a day, meeting a director, his wife and a retired actress. With a subtle message that art can be made by anyone, in any context, anywhere, just with willpower, the black and white film takes you on the same journey as a novelist. Leaves a (literally) colorful and very healthy high at the end. Kim Min-hee, Sang-soo's frequent collaborator, plays the actress, along with the legendary Lee Hye-young, who plays the novelist.

2. 20th Century Girls | Directed by Bang Woo-ri

Unless you like teen drama/romance, you probably won't like 20th Century Girl. But if you put your gender biases aside, this could be one of the most rewarding yet moving cinematic experiences of your life.

A fantastically crafted debut film from director Bang Woo-ri, 20th Century Girl begins in 1999, when high school girl Bo-ra's best friend Yeon-du meets and falls in love with a boy without knowing his name. The problem is that Yeon-du has to travel to the US for critical heart surgery. So Bor-ra takes it upon herself to keep an eye on the boy and find out more about him to help her best friend. What follows is a fantastical tale of love, friendship and sacrifice that will keep you hooked until the end and leave you teary-eyed. how should be.it's 2022, and K-Dramas have become a pop culture phenomenon that cannot be ignored. And with movies like 20th Century Girl, we can take delight in that.

1. Exit Decision | Directed by Park Chan-wook

Park Chan-wookdecision to gois perhaps the weirdest movie of the year. Six years after the erotica-laden coming-of-age thriller The Handmaiden, our beloved South Korean author returns with a film that requires multiple viewings and a keen eye for the plot to get to the point. But the experience he leaves behind is worth the trip.

While at first it's a simple mystery about a detective investigating the mysterious death of an old man, things change when he develops feelings for the victim's much younger wife. The genre-switching drama soon turns into an unhinged romance that only someone as genius as Chan-wook could conjure up. Compared to his other films, Decision to Leave is much more reserved and subtle in approach and feels very different; but the effect of this one is as monumental as any other. Easily one of the year's best films that will develop a cult following for years to come.

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