The South Korean film industry ranks among the best in the world. For those who don't know, South Korea is internationally celebrated for delivering the most riveting dramas, pulse-pounding action flicks, and edge of your seat horrors. Korean horror films are particularly terrifying, gruesome, and captivating in a twisted sort of way.
The magnetic allure of K-horror brutality is exemplified by South Korean directors, film producers, and actors. When it's rollicking entertainment you're after, there's no place better than Korean horror, available through the top Asian dramas app. Without further ado, let's kick off proceedings with the top three Korean horror flicks!
#1 - Alive
Alive (2020) is a blistering South Korean horror movie. This zombie apocalypse-style flick raises the bar on this genre in a big way. So, what's it about? In true horror movie fashion, the film begins with lots of people scrambling for their lives. It's an urban jungle infested with an insane virus that turns people into zombies. After a couple of minutes, the director masterfully narrows our focus to one apartment as the world gets smaller and the walls start closing in.
Enter Oh Joon-woo, portrayed by actor Yoo Ah-in. With limited food and supplies, he fights desperately to avoid being bitten by the ravenous zombies marauding through the city. This is intensity cranked up to the next level. The action in Alive is relentless, the tension is palpable, and the fear reaches fever-pitch levels. Alive will have you on tenterhooks, petrified as these cunning zombies attempt to turn the few remaining survivors.
There is a unique love interest brewing in this survival horror, and Park Shin-Hye portrays the character Kim Yoo-bin. According to Box Office Mojo, the film generated worldwide takings of $13,432,212 - hardly a raging success by Hollywood standards, but it is a masterful slice of Korean horror.
2 - I Saw the Devil
Released in 2010, I Saw the Devil is a stellar Korean horror movie. This film garnered a stunning rating of 7.8/10 from 127,000 reviewers. Anyone who watches horror knows that a rating above 5/10 is solid for this genre of film. Directed by Jee-Woon Kim, I Saw The Devil is arguably one of the finest serial killer movies to ever grace the big screen. So, what's it about? The Devil isn't a supernatural force - he's a depraved man hellbent on murder and mayhem.
The psychopath is a diabolical fiend who must be stopped dead in his tracks. It just so happens that the police are unable to apprehend this villain. On one fateful day, a retired police chief's daughter is murdered by the serial killer. That's when her grieving fiancée goes into a murderous rage hellbent on finding the monster who did it.
This movie twists and turns from inception to the closing credits. It is brutal. It is savage. It will keep you glued to your screen when your mind is begging you to shut it off. This is quite possibly the ultimate horror movie that makes The Exorcist look like Child's Play!
Never make the infernal error of judging Korean horror films according to their box office takings. Take this movie, for instance - it only amassed $12,966,357 worldwide. But the ratings prop this movie up and rip the competition to threads.
#3 - The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil
This is a knockout film! If you've ever watched Korean horror or police stories, you will be on the edge of your seat with Akinjeon. This film garnered a rating of 6.9/10 from 14,000 reviewers - that's top-notch stuff. Don't forget that Korean filmgoers have exceptionally high standards for all genres. The market is so competitive and so small that only the best films rise to the top. This one is the creme de la creme. Directed and written by Won-Tae Lee, it stars the inimitable Ma Dong-Seok as the gangster who teams up with the cop to hunt down the Devil.
For those who don't know, Ma Dong-Seok is a legendary actor known as Don Lee in the USA. With dozens of films to his credit, he's a heavyweight action star with a super on-screen presence. In The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil - no correlation to The Good, the Bad, the Ugly - we see Jang Dong Su barely surviving a horrific attack by a serial killer. He teams up with a hotshot detective named Jung Tae-Seok to hunt down the murderous thug. The action is off the charts, folks; the horror is terrifying, and the ending is thoroughly rewarding. Released in 2019, The Gangster, Cop, the Devil racked up $25,775,371 worldwide, and it would have been a smash hit sensation in the US if given a chance.
These three flicks must be on your horror movie radar even if you don't see anything else. They are sublime folks. Watch them if you dare.
