PremiumTop Korean films on Netflix right now to binge-watch with ramyeon
Here are some of the top Korean films that are perfect to binge watch with Asian noodles: ‘Ramyeon’
Last Updated: 07.38 PM, Apr 22, 2024
Looking for some top Korean movies on Netflix right now? Don’t fret; the streaming giant has swept away its competitors with some of the best gems of the Korean film industry that you can’t miss on the OTT platform. Time and again, Netflix has been a source of impressive Korean original web series and movies with top-notch acting talent and layered narratives.
Here are some of the best Korean films that are perfect to binge-watch with Asian noodles: ‘Ramyeon’
Top Korean movies on Netflix that are gems
1. 20th Century Girl
This nostalgic film about high school days and sweet romance will take you back in time. Set in 1999, the story revolves around Bo-ra and her best friend, who get entangled in a web of love amid confusion over identities. The film portrays outdated technology with a 20th-century timeline but ironically centers around true friendships and young love that never grows old despite transcending to different generations.
- Cast: Kim Yoo-jung, Park Jung-woo, and Roh Yoon-seo
- Genre: coming of age, romance
- Director: Woo-ri Bang
2. Lucid Dreams
Lucid Dreams offers an intriguing narrative of imagination and dreams layered with the unparalleled love of a father. It is a Korean gem that is a fine example of how cinema stirs emotions in the viewers. The story revolves around a single father and a smart investigative journalist who find themselves spiraling into an unsolved problem after the mysterious abduction of their only child. He teams up with medical investigators who are performing an advanced experiment to trace that unfateful day through lucid dreams. This tear-jerking film blends different genres to offer you an entertainment-filled experience.
- Cast: Go Soo, Sol Kyung-gu, Park Yoo-chun, Kang Hye-jung
- Genre: sci-fi thriller
- Director: Jun-sung Kim
3. The Call
This is one of those brilliant Korean movies that still remains etched as impressive thrillers because of its unique storyline that creatively plays with your mind and emotions. The Call as the name suggests, revolves around a phone call that turns the fate of two of its callers. The twist? One of them is the ruthless killer and has to be stopped before the clock runs out. It is based on the British and Puerto Rican film The Caller.
- Cast: Park Shin-hye and Jeon Jong-seo
- Genre: psychological thriller
- Director: Lee Chung-hyun
4. Veteran
It’s been nearly a decade since its original release, but the gripping narrative will keep you on the edge of your seats. The story revolves around a cold-blooded detective who embarks on a thrilling ride when he encounters that a powerful chaebol (Korean conglomerate) heir is behind the criminal syndicate. He begins the relentless hunt to bring him down with hidden agendas. Witness the battle against power abuse and social hierarchy against the backdrop of Korea and its stunning corporate power.
- Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Yoo Ah-in, Oh Dal-su
- Genre: crime comedy
- Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
5. Alive or #Alive
Set in a dystopian setting after the outbreak of a zombie apocalypse, the movie Alive revolves around survivors of the tragedy, Oh Joon-woo and Kim Yoo-bin, who are confined to their building. Alive narrates the devastating struggle for survival when humanity fades with a loss of hope and sanity. It delves into the horrendous aftereffects of isolation and quarantine that are sufficient to flip your mind.
- Cast: Yoo Ah-in, Park Shin-Hye, Jeon Bae-soo, and Hyun-Wook Lee
- Genre: horror, mystery
- Director: Il Cho
6. Night in Paradise
If you like action and blood bath sequences, Night in Paradise is the perfect binge-worthy film. This cinematic masterpiece offers an intimate glimpse into the gangster and mob worlds of South Korea. The story revolves around two rival gangs that use family against personal motives. When mobster Tae-gu's family gets brutally murdered by rival gangsters, he seeks revenge for their lives. Night in Paradise is set on Jeju Island’s visually captivating setting and takes you on a crazy ride of vengeance and vigilante justice.
- Cast: Uhm Tae-goo, Jeon Yeo-been, and Cha Seung-won
- Genre: crime thriller
- Director: Park Hoon-jung
7. The Drug King
Parasite actor Song Kang-ho leads this thriller with his intense acting chops to keep you engaged in the dark tactics of criminal organizations. The gripping premise revolves around a small narcotics dealer who changes his fate by empowering the drug-dealing network. With social influence, he climbs up the ranks as an infamous drug lord, but power comes with life-threatening risks and challenges.
- Cast: Song Kang-ho, Jo Jung-suk, Bae Doona
- Genre: crime drama
- Director: Woo Min-ho
8. Dream
This sports drama film revolves around soccer coach Yoon Hong-dae, who receives the challenging task of coaching a special soccer team. However, the players are not regular athletes; in fact, they are filled with quirky and homeless people. Not only are they new to the game, but are also dealing with their eccentric behaviour. Despite the odds, they team up with their cranky coach to compete in the International Homeless World Cup. A warm and realistic tale of sports dreams.
- Cast: Park Seo-joon and Lee Ji-eun (K-pop idol IU)
- Genre: sports, drama, comedy
- Director: Lee Byeong-heon
9. Badland Hunters (2024)
Directed by debutant Heo Myung Haeng, the film stars Ma Deong Seok, Lee Hee Joon, Lee Jun Young and Roh Jeong Eui in the leading roles. Set in a post-apocalyptic Seoul that has become a desolate wasteland, the film follows the adventures of Nam San, a wasteland hunter and survivalist who only wants to survive the hostile landscape, half-deranged survivors, and fully deranged zombies. Instead, he has to go on an adventure to rescue a young girl from the grip of a mad scientist and his illegal human experiments.
