Top Six Korean Movies

Different Points of View About Korean Life and History

Living in Korea for several years, the dynamic film culture excited me. Compiling this list, I included personal favorites from Korean movies I have seen. It is not meant to be a comprehensive "best of" list. The movies were chosen specifically to show different points of view about Korean life and history. My goal is to give an introduction to Korean movies and a small window into the culture.

1. Yeopgijeogin geunyeo (My Sassy Girl)
This is a fresh romantic comedy based on real life. Kim Ho-sik wrote an Internet journal about his crazy ex-girlfriend as a way to get over her. It caught the attention of a movie studio and they contacted him to develop the script. I wanted to give up on "My Sassy Girl" half-way through. Funny as the situations and characters were, I wanted to tell him to run from her as fast as he could. Thankfully, the last third of the film took some unexpected turns and won me over. There will be an American remake released sometime this year. Do yourself a favor and watch the original first.

2. Jibeuro (The Way Home)
This film is a tribute to love, family, and grandmothers everywhere. Director Lee Jeong-hyang tells a simple, quiet story that will win your heart. "The Way Home" shows a very different side of Korea from the sprawling, frenetic metropolis of Seoul. A struggling single mother takes her seven-year-old son to live temporarily with his grandmother who is mute. Her home is in a tiny mountain village without running water or electricity. The young boy has never been to the countryside or met his grandmother before. Two different generations from two different worlds must find a way to understand each other. One reason this movie feels so natural is that Lee Jeong-hyang did not cast an actress. He found a woman, Kim Eul-boon, from a rural village to play the role. She had never even seen a film before.