Summary

• South Korean movies on Netflix span a wide range of genres, from romance and comedy to historical drama, action, sci-fi, and horror.
• Space Sweepers is a praised sci-fi movie with likable characters and special effects that explores morality in a dystopian future.
• Kill Boksoon is a thrilling action movie with shades of John Wick that follows an assassin seeking revenge in South Korea.

The best Korean movies to stream on Netflix encom nearly every existing genre in modern film. Like Hollywood in the West, South Korea's movie industry has grown globally, not just through theatrical releases, but also through streaming platforms like Netflix. Over the past couple of years, Netflix has broadened its horizons to include movies and K-dramas from South Korea, creating an even bigger fanbase. While certain Korean movies have become cult classics, like Oldboy and Train to Busan, there many on Netflix that aren't as well-known but are just as high quality.

While South Korea's entertainment industry is mostly known for its K-dramas, including on Netflix, feature-length content is just as high quality and entertaining. Korean movies are just as renowned as South Korea's globally dominating TV shows, and many have found their way to international acclaim (with notable frequency considering how few are dubbed into English). From romance and comedy to historical drama, action, sci-fi, and horror, Netflix offers a wide range of Korean movies to stream.

20 Space Sweepers (2021)

Endearing Sci-Fi Featuring An Unforgettable Android

The sci-fi/space opera movie Space Sweepers tells the story of a dystopian future in which the Earth is no longer inhabitable, and the government allows citizens to live in spacecraft as space sweepers. The Spaceship Victory collects some debris that comes with an unexpected surprise. Inside is a child named Dorothy (Park Ye-rin) who is actually a robot made to be a mass weapon of destruction. As the crew grows attached to her, the morality of the group and their mission is examined in a surprisingly heartfelt way. The movie was praised for its likable characters and special effects, earning several award nominations, including Best Film at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

19 Tune In For Love (2019)

A South Korean Romance Movie Spanning Several Years

Time jumps appear in many K-dramas, and many South Korean movies also utilize them. With its plot unfolding across the space of many years, Tune in For Love is a charming romance that puts the technique to great use. The story centers on two characters who meet each other again and again over time as their lives slowly change, somehow always finding their way back to each other. As their lives change and time moves forward, the simple but beautiful story unravels while making a compelling use of typical K-drama tropes. The talented cast was also recognized with Jung Hae-in winning several Best Actor awards.

18 The Fortress (2017)

The Historical Epic From The Squid Game Director

Before Hwang Dong-hyuk captured international attention with the phenomenal survival drama Squid Game, the director's career took an interesting detour with this historical movie based on the novel Namhansanseong by Kim Hoon. Set during the Qing invasion of Joseon in 1636, The Fortress takes on a defining moment in Korea's history as well as the controversial figure of King Injo. With the nation caught between making peace with the Qing dynasty and attempting to make a last stand to maintain their pride, stand-out performances from Lee Byung-hun, who also played the Front Man in Squid Game, and Park Hae-il as the tortured Injo elevate the movie.

17 Pandora (2016)

Nailbiting South Korean Disaster Survival Movie

In Pandora, Jae-hyeok (Kim Nam-Gil) is a worker at a local power plant who is forced into action after an earthquake causes the reactor to overheat. With the town in jeopardy and a nation in panic, the movie follows his attempts to prevent further catastrophe as things rapidly spiral out of control. A technically impressive survival story with some great performances, Pandora received 10 nominations at Korea's Grand Bell Awards.

16 Kill Boksoon (2023)

The South Korean Action Movie With Shades Of John Wick

There have been countless action movies about assassins who find themselves targeted by their former employers, with David Fincher's latest Netflix movie The Killer as a very recent example. Kill Boksoon is another movie that takes that very familiar premise and finds something original to do with it. It follows a skilled assassin named Bok-soon (Jeon Do-yeon) who juggles her life in the deadly game with being a mother only for her organization to turn on her. With elements of John Wick and Kill Bill thrown in, Kill Boksoon is a thrilling entry into South Korea's action movie genre.

15 20th Century Girl (2022)

The Nostalgic South Korean Rom-Com

20th Century Girl is another charming rom-com from South Korea with a nice nostalgic twist. The movie takes place in 1999 and follows a kind and imaginative teen who begins keeping an eye on the boy her best friend has a crush on, only to develop unexpected feelings of her own. The movie was praised for its heart and light tone with the lead performance from Kim Yoo-jung being the highlight. The movie captures the feeling of a high school crush while its pre-cellphone setting makes it feel like an era of a simpler time.

14 Veteran (2015)

Genre-Mashing Noir Detective Action-Comedy

Some of the best Korean movies manage to seamlessly blend genres together, and Veteran is a great example of this. Starring Hwang Jung-min as Seo Do-cheol, a tenacious police detective determined to take down the sadistic heir to a powerful conglomerate, the movie has a typical noir plotline and plenty of violent action. Despite that, it's also an action-comedy with plenty of jokes too. The intense plot never slows down for the sake of the comedy though, which turned out to be a winning move for a hugely successful movie with no shortage of fans. Undoubtedly one of the best Korean movies to stream on Netflix, Veteran won Best Film at the Sitges Film Festival.

13 Sweet & Sour (2021)

Steamy Long-Distance Romance With A Shocking Twist

There are plenty of steamy K-dramas about the struggles of falling in love with the wrong person, but Sweet & Sour is unique in the way it portrays the relatable themes of long-distance romance and falling out of love. It follows Jang-hyuk (Jang Ki-yong), a man who finds himself drawn to an attractive co-worker while his long hours and tiring commutes cause him to drift apart from his frustrated partner (Chae Soo-bin). Sweet & Sour is a decidedly different Korean movie with a truly unexpected twist which is further elevated thanks to the charm of the lead actors.

12 Steel Rain (2017)

A North Korean Agent Must Prevent A Nuclear War

Based on the webtoon of the same name, Steel Rain is among the best Korean movies on Netflix when it comes to action. The film has a delightfully tension-filled atmosphere as its North Korean special agent main character suddenly becomes responsible for preventing an all-out nuclear war after rescuing the supreme leader from a planned coup. Things get worse as the agent, played by Jung Woo-sung, tries to keep the gravely wounded leader alive while trying to stop international tensions from spiraling out of control. With a rapidly escalating plot, Steel Rain makes for an engrossing action thriller and won the Korean Association of Film Critics Award as one of the year's top movies.

11 Blackpink: Light Up The Sky (2020)

Award-Winning Documentary On The Global K-Pop Phenomenon

K-pop is a global phenomenon, and the Korean Netflix movie Blackpink: Light Up the Sky is a fascinating glimpse into the rise of the massive girl group Blackpink. Directed by Korean-American filmmaker Caroline Suh, the documentary also gives an insight into each of the group's four during their meteoric journey. Though clearly made for fans of Blackpink, less invested viewers will nonetheless find this inside look into the K-pop machine a truly mesmerizing affair. In fact, the movie won Best Documentary at the SEC Awards in 2021.