The Best Korean Horror Movies [Updated in May 2024]

Can we tell you about the best Korean Horror movies? Then, you have docked at the best place. These days, horror movies do not scare us as extensively as they used to back in the day. But the best is yet to come as Korean Movies pick up the pace in the world to stand next to some of the best Hollywood Blockbusters.

Can we tell you about the best Korean Horror movies? Then, you have docked at the best place. These days, horror movies do not scare us as extensively as they used to back in the day. But the best is yet to come as Korean Movies pick up the pace in the world to stand next to some of the best Hollywood Blockbusters.

Maybe because it is about the repetitive plot or the pre-known jumpscares that make us tired of regular horrors, but K-movies are repeatedly improving to release the best versions. It all started with the remakes of popular movies; now, K-movies are one of the most sought-after movies to be sold out in cinemas.

Do you also want to watch Korean Horror movies but are skeptical about them? Worry no more. If you read below, we have provided a list of the best movies you can watch at the dinner table — or if you’re alone at home.

List of the Best Korean Horror Movies on Different Platforms

Here are the guide of the Best Korean movies:

The Call (2020)

• Director: Lee Chung-Hyeon
• Runtime: 1h 52m
• Starring: Park Shin-Hye, Jeon Jong-Seo, Kim Sung-Ryung, Lee El
• IMDb rating: 7.1/10
• Tomatometer: 100%
• Where to watch: Netflix, Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV

The Call (2020)

Two individuals are from distinct eras. Young-Sook lives in the past, while Seo-Yeon is in the present. When the two make calls over the phone, their lives are forever altered.

The Call is criticized for having a chilling, disturbing, and suspenseful vibe throughout the runtime. However, with the unexpected twists, this thrilling tale is widely appreciated as the audience loves the absence of typical melodrama at the end.

The Wailing (2016)

• Director: Na Hong-jin
• Runtime: 2h 36m
• Starring: Jun Kunimura, Hwang Jung-min, Kwak Do-won, Chun Woo-hee
• IMDb rating: 7.4/10
• Tomatometer: 99%
• Where to watch: Peacock, Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu

The Wailing (2016)

A terrible illness spreads quickly after a stranger enters a small village. Involved in the occurrence, a police officer is compelled to unravel the riddle to save his daughter.

It is a must-watch, especially considering the rating it gathered on Rotten Tomatoes. Besides that, this is a perfect representation of astonishing horror and the supernatural with a touch of superstition in Korean culture.

Train to Busan (2016)

• Director: Yeon Sang-ho
• Runtime: 1h 58m
• Starring: Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Choi Woo-sik
• IMDb rating: 7.6/10
• Tomatometer: 94%
• Where to watch: Peacock, Vudu, AppleTV, Prime Video

Train to Busan (2016)

While onboard a train, the passengers try to save themselves from a deadly zombie attack. While the viral brain-eating disease is plaguing the train, Seok Woo must protect his daughter from harm, even if it takes him catching the zombies to keep the little girl safe.

A masterpiece — people who have watched this movie have never let go of this movie. As if it’s evergreen, the critics have given the film’s most positive and highly-rated remarks.

The Host (2006)

• Director: Bong Joon Ho
• Runtime: 1h 59m
• Starring: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doo-na
• IMDb rating: 7.1/10
• Tomatometer: 93%
• Where to watch: AppleTV, Paramount+, Vudu, Prime Video

The Host

An American military carefully dumps chemicals into the Han River in South Korea. Several years later, a creature appears from the contaminated waters and begins to attack villagers with its rabid jaws. A merchant and his family determine they are the only ones who can save their daughter when the creature kidnaps her.

It is a horror thriller, yet a political satire that has gathered high praises from the audience. Bong Joon Ho is famous for his blockbusters — it sounds like a must-watch.

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

• Director: Kim Jee-Woon
• Runtime: 1h 54m
• Starring: Yum Jung-ah, Kim Kap-soo, Moon Geun-young, Im Soo-Jung
• IMDb rating: 7.1/10
• Tomatometer: 85%
• Where to watch: Netflix, Shudder, Pluto TV

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

Two loving sisters return to their father and their wicked stepmother’s house after spending time in a mental facility. Once there, an interfering ghost also impacts their healing in addition to having to deal with their stepmother’s compulsive, unbalanced behaviors.

According to the viewers, this movie is a carefully constructed art that explores family bonding and family regrets at the same time. Though creepily, the film tackles dysfunctional family drama in low-paced graphics.

