The streamer carries Kdramas and tense thrillers in equal measure. The 16 best Korean movies on Netflix

The streamer carries K-dramas and tense thrillers in equal measure.

The 16 best Korean movies on Netflix

The streamer carries K-dramas and tense thrillers in equal measure.

Megan Vick is a news and evergreen contributor at *. *She's been writing at ** since 2024. Her work can also be found at TVGuide.com, Swooon, *Variety*, and other outlets.

EW's editorial guidelines

and Kevin Jacobsen

on October 13, 2025 10:56 a.m. ET

Gong Yoo as Kang In-ho in 'Silenced'; Song Kang-ho as Kim Ki-taek in 'Parasite'; Kim You-jung as Na Bo-ra in '20th Century Girl'. Credit:

Lotte Entertainment/Courtesy Everett; Neon; Seo Ji Hyung/Netflix

Netflix develops original content from countries all over the world, so if you're only watching the American stuff, you're really missing out. Of particular note is the streamer's selection of Korean movies, from warm rom-coms like *20th Century Girl* and *Sweet & Sour *to twisted masterpieces like *Parasite*.

For those who want to expand their knowledge of K-dramas and beyond, there's a little something for everyone and every mood. Here are **'s picks for the 16 best Korean movies streaming on Netflix right now, as of October 2025.

20th Century Girl (2022)

Byeon Woo-seok as Poong Woon-ho and Kim Yoo-jung as Na Bo-ra in '20th Century Girl'.

Courtesy Netflix

If you're ready to get into your feels, *20th Century Girl* may be the K-drama for you. High schooler Bo-ra (Kim You-jung) has been tasked with keeping an eye on her best friend's crush while she's stuck in America awaiting heart surgery. Bo-ra obliges, paying studious attention to the boy in question… only to develop her *own* crush on his best friend, Woon-ho (Byeon Woo-seok).

There's a hint of Jane Austen-esque romantic farce, full of misunderstandings and mistaken identity, but the film also has a wise perspective on friendship that keeps it from being just another teen melodrama. *—Megan Vick*

Where to watch *20th Century Girl*: Netflix

**Director:** Bang Woo-ri

**Cast:** Kim You-jung, Byeon Woo-seok, Park Jung-woo, Noh Yoon-seo

Ballerina (2023)

Park Yu-rim as Choi Min-hee in 'Ballerina'.

Yoo Eun Mi/Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection

Contrary to the movie's title, tutus are few and far between in *Ballerina*. There are plenty of guns and knives, though. And a chainsaw.

Ok-ju (Jun Jong-seo) is a professional bodyguard to whom martial arts and gunplay are second nature. Her friend Min-hee (Park Yu-rim) has just taken her own life, laying the blame at the feet of the noxious Choi Pro (Kim Ji-hoon) — trafficker, pimp, drug dealer, you name it. Now heartbroken, Ok-ju sets out to exact vengeance upon him the way only she can. She makes a hell of an icy assassin, and the mobsters meet their match with her twirling high-kicks in some genuinely bad-ass action sequences. *—M.V.*

Where to watch *Ballerina*: Netflix

**Director:** Lee Chung-hyun

**Cast:** Jun Jong-seo, Kim Ji-hun, Park Yu-rim, Park Hyung-soo

The Call (2020)

Park Shin-hye as Kim Seo-yeon in 'The Call'.

Netflix/Everett

*The Call* begins innocently enough until we begin to realize — with curiosity, then horror — what's *actually* happening. Seo-yeon (Park Shin-hye) is in 2019; Young-sook (Jun Jong-seo) is in 1999; somehow, through an old phone in the same house, they can communicate across time. They use this to their advantage, at first — after all, who *wouldn't* take the opportunity to go back in time and prevent a tragedy? But changing the past is, as it turns out, a double-edged sword. This twisty Korean movie crafts a delirious time-traveling-by-proxy premise, and Jun makes a meal out of a character who is, or becomes, far more than what she seems. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* The Call*: Netflix

**Director:** Lee Chung-hyun

**Cast:** Park Shin-hye, Jun Jong-seo, Kim Sung-ryoung, Lee El, Park Ho-san

Dream (2023)

Park Seo-joon as Yoon Hong-dae in 'Dream'.

