Cinema Escapist

What to learn about the Best Korean Movies of 2025?

You’re in the right place—Cinema Escapist has compiled this list of the top 11 Korean films from 2025. Across genres like thriller, comedy, action, romance, and more this list includes both independent and blockbuster K-movies which offer a diverse range of options for all tastes. 

For those who care about celebrity presence, these 11 Korean movies from 2025 feature top stars like Lee Byung-hun, Song Hye-kyo, Son Ye-jin, Yoo Ah-in, and beyond. We’ve also tried including links to stream these films on platforms like Netflix and Viki, though not all films will have links and links functionality will depend on your region. 

Let’s check out 2025’s best Korean movies!

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11. Dark Nuns

Korean Title: 검은 수녀들 | Director: Kwon Hyeok-jae | Starring: Song Hye-kyo, Jeon Yeo-been, Lee Jin-wook, Huh Joon-ho | Genre(s): Supernatural, Thriller, Mystery

Combining star power with scare factor, Dark Nuns is 2025’s most notable supernaturally themed Korean movie. The film features Song Hye-kyo and Jeon Yeo-been respectively as two nuns with opposite personalities, who decide to save a possessed boy using a dangerous exorcism ritual.

Song and Jeon give standout performances with emotional depth, earning nominations for both the Blue Dragon Film Awards and Beaksang Arts Awards. The film also offers a more unique, female–centric take on the occult K-movie subgenre, not to mention a refreshing blend of Catholic teachings and Korean shamanism. Those who enjoy other exorcism-themed Korean films like Exhuma should consider Dark Nuns as well.

Watch this Korean movie on Viki 

10. The Old Woman with the Knife

Korean Title: 파과 | Director: Min Kyu-dong | Starring: Lee Hye-young, Kim Sung-cheol, Kim Mu-yeol, Yeon Woo-jin | Genre(s): Action, Thriller, Crime

The Old Woman with the Knife reinvents the “retiring hitman” genre with its story about Hornclaw, a legendary 65 year-old female assassin played by Lee Hye-young. Dissatisfied with the assassin underworld, Hornclaw contemplates retirement—but an upstart young hitman upends her plans. 

Besides offering oodles of stylized violence, The Old Woman with the Knife also meditates on the nature of aging and obsolescence, hinting at some of the challenges that older Koreans (who face high poverty rates) face in the real world. The movie may feel reminiscent of John Wick (or the more female-centric Ballerina, just with an older assassin) with its underworld plotline. 

Stream this Korean movie on Viki 

9. Pretty Crazy

Korean Title: 악마가 이사왔다 | Director: Lee Sang-geun | Starring: Im Yoon-ah, Ahn Bo-hyun, Sung Dong-il, Joo Hyun-young | Genre(s): Romantic Comedy, Fantasy

Blending romcom and supernatural genres, Pretty Crazy centers on a woman named Jeong Seon-ji (played by Im Yoon-ah, a.k.a. YoonA of SNSD) who assumes a bizarre “devil-like” persona every night at 2am. Specifically, the movie picks up when Gil-goo (played by Ahn Bo-hyun), an unemployed male neighbor of Seon-ji’s, gets hired to be Seon-ji’s nighttime guardian. 

Im Yoon-ah and An Bo-hyun’s acting carry this movie, and both of them received Blue Dragon Film Award nominations for their acting—with Ahn Bo-hyun winning Best New Actor. Pretty Crazy isn’t a particularly cerebral movie, so it’s best watched if you’re in the mood for something that’s feel-good but still high energy. The film has some similarities with 2019’s Exit, which also starred Im Yoon-ah and was directed by Lee Sang-geun. 

Stream this Korean movie on Viki 

8. The Match

Korean Title: 승부 | Director: Kim Hyung-joo | Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Yoo Ah-in, Moon Jung-hee, Ko Chang-seok | Genre(s): Biography, Drama

The game of Go (Baduk in Korean) has gained international attention in recent decades thanks to computing-related research efforts like AlphaGo—but Go’s global cinematic profile remains relatively modest compared with other games like chess. The Match—which is easily streamable on Netflix and stars Lee Byung-hun of Squid Game fame, might help change that situation, at least a bit.