Cast: Ma Dong-seok, Lee Hee-joon, Lee Jun-young
Genre: action, sci-fi
Director: Heo Myung-haeng
10. Okja (2017)
The heart-touching science-fantasy action adventure follows the deep friendship shared between a ‘super pig’ and a young girl named Mija. Directed by Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho of Parasite and Snowpiercer fame, the tale highlights the horrific living standards of animals in the meat and scientific industry, even before slaughter, consumption, or experimentation. Drawing upon human empathy, the film is an ode to friendship, compassion, and love for animals.
Cast: Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Ahn Seo-hyun
Genre: Fantasy, drama, sci-fi
Director: Bong Joon-ho
11. My Name is Loh Kiwan (2024)
Based on the 2019 novel I Met Loh Kiwan, the film is directed by Kim Hee Jin and follows the story of a North Korean defector struggling to find a home across the world after losing his mother in China. Alone in the biting cold and hostile streets of Belgium, Loh Kiwan faces homelessness, starvation, and bitter cold, but perseveres to maintain his mother’s dying wish for him to have a safe, free existence. His life changes when he comes across Marie, a former Belgian athlete undergoing tough times herself, as the two fight hardships together for a better future.
Cast: Song Joong-ki and Choi Sung-eun
Genre: romance, drama
Director: Kim Hee-jin
Also read: My Name is Loh Kiwan OTT release date – Watch Song Joong-ki struggle in North Korea on THIS platform
12. Unlocked (2023)
Unlocked marks the directorial debut of Kim Tae Joon and is a mind-bending psychological thriller. Starring Chun Woo Hee, Yim Si Wan, and Kim Hee Won in the leading roles, the film follows the dangerous lengths to which a stalker cum killer can hijack one’s life, simply by spying on them through their phone. When Lee Na Mi forgot her phone in the bus one day, it is picked up by Oh Jun Yeong, a man who ends up destroying her life with his little games and twisted agenda.
Cast: Kim Hee-won
Genre: psychological thriller
Director: Kim Tae-joon
13. Jung_e
The hit South Korean sci-fi thriller features a unique premise: cloning a person’s brain and identity in different bodies to make wars easier and less painful for human soldiers. Researcher and team leader Dr. Yun Seo Hyun seeks to upload the consciousness of her dead mercenary mother’s brain clone. However, instead of aiding the long war between the Adrian Republic and Allied Forces, the new robot Jung_e ends up causing a series of incidents that cause profound realisations of identity, consciousness, life, death and AI among viewers.
Cast: Kang Soo-youn , Kim Hyun-joo , Ryu Kyung-soo , So-yi Park
Genre: sci-fi, action, adventure
Director: Sang-ho Yeon
14. Love and Leashes (2022)
A refreshing and relatable approach to a BDSM relationship between two consenting adults, the film can make Fifty Shades of Grey look like child's play for all the right reasons. Directed by Park Hyun Jin, the film stars Seohyun and Lee Jun Young in leading roles. Love and Leashes follows co-workers Jung Ji Woo and Ji Hoo as they explore and understand the realm of bondage and kinks in a safe and consensual manner, giving rise to an unlikely romance with palpable chemistry.
Cast: Seohyun , Lee Jun-young
Genre: romance, comedy
Director: Hyeon-jin Park
15. Sweet & Sour (2021)
Based on Kurumi Inui’s novel Initiation Love, the film is directed by Lee Gye Byeok and features Jang Ki Yong, Chae Soo Bin, and Krystal Jung in the leading roles. The film highlights the sweet and sour nature of modern relationships and the whimsical nature of dating in the 21st century. Long-distance relationships, living in, infidelity, and workplace romance—all these issues are explored in this captivating, realistic romantic dramedy.
Cast: Jang Ki Yong, Chae Soo Bin, and Krystal Jung
Genre: drama, romance
Director: Lee Gye Byeok
Also read: Top romcom Kdramas on OTT that will make you laugh, weep, and fall in love all over again
16. Kill Boksoon (2023)
Directed and written by Byun Sung Hyun of The Merciless fame, the film features Jeon Do Yeon, Sol Kyung Gu, Kim Si A, Esom, and Koo Kyo Hwan in prominent roles. The film follows the adrenaline-pumping, high-risk missions executed by Gil Bok Soon, a contract killer who works for an exclusive company and has a 100% success rate. Yet, at home, she is a loving, single mother to a closeted lesbian teen, who studies at a prestigious school. But when her own firm turns on her and her close ones, how far will Bok Soon go to ensure her child’s safety?
Cast: Jeon Do Yeon, Sol Kyung Gu, Kim Si A, Esom, and Koo Kyo Hwan
Genre: action, thriller
Director: Byun Sung Hyun
17. High Society (2018)
A film in the same genre as Elite and Succession, the film deals with the glittery nuances of South Korean high society and the extent to which a married couple can lower or alter themselves to gain entry among these so-called elites. Directed by Byun Hyuk of Five Senses of Eros fame, High Society stars the talented likes of Park Hae Il, Soo Ae, Yoon Je Moon, Ra Mi Ran, and Lee Jin Wook in prominent roles.
Cast: Park Hae Il, Soo Ae, Yoon Je Moon, Ra Mi Ran, and Lee Jin Wook
Genre: drama
Director:Byun Hyuk