If you're in the mood for something light, *Dream* is a feel-good sports movie in the vein of *The Mighty Ducks*,* Cool Runnings*,* *and *Hardball*. After pro soccer player Yoon Hong-dae (Park Seo-joon) gets into legal trouble, he's assigned to coach a team of unhoused people in the Homeless World Cup as a condition of his probation. Meanwhile, documentary filmmaker Lee So-min (K-Pop star IU) complicates matters when she starts making a docuseries about Hong-dae and the team. These beats may feel familiar, but *Dream* earns its redemptive ending and gives us a group of underdogs who are impossible not to root for. *—M.V.*

Where to watch *Dream*: Netflix

**Director:** Lee Byeong-heon

**Cast**: Park Seo-joon, IU, Kim Jong-su, Ko Chang-seok, Jung Seung-kil, Lee Hyun-woo

Forgotten (2017)

Kang Ha-neul as Jin-seok in 'Forgotten'.

Buckle up for a trippy ride! *Forgotten* is a time-bending thriller about siblings embroiled in a kidnapping and conspiracy told across two different timelines. Teenager Jin-seok (Kang Ha-neul) witnesses his older brother Yoo-seok (Kim Moo-yeol) get abducted, only for him to return unharmed 19 days later. Only he doesn't seem quite the same — and remembers nothing about his abduction.

Dreams, nightmares, and memories begin to shape the nebulous mystery enveloping the brothers and their family. *Forgotten* has so many moving parts, it's a welcome head-scratcher for those who love trying to decipher a puzzle. *—M.V.*

Where to watch *Forgotten*: Netflix

**Director:** Jang Hang-jun

**Cast:** Kang Ha-neul, Kim Moo-yeol, Na Young-hee, Moon Sung-keun, Nam Myung-ryul, Lee Eun-woo

Lost in Starlight (2025)

Jay (voice: Hong Kyung) and Nan-young (voice: Kim Tae-ri) in 'Lost in Starlight'.

This visually arresting film, the first South Korean animated film produced by Netflix, tells a poignant tale of star-crossed lovers — so to speak. Nan-young (Kim Tae-ri) is a NASA scientist who still carries the trauma of losing her mother in space decades earlier. Her life becomes further complicated upon meeting Jay (Hong Kyung), a musician with whom she enters a relationship, though their future together hangs in the balance as Nan-young prepares for a dangerous mission to Mars. Gorgeously animated and emotionally rich, *Lost in Starlight* is sci-fi romance done right. —*Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *Lost in Starlight*: Netflix

**Director:** Han Ji-won

**Cast:** Kim Tae-ri, Hong Kyung, Kang Koo-han, Ahn Young-mi, Sharon Kwon, Yun A-yeong, David John Robbins, Jang Mi

Love and Leashes (2022)

Seohyun as Jung Ji-woo in 'Love and Leashes'.

Don't let the name fool you. While *Love and Leashes* is about BDSM, it falls more into rom-com territory than anything overly salacious. What you'll find instead is a more authentic representation of kink and sexual boundaries than, say, *Fifty Shades of Grey*.

Ji-woo (Lee Jun-young) is a PR professional who has everything going for him…*except *someone to help him live out his fantasies. When his co-worker Ji-woo (Seohyun) discovers his secret, the two enter a consensual dom/sub relationship, only to (naturally) fall in love along the way. This Korean movie takes a playful approach to its central relationship and its sexual dynamics. It's a fun rom-com *and *a soft introduction to a topic that, for many, is still taboo. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Love and Leashes*: Netflix

**Director:** Park Hyun-jin

**Cast**: Seohyun, Lee Jun-young, EL, Seo Hyun-woo, Kim Han-na, An Seung-hyun

Night in Paradise (2020)

Um Tae-goo as Park Tae-goo in 'Night in Paradise'.

