Netflix’s Must-Watch Korean Films: 10 Gems You Shouldn’t Miss

Netflix is a global treasure trove of original content, offering stories from nearly every corner of the world. If your watchlist only includes American productions, you're skipping over some cinematic gold—especially when it comes to Korean movies. From feel-good rom-coms to edge-of-your-seat thrillers, Netflix’s Korean film library has something for every mood.

Here are top picks for the 10 best Korean movies currently streaming on Netflix:

1. 20th Century Girl (2022)

If you’re ready for a nostalgic tearjerker, 20th Century Girl is a heartfelt coming-of-age romance that delivers. Bo-ra (Kim Yoo-jung) agrees to spy on her best friend’s crush while she’s away for medical treatment in the U.S.—but ends up falling for his best friend, Woon-ho (Byeon Woo-seok). With Jane Austen-level misunderstandings and a touching message about friendship, this one’s more than just a high school drama.

Watch it on: Netflix

Director: Bang Woo-ri

Cast: Kim Yoo-jung, Byeon Woo-seok, Park Jung-woo, Noh Yoon-seo

2. Ballerina (2023)

Forget tutus—Ballerina is all about vengeance. When Ok-ju (Jun Jong-seo), an elite bodyguard, loses her best friend Min-hee (Park Yu-rim) to a seedy criminal, she takes justice into her own hands. What follows is a stylized, high-octane revenge thriller packed with brutal action and chilling calm.

Watch it on: Netflix

Director: Lee Chung-hyun

Cast: Jun Jong-seo, Kim Ji-hoon, Park Yu-rim, Park Hyung-soo

3. The Call (2020)

What starts as a strange phone call becomes a nightmarish time-travel thriller. Seo-yeon (Park Shin-hye) in 2019 and Young-sook (Jun Jong-seo) in 1999 communicate across two decades through a landline, changing the past—and altering the future in terrifying ways. A gripping, genre-bending watch.

Watch it on: Netflix

Director: Lee Chung-hyun

Cast: Park Shin-hye, Jun Jong-seo, Kim Sung-ryoung, Lee El

4. Dream (2023)

Need a pick-me-up? Dream blends humour and heart as disgraced soccer star Yoon Hong-dae (Park Seo-joon) is assigned to coach a team of unhoused individuals for the Homeless World Cup. With IU playing a quirky documentary filmmaker, it’s the ultimate feel-good underdog story.

Watch it on: Netflix

Director: Lee Byeong-heon

Cast: Park Seo-joon, IU, Kim Jong-su, Lee Hyun-woo

5. Forgotten (2017)

This psychological thriller will leave you guessing till the end. When Jin-seok’s brother is kidnapped and mysteriously returns with no memory, things quickly unravel into a complex tale of deception, trauma, and twisted family secrets.

Watch it on: Netflix

Director: Jang Hang-jun

Cast: Kang Ha-neul, Kim Moo-yeol, Na Young-hee

6. Love and Leashes (2022)

Don’t judge it by the title. Love and Leashes is a surprisingly sweet and respectful exploration of BDSM in a corporate rom-com setting. When a misdelivered package reveals Ji-hoo’s secret desires, his co-worker Ji-woo agrees to an experimental relationship that leads to unexpected romance.

Watch it on: Netflix

Director: Park Hyun-jin

Cast: Seohyun, Lee Jun-young, Seo Hyun-woo

7. Night in Paradise (2020)

Bleak, brutal, and beautifully filmed, Night in Paradise follows a gangster hiding out on Jeju Island after a personal tragedy. There, he meets a terminally ill woman, and the two forge a connection amid the bloodshed. It's a poetic yet violent exploration of fate and loss.

Watch it on: Netflix

Director: Park Hoon-jung

Cast: Um Tae-goo, Jeon Yeo-been, Cha Seung-won

8. Pandora (2016)

Pandora is a gripping disaster movie that hits uncomfortably close to home. When a nuclear plant meltdown threatens an entire town, one man risks everything to save his community. This film doesn’t just thrill—it critiques political apathy and systemic failure.

Watch it on: Netflix

Director: Park Jung-woo

Cast: Kim Nam-gil, Jung Jin-young, Moon Jeong-hee

9. Parasite (2019)

No list is complete without this Oscar-sweeping masterpiece. Bong Joon Ho’s genre-defying tale of two families—one rich, one poor—clashes class and capitalism in ways both hilarious and horrifying. It’s a landmark in Korean cinema for a reason.

Watch it on: Netflix

Director: Bong Joon Ho

Cast: Song Kang-ho, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam

10. Time to Hunt (2020)

Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller

Set in a dystopian South Korea, Time to Hunt follows a group of young men who plan a heist to escape poverty — but find themselves being hunted by a relentless assassin. With gritty visuals and nerve-racking tension, this film offers a gripping critique of capitalism wrapped in high-octane suspense. It’s a stylish, edge-of-your-seat thriller that questions whether you can ever truly escape the system.