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 arenât 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 youâre used to hearing, others will take you deep into the mind of a director. By the end, you might wonder, as I did, whatâs wrong with the folks who made these horror films?Â
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 youâre ready, letâs 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 âA Monstrous Corpse (Grotesque Corpse)â. Train to Busan is the story of a zombified world where a father tries to do everything to protect his little girl.Â
The zombie apocalypse happens when they travel to Busan, hence the name!
The claustrophobic cars become a battlegroundâpassengers 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 humanityâs 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
Itâs 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 donât want to let it go.Â
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-jinâs masterpiece unravels as policeman Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won) investigates murders tied to a strangerâs arrival (Jun Kunimura).Â
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-woonâs 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.Â
Its oppressive beauty haunts with colors bleeding despair. Rotten Tomatoes grants 85%, calling it ârestrained but disturbingâ.
Beware, the sistersâ 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 memoryâs 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 wonât give you spoilers by telling you who survives and who doesnât. Hereâs 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-shikâs Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum trails YouTubers, led by Wi Ha-joon and Park Ji-hyun, livestreaming in South Koreaâs shuttered Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital.Â
What starts as a stuntâOh Ah-yeon and Moon Ye-won rigging scaresâturns real as doors slam and shadows scream. This found-footage gem, inspired by real hospital myths, uses GoPro precision to trap you.Â
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 societyâs 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-hoâs prequel tracks Hye-sun (Shim Eun-kyung), a runaway, and her boyfriend (Lee Joon) as zombies swarm Seoulâs underbelly. Ryu Seung-ryongâs voice grounds the chaos, where the homeless and forgotten fall first. Itâs less about bites than betrayalâclass 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. Criticsâ reviews on Rotten Tomatoes call it âlayered and viciousâ at 100%.
But leave that, itâs 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.Â
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.Â
That wasnât something I felt with Exhuma. As for the plot, digging up the past awakens hell in Exhuma.Â
Jang Jae-hyunâs slow-burn follows shaman Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and her protĂ©gĂ© (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 Koreaâs colonial scars.
Despite the fear factorâs ability to scare you, itâs 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 womanâs breaking point is a scream, friend, and Bedevilled lets it rip. Jang Cheol-sooâs brutal tale follows Bok-nam (Seo Young-hee), abused on a remote island by her husband (Park Jung-hak) and kin.Â
When her friend Hae-won (Ji Sung-won) visits, indifference sparks Bok-namâs vengeanceâa bloody, wrenching rebellion. The plotâs no ghost story; itâs human cruelty laid bare, unflinching. Seo Young-heeâs raw pain anchors it. Rotten Tomatoes scores 80%, calling it âharrowingâ.Â
Youâd taste salt air, hear her sobs turn to rage. This is horror carved from sufferingâs bone and something that made me so uncomfortable, yet interested (movie, I meant).
Now Go, Scare Yourself to Bed!
That is all for now!Â
Watch these and tell me if you like them. Btw, the list is small, I know. But I tried a few more titles and couldnât 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.