*Night in Paradise* is a gritty crime drama about Tae-gu (Um Tae-goo), a gangster on the run after killing a crime boss in retaliation for the murders of his sister and niece. But this gangland milieu is also a love story, as Tae-gu takes temporary refuge on the beautiful Jeju Island with an older mobster and his terminally ill niece, Jae-yeon (Jeon Yeo-been).

If you're looking for whimsy, consider skipping this one, as you'll mostly find bone-crunching and blood here. The movie is almost Shakespearean in its blend of power, romance, betrayal, and tragedy while truly uncompromising in its carnage — and its fateful ending. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Night in Paradise*: Netflix

**Director:** Park Hoon-jung

**Cast:** Um Tae-goo, Jeon Yeo-been, Cha Seung-won, Lee Ki-young, Park Ho-san

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Pandora (2016)

Moon Jeong-hee as Jung-hye, Kim Nam-gil as Kang Jae-hyeok, and Kim Young-ae as Mrs. Seok in 'Pandora'.

Far from the over-the-top thrill rides in many disaster movies, *Pandora* plays like a shrewd cautionary tale. An unnamed town revolves (economically and otherwise) around a deteriorating nuclear plant. When a major earthquake strikes and causes a nuclear meltdown, the implications are massive. When it rains, it pours.

The film gives us a heroic protagonist — Jae-hyeok, a young man who works at the plant — but its focus is on the political indifference, incompetence, and corruption that made this catastrophe possible, even inevitable, in the first place. *Pandora* would make a nifty companion piece to HBO's *Chernobyl*. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Pandora*: Netflix

**Director: **Park Jung-woo

**Cast:** Kim Nam-gil, Kim Joo-hyun, Jung Jin-young, Kim Young-ae, Moon Jeong-hee

Parasite (2019)

Song Kang-ho as Kim Ki-taek and Jang Hye-jin as Chung-sook in 'Parasite'.

It's hard to define exactly what genre *Parasite* is. A black comedy? A socially conscious thriller? A family saga? Somehow, Bong Joon Ho combines all of these elements and the result is a true masterpiece so brilliant it broke the Oscars' bias against non-English language films and won Best Picture. The film centers on a lower-income family and their relationship with the affluent family they work for, with numerous twists and turns we won't spoil here. EW's critic calls the film "a serrating, brilliantly stylized portrait of class and fate and family in modern-day Korea." —*K.J.***

Where to watch *Parasite*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A–

**Director:** Bong Joon Ho

**Cast:** Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Jang Hye-jin

Psychokinesis (2018)

(Center): Shim Eun-kyung as Shin Roo-mi and Ryu Seung-ryong as Shin Seok-heon in 'Psychokinesis'.

Courtesy Netflix

In his second live-action film, *Train to Busan* director Yeon Sang-ho trades zombies for superheroes, again proving his gift for placing supernatural or surreal events into distinctly personal dimensions.

A low-level security guard gains telekinetic powers after drinking water from a tainted mountain spring. Seok-heon (Ryu Seung-ryong) isn't exactly prototypical "hero" material, but after some trial and error, he chooses to use his newfound powers for good, reconnecting with his estranged daughter and helping her take on a villainous real estate conglomerate. *Psychokinesis* is a classic "hero helps the underdog" story, a visual treat that uses its "accidental superhero" premise to great comedic effect. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Psychokinesis*: Netflix

**Director:** Yeon Sang-ho

**Cast:** Ryu Seung-ryong, Shim Eun-kyung, Go Na-hee, Park Jeong-min, Kim Min-jae

Silenced (2011)

Gong Yoo in Kang In-ho in 'Silenced'.

