Parasite won big at the Oscars this year. The cast even owned the red carpet, totally representing for Asians everywhere. With all this interest in the incredible and incredibly deserving film, we thought we’d compile a list of 10 movies you need to check out if you loved Parasite.
1. Kundo: Age of the Rampant
Released in 2014, Kundo takes place during Korea’s Joseon era and showcases the disparity in wealth and power struggle between unjust noblemen and righteous outlaws.
2. Train to Busan
The 2016 blockbuster Train to Busan is a must-watch movie for fans of the zombie sub-genre. Gong Yoo is brilliant, as always, and it was the first Korean film released that year to break the audience record of 10,000,000+ moviegoers!
3. A Tale of Two Sisters
This 2003 psychological horror film was inspired by a Joseon era folktale called Janghwa Hongryeon jeon. This modern retelling of the folktale centers around a teenage girl named Su-mi, who has recently returned home after a stay in a mental institution.
4. Okja
The 2017 Netflix original film Okja was also directed by Parasite director Bong Joon Ho. Featuring a star-studded cast, Okja takes a closer look at corporate greed, the ethicality of GMOs, and so much more. It is without a doubt, a “can’t miss” film.
5. The Host
This iconic, award-winning 2006 monster movie is another smash hit directed by Bong Joon-ho. At the time of its release, it was the highest-grossing South Korean film of all time. The Host is about a creature who was created by irresponsible actions of the American military and a father’s desperation to save his daughter, who had been taken by the monster.
6. Cinderella
Cinderella is a 2006 supernatural horror film that addresses society’s obsession with beauty with its dark themes.
7. Someone Behind You
Someone Behind You is a psychological horror film released in 2007. It follows the story of Gain, a student whose family appears to be cursed… to death. While it’s not terribly highly rated, it’s definitely worth a watch and will keep you on the edge of your seat.
8. The Wig
The Wig is a 2005 horror film with psychological elements that was released on DVD in the US in 2008. The movie follows the strange events that follow Soohyeon, a young woman who is stricken with cancer after she receives a beautiful wig from her older sister Jihyeon. While the critical reception of the film was ambivalent, it is worth watching at least once because it’s sure to be unlike anything you’ve seen before.
9. The Cat
This 2011 horror film stars Park Min Young as Soyeon, a young woman who works for a pet groomer and becomes haunted by an apparition of a young girl with cat eyes. While the film is undeniably a horror, there are psychological elements that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
10. I Saw the Devil
I Saw the Devil is a thriller film starring Lee Byung Hyun and Choi Min Sik. The film follows an NIS agent played by Hyung Hun, who seeks revenge on the serial killer who brutally murdered his fiance. The film is rated incredibly well, with Rolling Stone magazine referring to it as “one of the top 20 scariest movies you’ve never seen.”
While this list covers 10 movies we think you should check out, Korean cinema is full of films that are worthy of your time and we had the most difficult time narrowing it down to just ten. Are there any movies you would have included in this list? Please share them with us so other movie lovers can find your recommendation and enjoy them along with you!
