Korean movies have left a mark on international cinemas with many historic award nominations and win across the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and The Oscars. Here are some of the captivating Korean films that got nominated for the Oscars.
1. Decision To Leave
'Decision to Leave' got shortlisted for the International Film Feature at the Academy Awards. The final winners will get announced in March 2023 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. The plot follows the life of Hae Jun, an insomniac detective who is investigating the murder case of Seo Rae.
2. Parasite
'Parasite' is a turning point for Korean cinema and the foreign film industry. This movie created history by winning the 2020 Oscars. Parasite also became the first non-English movie to win one of the top Academy Awards. This movie is a capitalist satire that follows the story of two families from different classes of society in Seoul.
3. Minari
'Minari' is the second movie about Koreans after 'Parasite' that created history at the Oscars. This movie follows the story of a Korean family during the 1980s. Their livelihoods are at risk as farmers while other poor Koreans migrate to live better lives.
4. Burning
Burning' is the first Korean film on the nine-film shortlist. This movie did not make it to the final nominations. It paved the way for Korea to enter the global market, even without a nomination. The story follows the life of Jong Su, a delivery boy, who runs into his childhood friend, Hae Mi. Jong Su believes that his friend's life is in danger.
5. Oldboy
'Oldboy' is a mystery thriller movie, one of the well-known works by Park Chan-Wook. This movie received a Hollywood remake in 2013. It gets based on the Japanese novel Oldboy by Garon Tsuchhiya. It unravels the story of Oh Dae-Su, who wakes up in a prison that looks like a hotel room. He embarks on a quest for answers as he attempts to discover what got him there. This movie won the Grand Prix Award in 2004.
6. Train To Busan
Train to Busan is a zombie action thriller by Yeon Sang-Ho, who 'Redefining the future of Korean films.' The story follows a mysterious outbreak that turns people into zombies as a father and his daughter travel on a train. This film is about humanity, crises, loss, and tragedy. Train to Busan pri[emiered in 2016 at the Cannes Film Festival.
7. Mother
Mother is a murder mystery film by the director of the movie 'Parasite.' It begins with the sudden death of a girl, which gets blamed on an innocent man who happens to be at the crime scene. This haunting story explores the extremes of a mother's love as she faces shocking truths to track down the killer. 'Mother' premiered in 2009 at the Cannes Film Festival and got nominated for the Un Center Regard.
8. Taxi Driver
A Taxi Driver is a historical drama by Jang Hoon. It gets based on the life story of Jurgen Hinzpeter, a German journalist. This movie got selected by the Korean Film Council for entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category in 2018.
9. Time To Hunt
Time to Hunt is a crime thriller set in a dystopian world of poverty after a financial crisis. It's about friends running from their lives in a 'world outside the law. Time to Hunt is the first Korean film getting featured at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2020.
10. The Handmaiden
'The Handmaiden' is an erotic drama film by Park Chan-Wook. It is a dark tale of deception, desire, and betrayal between Japanese heiress Hideko, Count Fujiwara, Sook-Hee, and Hideko's uncle Kouzuki. This movie gets inspired by the book Fingersmith. It takes viewers in a labyrinth of twists.