#Alive (2020)

• Director: Il Cho
• Runtime: 1h 38m
• Starring: Yoo Ah-in, Park Shin-Hye, Jeon Bae-soo, Lee Hyun-Wook
• IMDb rating: 6.3/10
• Tomatometer: 88%
• Where to watch: Netflix

#Alive (2020)

One survivor is still alive in isolation after a mysterious zombie-like sickness spreads quickly throughout the entire city. The protagonist learns of the apocalypse as the town is in uncontrollable chaos.

The film uses the motifs of walking dead as the critics review it as a perfect blend of unsettling, creepy, and comical simultaneously.

I Saw The Devil (2010)

• Director: Kim Jee-Woon
• Runtime: 2h 24m
• Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik, Jeon Gook-hwan, Chun Ho-jin
• IMDb rating: 7.8/10
• Tomatometer: 81%
• Where to watch: Hulu, Prime Video, Vudu, AppleTV

I Saw The Devil (2010)

When a woman’s head is found in a nearby river, her distraught fiancée Kim Soo-Hyeon, a trained secret agent, gets fixated on finding the person responsible. After he locates Kyung-Chul, the psychopath killer, on the loose, things start to unravel. Kim savagely beats the murderer, then sets him free to create a bizarre game of cat and mouse.

This revengeful movie is a must-watch for people who love to watch psychotic criminals being put in their places. But, not for the weak hearts, this film is carefully made to take the audience to the depths of revenge.

Thirst (2009)

• Director: Park Chan-wook
• Runtime: 2h 13m
• Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-Kyun, Kim Hae-sook
• IMDb rating: 7.1/10
• Tomatometer: 81%
• Where to watch: Vudu, AppleTV, Prime Video

Thirst (2009)

Respected priest Sang-Hyun agrees to participate in an experimental operation that could treat a deadly virus. He becomes ill and dies, but an unidentified blood transfusion revives him as a vampire. Sang-Hyun now struggles with his conflicting feelings for Tae-Ju, the wife of his childhood friend, and his bloodlust.

Being in the unique subgenre of erotica vampire, this movie also offers bloody scenes for adults. Critics have praised the film for its cinematographic images and the director’s impressive works.

The Mimic (2017)

• Director: Huh Jung
• Runtime: 1h 35m
• Starring: Yum Jung-ah, Park Hyuk-Kwon, Heo Jin, Bang Yu-seol
• IMDb rating: 5.6/10
• Tomatometer: 83%
• Where to watch: Netflix, Vudu, AppleTV, Prime Video

The Mimic (2017)

When a family encounters a Jangsan Tiger who can mimic human voices, they are lured under its spells. The mother, who is still mourning her dead child, takes in the girl she saw in the forest near Mount Jang, not knowing that some supernatural things are about to unfold.

This disturbing yet classical creepy movie tackles the phenomena of believing what you hear. At times, this film is known to be engaging yet colorful but also dark and haunted.

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)

• Director: Jeong Beom-sik
• Runtime: 1h 33m
• Starring: Wi Ha-Joon, Park Ji-Hyun, Oh Ah-Yeon, Moon Ye-won
• IMDb rating: 6.4/10
• Tomatometer: 91%
• Where to watch: Netflix, Vudu, Prime Video, AppleTV

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)

For a live broadcast, the cast of a horror web series visits an abandoned hospital. As they enter the terrifying old structure, it quickly runs into much more than they had anticipated.

People admire this movie as it discusses the blurred lines between fiction and reality. It is a spooky tale bound to let hairs lift on the back of your neck.

Oldboy (2003)

• Director: Park Chan-wook
• Runtime: 2h
• Starring: Choi Min-Sik, Yoo Ji-Tae, Kang Hye-Jeong
• IMDb rating: 8.4/10
• Tomatometer: 82%
• Where to watch: Netflix, Vudu

Oldboy (2003)

A man imprisoned for years without apparent cause gets freed after receiving a cell phone, cash, and designer clothing. A worse destiny awaits him if he doesn’t discover who his kidnapper is.

Called a strange, powerful tale of revenge, this film is projected to be not for the weak-hearted fellows.

The Silenced (2015)

• Director: Hae-Young Lee
• Runtime: 1h 39m
• Starring: Park Bo-young, Won-Hee Go, Ryun Jo
• IMDb rating: 5.7/10
• Where to watch: Netflix

The Silenced (2015)

Upon being moved to a mystery boarding school, a girl is compelled to learn its secrets to survive.

A must-watch for horror lovers, as the critics have called it, a story that gripped their attention throughout the runtime with a perfect amount of jumpscares.

Conclusion

The horror genre is most underrated because of the fear that it increases in people’s hearts. Though we agree that horror in K-movies is not for the faint-hearted. Whether it is about a strange lion on a mountain or a terrific apocalypse of zombies, the best Korean Horror Movies are full of suspense.

If you haven’t watched any of these, you should start now before you regret not jumping in on the K-movies trend.