I have been haunted, you see, not just by the specters of the vision, but also by the obsession I have for Korean horror movies. These films aren’t mere stories. The ones I am going to tell you about today have inspired cultures and, in some ways, even displayed their terrific side to the world.
Some of these films will remind you of folktales you’re used to hearing, others will take you deep into the mind of a director. By the end, you might wonder, as I did, what’s wrong with the folks who made these horror films?
A warning, though: if you think horror is just jump scares, you might not find that here. What you might end up finding is well-built anxiety followed by the perfect delivery of horror. All that is fueled by beautiful and, in some cases, dark as hell tales.
So, if you’re ready, let’s dive right into the list, shall we?
Train to Busan
Cast: Gong Yoo, Kim Su-an, Ma Dong-seok, Jung Yu-mi
Streaming On: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Let me start the list with the cult classic that was viewed by over 11 million within South Korea itself!
The movie gave a kickstart to the zombie trend in the country even though the first Korean zombie movie was released in 1981 titled ‘A Monstrous Corpse (Grotesque Corpse)’. Train to Busan is the story of a zombified world where a father tries to do everything to protect his little girl.
The zombie apocalypse happens when they travel to Busan, hence the name!
The claustrophobic cars become a battleground—passengers like a workaholic father, Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), and his young daughter, Su-an (Kim Su-an) along with other characters like, a tough husband (Ma Dong-seok) and his pregnant wife (Jung Yu-mi) fight not just for survival but for humanity’s fading spark.
As you explore the movie, you will come across some disturbing and heartbreaking moments.
The Wailing (2016)
Cast: Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Jun Kunimura, Chun Woo-hee, Kim Hwan-hee
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video, Shudder
It’s the tale of a cursed village where the air is thick and mistrust is common.
The Wailing has been praised among the top Korean horror movies for almost a decade now, and streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video still don’t want to let it go.
Reason? It has probably joined the hall of fame as one of the scariest movies in existence. As a result, every horror lover comes to give it a shot.
Hong-jin’s masterpiece unravels as policeman Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won) investigates murders tied to a stranger’s arrival (Jun Kunimura).
A shaman (Hwang Jung-min) and a mysterious woman (Chun Woo-hee) blur the line between folklore and evil. Is it a demon, a ghost, or madness itself?
You get an experience of 2.5 hours that remains in the head for a long time. Not sure if other horror movies released that year had the same charm.
A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
Cast: Im Soo-jung, Moon Geun-young
Streaming On: Prime Video
As much as I enjoyed the horror and the twist at the end, I found the build-up a little slow.
Kim Jee-woon’s psychological labyrinth tells the story of two sisters: Su-mi (Im Soo-jung) and Su-yeon (Moon Geun-young). After being released from a mental hospital, they go to their rural home, where their stepmother (Yum Jung-ah) and passive father (Kim Kap-soo) await.
The story takes inspiration from a Japanese folktale, which adds to the element of its eeriness.
Its oppressive beauty haunts with colors bleeding despair. Rotten Tomatoes grants 85%, calling it “restrained but disturbing”.
Beware, the sisters’ fragile bond would clutch your heart, their whispers a puzzle of pain. You will have sympathy and probably some anger if you get attached to characters as fast as I do.
But beyond all that, this is horror woven from memory’s threads.
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)
Cast: Wi Ha-joon, Park Ji-hyun, Oh Ah-yeon
Streaming On: Prime Video
I kept sleeping on Gonjiam for too long, I guess. But in the end, the movie turned out be surprisingly brilliant. The horror element was so perfect, but the storyline- the way they blended the misery that took place in the asylum with scary stuff- was cool AF!
I won’t give you spoilers by telling you who survives and who doesn’t. Here’s the thing, though: it might trigger some anxiety in you. So, not for the fainthearted, of course, or have a company and keep your lights on.
Jung Bum-shik’s Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum trails YouTubers, led by Wi Ha-joon and Park Ji-hyun, livestreaming in South Korea’s shuttered Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital.
What starts as a stunt—Oh Ah-yeon and Moon Ye-won rigging scares—turns real as doors slam and shadows scream. This found-footage gem, inspired by real hospital myths, uses GoPro precision to trap you.
No gore, just creeping dread.
Seoul Station (2016)
Cast: Shim Eun-kyung, Lee Joon, Ryu Seung-ryong
Streaming On: Prime Video
Before Train to Busan, there was Seoul Station, an animated wound exposing society’s rot.
Korean horror movies can be very different from one another. One could be soul sucking story of a spirit while others could haunt you using zombies. Yet, almost all of them manage to hit.
Yeon Sang-ho’s prequel tracks Hye-sun (Shim Eun-kyung), a runaway, and her boyfriend (Lee Joon) as zombies swarm Seoul’s underbelly. Ryu Seung-ryong’s voice grounds the chaos, where the homeless and forgotten fall first. It’s less about bites than betrayal—class divides bleed red.
The movie shares some similarities with Train to Busan, which definitely makes it worth it. Take it as a hint of what was happening in Seoul when the sh** went south. Critics’ reviews on Rotten Tomatoes call it “layered and vicious” at 100%.
But leave that, it’s me who is recommending the movie, you trust your horror consisseur, right?
Exhuma (2024)
Cast: Kim Go-eun, Lee Do-hyun, Choi Min-sik
Streaming On: Prime Video
It kinda went viral recently. On social media, folks were talking about Exhuma and Light Shop in every forum where Korean horror films were being discussed.
Exhuma had the darkness that a horror movie needs, the tension that keeps you hooked, but honestly? It lacked the scare. I mean, maybe I am just immune at this point, but I recently watched a Tamil movie called Murmur, and it managed to scare me.
That wasn’t something I felt with Exhuma. As for the plot, digging up the past awakens hell in Exhuma.
Jang Jae-hyun’s slow-burn follows shaman Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and her protégé (Lee Do-hyun) hired by a wealthy family (Choi Min-sik, Kim Jae-cheol) to exhume a grave. The soil hides a vengeful spirit tied to Korea’s colonial scars.
Despite the fear factor’s ability to scare you, it’s definitely great entertainment. So tune in without thinking twice!
Bedevilled (2010)
Cast: Seo Young-hee, Ji Sung-won, Park Jung-hak
Streaming On: Plex
A woman’s breaking point is a scream, friend, and Bedevilled lets it rip. Jang Cheol-soo’s brutal tale follows Bok-nam (Seo Young-hee), abused on a remote island by her husband (Park Jung-hak) and kin.
When her friend Hae-won (Ji Sung-won) visits, indifference sparks Bok-nam’s vengeance—a bloody, wrenching rebellion. The plot’s no ghost story; it’s human cruelty laid bare, unflinching. Seo Young-hee’s raw pain anchors it. Rotten Tomatoes scores 80%, calling it “harrowing”.
You’d taste salt air, hear her sobs turn to rage. This is horror carved from suffering’s bone and something that made me so uncomfortable, yet interested (movie, I meant).
Now Go, Scare Yourself to Bed!
That is all for now!
Watch these and tell me if you like them. Btw, the list is small, I know. But I tried a few more titles and couldn’t find anything worth your time. I am always in exploration mode, though, so subscribe to CineCinnati, and you will get an alert as soon as the list is updated.