Set in the 1980s and 90s, The Match dramatizes the real-life rivalry between top Go players Cho Hun-hyun (Lee Byung-hun) and Lee Chong-ho (Yoo Ah-in), with the latter being the former’s protege. While Go might seem inscrutable to novices, The Match makes the game accessible by highlighting its tension; one need not be a Go expert or artificial intelligence research engineer to appreciate the film. One could compare The Match’s depictions of Go to The Queen’s Gambit’s depictions of chess, and the Cho-Lee dynamic has vague parallels with the relationship between Salieri and Mozart in the classic movie Amadeus. 

Watch this Korean movie on Netflix 

7. Hi-Five

Korean Title: 하이파이브 | Director: Kang Hyeong-cheol | Starring: Yoo Ah-in, Ra Mi-ran, Oh Jung-se, Ahn Jae-hong, Lee Jae-in | Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Action, Comedy

With a star-studded ensemble cast, Hi-Five represents another Korean entry into the superhero genre, with its focus on five strangers who develop superpowers after getting organ transplants from a mysterious donor. With their newfound powers, these five individuals must cooperate to combat a nefarious cult leader who got a pancreas from the same donor, and has the ability to drain their life forces. 

Lighthearted and warm, Hi-Five is a good contrast to some of the darker entries on this list of 2025’s best Korean movies. The movie’s focus on everyman characters also brings a degree of social realism with struggles like unemployment and debt, making this a far more down-to-earth member of the superhero genre. Fans of the 2011 hit Korean movie Sunny might also enjoy Hi-Five—Kang Hyeong-cheol directed both films, and the two have tonal similarities. 

Stream this Korea movie on Amazon 

6. My Daughter is a Zombie

Korean Title: 좀비가 되어버린 나의 딸 | Director: Pil Kam-sung | Starring: Cho Jung-seok, Choi Yu-ri, Lee Jung-eun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Yoon Kyung-ho | Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Zombie

Korean cinema’s penchant for blending genres shines again in My Daughter is a Zombie, which mixes elements of zombie flicks, comedies, and family melodramas all in one story. The movie stars Jo Jung-suk as a father named Lee Jung-hwan who, when his teenage daughter (played by Choi Yu-ri) catches a zombie virus, tries using his skills as a tiger trainer to keep her in check. 

Social and critical chatter about My Daughter is a Zombie have described it as an emotional rollercoaster, filled equally with moments that induce laughter and tears. The movie had one of the highest grossing openings at the Korean box office during summer 2025, and received numerous nominations for 2025’s Blue Dragon Film Awards as well. 

5. The Ugly

Korean Title: 얼굴 | Director: Yeon Sang-ho | Starring: Park Jeong-min, Kwon Hae-hyo | Genre(s): Drama, Thriller

Yeon Sang-ho is probably best known for directing Train to Busan, and he returned in 2025 with another social commentary laden film, The Ugly. In The Ugly, the son of a blind seal engraver (both played by Park Jeong-min at different life stages) interviews acquaintances to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s disappearance 40 years ago. 

While the movie’s interview-laden mockumentary format might be polarizing, the film is certainly stylistically unique and continues Director Yeon’s proclivity towards convey sharp social critiques in a stripped-down cinematic format, perhaps more reminiscent of his earlier films like The Fake and The King of Pigs than Train to Busan. Without giving too much away, the movie critiques South Korea’s obsession with physical appearance, showing how ostensibly “beautiful” exteriors mask ugly interior mindsets and social biases. The Ugly garnered 10 Blue Dragon Award nominations and screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025, as a testament to the critical buzz it achieved. 

4. Yadang: The Snitch

Korean Title: 야당 | Director: Hwang Byeong-guk | Starring: Kang Ha-neul, Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-joon, Ryu Kyung-soo | Genre(s): Crime, Drama, Action

A trio consisting of a yadang civilian informant (played by Kang Ha-neul), an ambitious prosecutor (played by Yoo Hae-jin), and a determined narcotics detective (played by Park Hae-joon) collide to fantastic effect in Yadang: The Snitch. 

