When you are faced with a Korean thriller, you know that the surprise, in most cases, will be continuous. You are, or should be, aware that you are riding a roller coaster where (almost) anything can happen, from beautiful landscapes of tense calm to explosions of fury, gore, gore and gunfire. Not to mention the twists and turns, a fundamental element of the genre.
10 must-see Korean thrillers from the past decade
one “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance”
‘Sympathy for Lady Vengeance’ had a mission to uphold the bar set by ‘Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance’ and more importantly ‘Oldboy’, consistently closing a Vengeance Trilogy that was already being celebrated, rightly so, as a prodigious cult work. A goal that seemed as complicated as it was unfair since, after all, the union between these proposals was always more in the essence and in its dramatic characteristics than in the connection of the plot, so asking for more (and better) was out of place and sense .
In any case, beyond expectations and comparisons, ‘Sympathy for Lady Vengeance’ was a new demonstration of total talent by a Park Chan-Wook who, at this point in the game, already seemed to be perfectly in control of his resources, both in substance and in form, thus offering scenes that take away the hiccups of pure and hard, very hard, beauty. The final section of the story deserves special mention, masterful and the main performance by a located Lee Yeong-ae beyond praise. A spectacular, devastating and extraordinary thriller.
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance to eCartelera
2 ‘parasites’
Without a doubt ‘Parasites’, the brand new winner of one of the last and historic editions of the Oscars, has been one of the most important cinematic and social phenomena of recent years. Although, considering the strength of its impact, we could very well be talking about the decade. The best news? It was more than deserved.
From the unforgettable first viewing it was clear that we were in front of the great Bong Joon-ho’s most rounded and memorable film, a vibrant thriller full of unexpected twists, tons of dark humor and an ensemble of characters who immediately hooked in memory. . A masterpiece. A contemporary classic that conquered the throne of best film of 2019. And with justice.
Parasites on eCartelera
3 “Decision to Leave”
Park Chan-wook’s latest film is a true prodigy on all levels. From its magnificent script to the sublime performances of its protagonists, especially by a sublime Tang Wei, passing through an impressive direction of the house, ‘Decision to Leave’ presents itself as a new thriller worthy of surpassing the contemporary history of the genre. A masterpiece of deep emotional depth and inexhaustible visual talent.
Decision to leave on eCartelera
4 ‘old boy’
From his very spectacular prologue, ‘Oldboy’ is one of those contemporary classics destined to survive the ever complex and fearsome passage of time with enviable skill.
Framed in his Revenge Trilogy, this story full of frustration, violence, lies, impulses and restrained rage exploding on the edge of the abyss, and in the most forceful way imaginable, brings us the best version of Park Chan-Wook to date the date, responsible for a simply perfect directing. Many of his scenes have gone down in cinematic history, to their credit, but ‘Oldboy’ should be celebrated as a compact, unique and inimitable masterpiece.
Oldboy at eCartelera
5 ‘New world’
When faced with a Park Hoon-jung-penned film, you know you can find everything from the most inspired proposal to the most unpleasant surprise. Of course, the certainty of being in a cinematic universe that is as personal as it is non-transferable is total. In this sense, there is nothing in this ‘New World’ that does not convey the aroma, essence and always energetic forms of its author, a boy who, starting from an excellent prologue, finds an unexpected and fortunate balance between suspense, crime drama and savage violence. There’s no time to catch a breath and the impact is constant, no doubt about it, but boy is it worth it.
6 ‘To burn’
The artistic peak to date of Lee Chang-Dong, responsible for, among other jewels, ‘Poetry’ and ‘Peppermint Candy’, was in the form of a thriller and was signed by Haruki Murakami. And it is that, based on a story by the famous author, the South Korean director has traced in “Burning” a calm suspense in his movements, tense in its breath and deeply moving in its visual poetry. A plot that took its time to give shape to the successive curves that inhabited its interior and that reserved moments of cinema in its purest and most beautiful state for its final stretch. A film as hypnotic as it is essential.
Burning in eCartelera
7 ‘The stranger’
Massive in substance and form, ‘The Stranger’ is one of the most surprising, inspiring and memorable Korean thrillers in recent years. Directed and written with a masterful pace by an inspiring Na Hong-jin and performed by a fantastic Do-won Kwak, this story full of suspense, intrigue and terror does not stop growing during its 156 minutes until ending in an explosion of really interesting twists, visual disappointments and narrative surprises. A proposal that combines the most classic elements of mystery with the strongest anger of contemporary Korean cinema. A jewel.
The stranger in eCartelera
8 “Chronicle of a Serial Killer”
Three years after the interesting debut with ‘Little biteing barking dog’, Bong Joon-ho signs his first great masterpiece with ‘Chronicle of a serial killer’, a thriller capable of rebuilding, transforming, exploding and expanding the genre from its core.
With a hypnotic atmosphere, a rhythm as slow as it is fascinating, memorable characters, protagonists and supporting actors, performances of the highest level, with Song Kang-ho at the helm, and scenes resolved with authentic mastery, especially those that are on the side of the most suffocating tension , we are facing an exceptional proposal in almost all of its pieces. A rainy and dazzling labyrinth that penetrates to the bone.
Chronicle of a serial killer on eCartelera
9 ‘the wickedness’
Written and directed by Jung Byung-gil, ‘The Villainess’ is one of those films where everything happens through form. With minimal argument and much more predictable than desired, the director is dedicated to trying tirelessly to build the final action scene, getting very close on more than a few occasions. If we add to these moments of authentic visual spectacle the hypnotic presence of Kim Ok-bin and one of the most powerful final stages of Korean cinema in recent years, the triumph is indisputable. And enormously enjoyable.
10 “The Berlin Dossier”
With ‘The Berlin File’ we are dealing with one of those thrillers in which the action plays an essential role within the plot, becoming an extra (exceptional) protagonist. After a vibrant prologue, which perfectly serves to identify the main keys of the film, the proposal directed and written by Ryoo Seung-Wan never stops pressing on the accelerator, thus delivering a roller coaster in which espionage, vertigo and surprises follow one another without stopping. Entertainment of the highest level in which a fabulous staging stands out with particular force, the final icing on an exemplary show.
Well, in the last ten years we have had the opportunity to enjoy a particular and fascinating cinematic style in a particularly intense way. Driven on several occasions by the tremendous phenomenon that ‘Parasites’ has been at all levels, from the public to the critics via some historic Oscars, A large part of the public decided to embark on this journey and, obviously, was struck by it.
In this case, here we present ten Korean thrillers released in the last decade and which, above all, serve to exemplify the extraordinary state of form in which the genre finds itself. Authentic experiences of overwhelming intensity with which to continue to enjoy great stories, surprising staging, inspired casts and a very special cinematic language. And charming.
Source: E Cartelera
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
