All time Top Korean Horror Movies: With the massive growth in a worldwide popularity of South Korean culture, K-dramas and K-pop have attracted the entertainment lovers from all around the world. Movie lovers are taking a more keen interest in Korean movies as well. learn about the Most Expensive Horror Movies.
Hallyu Wave results in spreading different genres of K-Industry, out of which horror is gaining more popularity day by day. Here are some of the best korean horror movies of the decade for horror freaks.
All time Top Korean Horror Movies
The Cat: “Eyes that see death”
Initial release-7 July 2011
Director- Seung-Wook Byeon
The Cat is a Korean horror drama film that is one of its kind. Its story is not as simple as the title speaks. The Cat is a whole package of creepy scenes, creative thrills, and a good story.
The film is about a young girl in her 20s named So-Yeon who is claustrophobic and works as an animal-groomer in a shop called “Kitty N Peppy”. One day, So-Yeon’s cully Jun-Seok, who is a police officer, entrusts her with a Shirazi cat for a time being, whose female owner was found dead in an elevator with the cat, the other day. While looking after the cat, soon So-Yeon starts experiencing hallucinations of a girl child with cat-like eyes.
When So-Yeon takes back the cat to the dead owner’s husband, he discards her saying his wife was haunted by this cursed cat. Addled So-Yeon leaves the cat in a park. Later, she and Jun-Seok come across the dead body of cats and the staff members who were involved in the infestation of stray cats in an apartment complex. After snooping through numerous facts, So-Yeon is accosted by cats and a girl child revealing the mysterious killings of all the stray cats and the cat owners.
White: “Melody of the Death”
Initial release- 9 June 2011
Director- Kim Gok, Kim Sun
How will you feel when you come to know that your favorite popular song is cursed and is the cause of many deaths? Will you still listen to it?
The song entitled “White” was a sensational hit which made it’s singers overnight idols. But this lot didn’t last long for them as the members accursed one by one in several ways and ended up at death’s door until only one member named Eun-Ju was left. She and her friend Soon-Ye probe and learn that the original singer of the song was Ye-Bin, a former trainee in the same agency who died in the fire years ago. Eun-Ju then pays respect at Ye-Bin’s grave wishing that the curse is elevated. However, things don’t end here. As Soon-Ye soon discovers that it isn’t Ye-Bin who quoted a song and uncloaks that the latter was the first victim of the cursed song. The situation becomes tender as the plot ensues.
Killer Toon: ” Psycho artist “
Initial release- 27 June 2013
Director- Kim Yong-Gyun
Killer Toon is a psychological horror story of a thriller webtoon artist Kang Ji-Yoon who is accused of committing two deaths.
Ji-Yoon sends the draft of her latest finished toon to her publisher. The story takes surprising turns when the incidents of the toon begin to betray in real life and cause the death of the people including the publisher. After observing that the act of the victim’s death facsimiles each detail with that of the webtoon, Ji-Yoon becomes the prime suspect and is taken into custody. Even though Ji-Yoon is herself shocked and terrified, she seems to hide a big clandestine under her arm behind her successful webtoon’s plot.
Let Me Out: ” The Escape “
Initial release- 15 August 2013
Director- Kim Chang-Rae, Jae Soh
Let Me Out is a coming-of-age horror comedy film which won Gold Medal Awards at the 57th New York International Television Festivals.
This film is about an amateur film-making student who is challenged by a famous director to make a decent film. Mu-Young struggles to gather a cast and crew for his dream project of shooting a zombie melodrama. His shoot faces every obstacle and problem that can possibly arise.
Mourning Grave: ” Inherited “
Initial release- 3 July 2014
Director- Oh In-Cheon
What kinds of attributes can you possibly inherit from your grandparents! What do you think it feels like to have a ghost girlfriend?! The lead character of the film inherits the peculiarity of seeing dead spirits from his family who ask for his help to soothe their grudges and make them dispel the “other side” of the World. Su’s life turns more miserable when he tries to unfold the mysterious killings of his classmates in high school. With the help of his iffy ghost girlfriend who doesn’t seem to remember her own name, In Su takes the initiative to reveal the truth behind his friend’s death.
Mourning Grave is a mystery horror film with a touch of romance and comedy that will please you with unexpected twists every now and then.
The Silenced: ” Silenced still speaks volumes “
Initial release- 18 June 2015
Director- Lee Hae-Young
This film is about a young Korean girl struggling to flee free during the Japanese colonization of Korea in the 1930s.
The Silenced centres on a sick girl Ju-Ran who is transferred to an all girl’s boarding school to improve her health. Although her health conditions improve, she experiences bizarre and abnormal changes within her body. Later on, she with her friend Yeon-Deok sought to ascertain the verity behind these suspicious changes around her. As facts get revealed one by one, they try to run away only to find themselves amidst a girdle.
The Piper: ” Classic early 50’s horror “
Initial release- 9 July 2015
Director- Kim Gwang-Tae
We all have read the legend of The Pied Piper of Hamelin in our childhood at least once. Well, this film is the horror version of The Pied Piper legend.
The Piper is a horror-thriller film set in the early 50s after the Korean War ended. Woo-Ryong is a gentle Piper who reaches Seoul with his ill son named Young-Nam. Woo-Ryong realizes that the village is racked by cranky rats, so he offers to help them by luring the rats into the cave where he will then occlude it with the boulder. However, there is a suppressed story behind the relationship between rats and the villagers. As the film unfolds, misunderstandings develop between the villagers and Woo-Ryong and he is waived by villagers with his son. Few conspiracies take place which causes Young-Nam to die. Woo-Ryong then goes back to the village to avenge his son’s death by using his pipe.
The Wailing: ” Ace from the vault of Na Hong-jin”
Initial release- 12 May 2016
Director- Na Hong-Jin
The Wailing is the most popular mystery horror film in South Korea. You won’t be able to guess what might happen next until the very end of the film. The storyline follows the life of Jong-Goo who is a police officer in a rural village called Gokseong, situated in the hills of South Korea. He finds himself tied in confusion when he tries to unravel the strange outbreak that hits the village where the family members are killed by another member in a frenzied tantrum, after the arrival of a Japanese stranger. His life becomes woeful when his own daughter acquires this hysterical tantrum and he couldn’t untangle the pain of his daughter.
Gonjiam: “Haunted Asylum“
Initial release- 28 March 2018
Director- Jung Bum-Shik
Gonjiam is a horror film based on real-life psychiatric asylum. It garnered such an amazing hit that it became the third most-watched horror film of the country.
The plot of the film involves a YouTuber and another six members who set on an excursion with camera shooting to a Gonjiam Psychiatric Asylum
to increase views and gain hype of fame. As they explore the hospital, different members uncover much evidence including the secrets behind Room 402, Group Treatment Room, and the director’s office.
Rampant: ” Period Horror “
Initial release- 25 October 2018
Director - Kim Sung-Hoon
Rampant is a period horror-action movie based on a zombie plague that takes place in the Joseon era.
Lee Chung is a prince who returns from the Qing kingdom of China to protect the Queen and her unborn child on the request of the King when the zombie outbreak takes place. However, he decides to stay back when he learns that the Minister of War, Kim Ja-Joon is conspiring against the kingdom and is responsible for the zombie infection. He along with his companion Hak-Su, the royal guard, and his other allies battle against the conspires and extirpate the zombies. Also, watch Best Horror Movies 2018