Lotte Entertainment/Courtesy Everett

This hard-hitting crime drama doesn't just stand on its own as a sobering look at abuse in Korean schools — it also brought about real, positive change in the country. Gong Yoo stars as Kang In-ho, an art teacher hired at a school for the Deaf, who quickly learns that the students have been subjected to physical and sexual abuse perpetuated by teachers and staff. As In-ho investigates, he discovers the extent of the cover-up and resolves to seek justice for the victims. With powerful performances and sensitive treatment of its subject matter, the public reaction to *Silenced* led to the passing of a bill in South Korea, removing the statute of limitations for people with disabilities who are affected by sexual abuse. —*K.J.***

Where to watch *Silenced*: Netflix

**Director:** Hwang Dong-hyuk

**Cast:** Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi

Sweet & Sour (2021)

Jang Ki-yong as Jang-hyuk and Chae Soo-bin as Da-eun in 'Sweet & Sour'.

This is another Korean romance movie that looks fluffy on the surface but has more substance than you may expect. Da-eun (Chae Soo-bin) and Jang-hyeok (Jang Ki-yong) are trying to make a long-distance relationship work. That comes with fights, breakups, and makeups — not necessarily in that order. It's not a straightforward rom-com; it's more about what happens after they get together, and the work it takes to make it stick.

*Sweet & Sour* thoughtfully explores the professional complications and practical realities that couples inevitably confront, which should strike an authentic note for anyone trying to navigate romance in the modern world. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Sweet & Sour*: Netflix

**Director:** Lee Kae-byeok

**Cast:** Jang Ki-yong, Chae Soo-bin, Jung Soo-jung

Train to Busan (2016)

Gong Yoo as Seok-woo in 'Train to Busan'.

Well Go USA Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection

A country-wide zombie outbreak is already high stakes. Now, combine that with a bullet train in which the infected are on board. This propulsive dystopian thriller primarily focuses on a workaholic father (Gong Yoo) and his estranged daughter (Kim Su-an), who try to survive amid the chaos while traveling via high-speed rail from Seoul to Busan. Fast-paced and cleverly designed, the film also makes room for cogent social commentary, exploring the Korean class system and humanity's capacity for selfishness — and selflessness — in extreme circumstances. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Train to Busan*: Netflix

**Director:** Yeon Sang-ho**

**Cast:** Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Choi Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee, Kim Eui-sung

Tune in for Love (2019)

Jung Hae-in as Cha Hyun-woo in 'Tune in for Love'.

The cutesy name of this Korean movie doesn't quite capture its unique wavelength. In 1994, Hyun-woo (Jung Hae-in) is fresh out of juvie and lands a job at Mi-soo's (Kim Go-eun) bakery. The two quickly bond before circumstances take him elsewhere, but they later reunite many times in the coming years. All the while, their connection deepens and splinters as life gets in the way and troubled pasts come to light.

In the spirit of the *Before* trilogy, *One Day*, or even Paweł Pawlikowski's *Cold War* (without the political backdrop), *Tune In for Love *memorably puts romantic chemistry to the long-term test. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Tune in for Love*: Netflix

**Director:** Jung Ji-woo

**Cast:** Kim Go-eun, Jung Hae-in, Park Hae-joon, Kim Kuk-hee, Jung Eugene

Wonderland (2024)

Park Bo-gum as Tae-joo in 'Wonderland'.

In *Wonderland*, AI helps grieving people communicate with partners and loved ones they've lost or are losing. Jeong-in (Suzy) uses the eponymous technology to video chat with a simulation of her comatose boyfriend. Bae-li (Tang Wei) signs up after becoming terminally ill, creating an AI version of herself to communicate with her young daughter once she's gone. An older woman (Sung Byung-sook) simply wants to keep in touch with her deceased grandson.

The movie squarely stares down its central contradiction: that the service provides catharsis while preventing people from actually moving on. There's no use telling a story about futuristic technology without asking tough questions about it, and *Wonderland* easily passes that test. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Wonderland*: Netflix

**Director:** Kim Tae-yong

**Cast:** Tang Wei, Suzy, Park Bo-gum, Jung Yu-mi, Choi Woo-shik**

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