In recent years, the Korean film industry has produced some of the best works of cinema. The movies that the country produces have often been accorded global recognition. The Korean drama format has seeped into the watchlists of viewers world over. So, here are the best Korean movies on Amazon Prime:
1. Oldboy (2003)
Director: Park Chan-wook
Often considered Park Chan-wook’s best work, Oldboy is one of the best thriller films in the context of cinema, universally. The neo-noir action thriller introduces an amazing blend of mystery, action and surrealistic visuals. The intense atmosphere and the bone-chilling tone is a constant banger and cements the class and high structure of the movie as a whole. Action-focused movies often lack the laser focus necessary for the execution of a grand feature. But Oldboy handles its pacing and style so well, that it feels like watching an opera of stylized violence and mystery.
And anything I say about the performances will never quite be enough. They are simply phenomenal. Now, I must talk about the style of the movie which is absolutely awe-inspiring. Sometimes, it showcases itself as something that would usually be considered goofy but the high calibre of the director and the performers transforms it into something very terrifying, almost containing the genes of Heath Ledger’s Joker.
“Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy inspired me because it made me feel if I do not give a shot to filmmaking, I would be regretting it at my deathbed.” – Aadish Keluskar (filmmaker)
Available on: Amazon Prime India
2. The Royal Tailor (2014)
Director: Lee Won-suk
The historical lives of the majestic courts of Korea have been depicted with such grace and accuracy in The Royal Tailor that a viewer would feel that they are transported into that very world of mystique and silent glamour. The movie is a showcase of the eternal strife and conflict between the traditional and the modern. It depicts the tale of a royal tailor who is driven by jealousy, egocentricity and insecurity.
In the face of waning responsibility and waxing abandonment, he takes on the bloody path of court politics to dispatch his rival. This vengeance-fueled storyline combined with some of the best costume designing, meticulous architectural set designs and of course, an atmosphere of antiquity allows for the masterful recreation of a bygone era that still lives on through the silver screen.
Available on: Amazon Prime USA
3. Snowy Road (2015)
Director: Lee Na-jeong
One of the most tragic and emotional historical dramas of recent times, Snowy Road takes us to Japanese-occupied Korea during the Second World War. It tells us of the horrifying experience that many Korean women had to go through as they were kidnapped and sent off to become comfort women for the Japanese military. The movie has some amazing characters who make us care for them. The characters are built up and presented in an exquisite combination of historical realism and artistic fiction.
The movie steers clear from the sensational and focuses on the two captured girls, whose lives become the main driving point of the film. The film doesn’t milk tragedy, but actually pays homage those who suffered such cruel fates. This truly is commendable. Add to it some heart-touching performances by both the leads, and you get a human story with all the qualities of an autobiographical tale.
Available on: Amazon Prime USA
4. The Battleship Island (2017)
Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
Ryoo Seung-wan’s historical action drama liberally fictionalizes a horrific event during World War II. The film revolves around a motley group of conscripted Korean labourers brought to Japan’s Nishima Island. The Island, shaped like a battleship, contains a coal mine. Koreans, Chinese, and other Southeast Asian men are used as slave labours in the punishing coal mine. The film is modelled after classic WWII prison camp films like The Great Escape and Von Ryan’s Express.
Director Ryoo’s staging techniques are spectacular and the film wallows less in melodrama. Except for the heavy-handed ending, The Battleship Island boasts rich action set-pieces. The performances from Hwang Jung-min (Veteran) and the little girl Kim Su-an (Train to Busan) are nothing short of phenomenal.
Available on: Amazon Prime India
5. Method (2017)
Director: Bang Eun-jin
What is an actor but an embodiment of the character he plays? He is but a vessel to channel the character that he is playing. Method is a movie that is exactly about that philosophy and a lot more. For me, Method was quite a mysterious psychological romantic piece of art. The movie is about two actors, a veteran method actor and a slacking young and unserious actor. They both get the chance to play the lead roles in a play and through this, the young actor is inspired by the method acting of his senior. The play itself is about a gay couple and soon, the two actors themselves grow close to each other. This results in a lot of heartbreaking scenes and emotionally wrecking experiences.
But the question yet remains, what is the limit of an actor? What if they truly become the person they are playing on-screen? Such deep and profound questions have been encapsulated in a movie that is beyond good and bad; it is a philosophical debate that leads us to question the reality we live in.
Available on: Amazon Prime USA
There we are! These are what we think some of the best Korean movies on Amazon Prime. Do yourself a favour. Watch them. Those of you who have, tell us what we missed. And don’t forget to leave your comments on your favourites out of these. Your top 3?
