You’ve watched Parasite – here are seven more South Korean films to watch now

It was the first Korean film to reach an audience of 10 million theatregoers in 2016, yet isn’t your typical flat-out zombie movie – it explores a lot of complex relationships and family dynamics.

Okja (2017)

This critically acclaimed Netflix film about a girl who raises a genetically modified superpig is also directed by Parasite director Bong Joon-ho. Led by South Korean child actor Ahn Seo-hyun and joined by Hollywood actors such as Jake Gyllenhaal and Tilda Swinton, Okja explores the idea of modern capitalism. ‘All our problems arise because of capitalism,’ the filmmaker told The Guardian in a 2017 interview.

Psychokinesis (2018)

Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho expertly forays into the superhero genre with Psychokinesis. Lead character Seok-heon drinks from a spring that a meteor has landed in and subsequently develops telepathic powers. Joining forces with his estranged daughter to fight against an evil construction company, Psychokinesis follows Sang-ho’s propensity for exploring class warfare within his films.

The Handmaiden (2016)

Inspired by Sarah Waters novel Fingersmith and set in colonial Japanese-ruled Korea, The Handmaiden is a dark psychological thriller in which a conman attempts to seduce a woman and trick her out of her inheritance. It won in the category of Best Film Not in the English Language at the 2018 Baftas, if you needed more convincing.

Extreme Job (2019)

For a bit of light relief, turn your attention to action comedy Extreme Job. A group of haphazard detectives who have failed to solve their latest mission set out to bust an international drug gang from a fried chicken restaurant. Their plans are skewed when their improvised chicken marinade unexpectedly turns the restaurant into a huge success.

Kevin Hart said in 2019 that he plans to remake this movie, but we say just watch the original.

The Housemaid (1960)

Polled by Korean film experts as ‘one of the top three Korean films of all time’, The Housemaid has been cited by Parasite’s Bong as one of the main sources of inspiration for his recent Best Picture. Charting the impact of a new femme fatale housemaid taken into the employ of a composer and his sickly wife, director Kim Ki-Young created a slowly escalating thriller that was promptly followed by two sequels, a 2010 remake and, of course, 2019’s Parasite.

Lady Vengeance (2005)

As the third chapter of Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance Trilogy, Lady Vengeance is the apex of his cinematic revenge story. It tells the story of a woman, newly released from imprisonment for a murder she didn’t commit, who is intent upon hunting out the true killer and serving retribution. It’s gruesome, bloody and grisly – but the heart-warming ending makes the pain worth it.