The Best Korean Horror Movies

(Photo by Well GO USA/courtesy Everett Collection)

Ever since the Asian horror remake boom of the 2000s, which saw American remakes of homegrown movies like A Tale of Two Sisters and Into the Mirror, Korea has leveraged the spotlight by releasing acclaimed takes on zombies (Train to Busan), vampires, (Thirst), eco-terrors (The Host) and more. We’ve gathered every Korean horror movie with 60% or more on the Tomatometer and ranked them in our guide to the best Korean horror movies.

#15

Adjusted Score: 16.775%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Ahn Byeong-ju’s Pon (Phone) is a psychological horror film. Ha Ji-weon portrays Ji-weon, an investigative reporter who is receiving unsettling… [More]

#14

Adjusted Score: 38.283%

Critics Consensus: Ghoulish genre-bending asian horror boasts impressive production design, but an unsatisfactory denouement.

#13

Adjusted Score: 18.855%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

#12

Adjusted Score: 25.829%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Rejecting current trends in mainstream genres and the conventions of commercial cinema, Choyonnghan-Kajok, an experimental black comedy, follows an eccentric… [More]

#11

Adjusted Score: 83.014%

Critics Consensus: Never flinching during its descent into depravity, I Saw the Devil is a pulverizing thriller that will give bloody satisfaction to audiences who like their revenge served with fiery rage.

Synopsis: I SAW THE DEVIL is a shockingly violent and stunningly accomplished tale of murder and revenge from Korean genre master… [More]

#10

Adjusted Score: 84.242%

Critics Consensus: The stylish Thirst packs plenty of bloody thrills to satisfy fans of both vampire films and director Chan Wook Park.

Synopsis: Song Kang-ho, Shin Ha-kyun, and Kim Ok-bin star in Oldboy director Park Chan-wook’s frightener concerning a priest whose life takes… [More]

Adjusted Score: 85.347%

Critics Consensus: This anthology contains brutal, powerful horror stories by three of Asia’s top directors.

Synopsis: Three Asian directors, from Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan, join forces to create an omnibus horror film, Three…Extremes. In Fruit… [More]

Adjusted Score: 86.013%

Critics Consensus: Restrained but disturbing, A Tale of Two Sisters is a creepily effective, if at times confusing, horror movie.

Synopsis: This supernatural horror film from Kim Jee-woon is inspired by the ancient Korean folktale «Jangha and Hongryun.» Set in an… [More]

Adjusted Score: 86.091%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: The rapid spread of an unknown infection has left an entire city in ungovernable chaos, but one survivor remains alive… [More]

Adjusted Score: 90.353%

Critics Consensus: A funny and wildly inventive hybrid of various genres, Save the Green Planet! is definitely a unique viewing experience.

Synopsis: The genre-bending black comedy sci-fi thriller Save the Green Planet! marks the feature debut of writer/director Jang Jun-hwan. Shin Ha-kyun… [More]

Adjusted Score: 46.457%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Based on the local legends and stories of people who’ve visited the real-life abandoned hospital, GONJIAM: HAUNTED ASYLUM follows the… [More]

Adjusted Score: 97.966%

Critics Consensus: As populace pleasing as it is intellectually satisfying, The Host combines scares, laughs, and satire into a riveting, monster movie.

Synopsis: When a young girl is snatched away from her father by a horrifying giant monster that emerges from the River… [More]

Adjusted Score: 97.985%

Critics Consensus: Train to Busan delivers a thrillingly unique — and purely entertaining — take on the zombie genre, with fully realized characters and plenty of social commentary to underscore the bursts of skillfully staged action.

Synopsis: TRAIN TO BUSAN is a harrowing zombie horror-thriller that follows a group of terrified passengers fighting their way through a… [More]

Adjusted Score: 101.525%

Critics Consensus: The Wailing delivers an atmospheric, cleverly constructed mystery whose supernatural thrills more than justify its imposing length.

Synopsis: The arrival of a mysterious stranger in a quiet rural village causes suspicion amongst the villagers- but as they begin… [More]