Cynical and stylish, the film features ample action sequences, and a multidimensional revenge arc that exposes its protagonist trio’s moral shades of gray. While Yadang: The Snitch’s narrative does get complex at times, it still provides ample entertainment and may feel like a blend between past K-movie hits like Inside Men and The Roundup. 

Stream this Korean movie on Netflix 

3. Good News

Korean Title: 굿뉴스 | Director: Byun Sung-hyun | Starring: Sol Kyung-gu, Ryoo Seung-bum, Hong Kyung | Genre(s): Action, Thriller, Historical

Based on the true story of a 1970 incident, Good News is perhaps the best Korean political comedy from the last few years, and is firmly in the running as one of the most notable political satires released worldwide in 2025. The movie centers around South Korean authorities’ attempts to trick the hijackers of a Japan Airlines flight that they have landed in Pyongyang, when in reality directing them to a disguised version of Seoul’s Gimpo International Airport. 

Atop this rich premise, Good News builds layers and layers of comedy and critique that will especially please those familiar with Korean politics. The movie pokes fun at South Korea’s relations with not just North Korea, but also Japan and the United States; it also evokes 2005 political black comedy masterpiece The President’s Last Bang with its absurd and cynical depiction of martial law era South Korea, including thinly veiled references to authoritarian President Park Chung-hee and his daughter Park Geun-hye. Even those unfamiliar with Korean politics can enjoy the film, for its biting satire of bureaucratic incompetence and buck-passing will resonate with audiences worldwide. 

Watch this Korean movie on Netflix

2. The World of Love

Korean Title: 세계의 주인 | Director: Yoon Ga-eun | Starring: Chang Hyae-jin, Seo Su-bin | Genre(s): Drama, Coming-of-age

The World of Love is one of the most critically acclaimed Korean movies of 2025, with screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival and awards from a smattering of other independent film festivals across multiple continents. The movie centers on Ju-in (Seo Su-bin), a 17 year-old student whose idyllic life shatters when the trauma of a past sexual assault resurfaces. 

Critics especially praised Seo Su-bin’s first-time film performance opposite veteran actress Chang Hyae-jin (who plays Ju-in’s mother), especially with regard to her ability to depict the broad emotional range required for the movie’s plot. The World of Love’s cinematography and narrative structure were also novel and innovative, with the strategic use of long takes and purposefully fractured storytelling accentuating Ju-in’s mental state. The film delicately tackles critiques around Korean society’s attitudes towards victims of sexual violence; it never veers into melodrama, and instead becomes an elegant showcase of how victims can find a sense of agency even amidst darkness. 

1. No Other Choice

Korean Title: 어쩔수가없다 | Director: Park Chan-wook | Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Cha Seung-won, Lee Sung-min, Park Hee-soon, Yeom Hye-ran | Genre(s): Black Comedy, Thriller

Our choice for the #1 Korean movie of 2025 goes to No Other Choice, a timely and biting satire that represents a triumphant return for famed director Park Chan-wook of Oldboy and the Handmaiden fame. 

The film brings out supermassive star power with Lee Byung-hun (A Bittersweet Life, Squid Game) playing a paper industry executive named Yoo Man-su and Son Ye-jin (Crash Landing on You) as his wife Lee Mi-ri, who at first live a privileged and comfortable life off of Man-su’s salary. However, when an American company buys out Man-su’s paper company, he gets laid off—and embarks on a desperate search for employment. With job openings in the paper industry scarce and bills piling up, Manu-su has “no other choice” besides resorting to some rather extreme measures in order to eliminate his competition for the few roles that are hiring.

An adaptation of a 1997 novel called The Ax (which also saw a Costa-Gavras directed film adaption in 2005), No Other Choice had been on Park’s wishlist since 2009. It’s perhaps fortuitous that the movie only came out now though, hitting the public consciousness amidst broader macroeconomic uncertainty replete with capitalistically heartless layoffs, AI-driven job loss, and all manner of transnational financial chicanery.