From action thrillers and complex romances to war stories, here is a look at the highest-rated Korean movies of 2024 that you must add to your watch list.
At the forefront is director Lee Eon-hee’s romance Love in the Big City. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Booker Prize nominee Park Sang-young, the movie stars Kim Go-eun and Steve Noh in leading roles. A love story between a free-spirited woman and a secretive man, Love in the Big City enjoyed a special premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. One of the highest-rated romantic Korean movies, it also premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 13 September 2024. Not just that. Pachinko fame Steve Noh, who plays protagonist Heung-soo in Love in the Big City, won the Best New Actor award at the 45th Blue Dragon Film Awards.
Meanwhile, drawing star power to the 2024 sci-fi movie Wonderland are popular actors Bae Suzy and Park Bo-gum. The movie is about a virtual domain called ‘Wonderland’ that uses artificial intelligence to reconnect individuals with a beloved deceased. After its release on 5 June 2024, Wonderland topped the weekend box office and amassed USD 3.21 million over the first five days of its opening run. One of the highest-rated Korean movies of 2024, it recorded a total of 468,802 viewers, according to the Korean Film Council.
Another notable title that makes it to the highest-rated list is the Song Joong-ki starrer My Name is Loh Kiwan. A Kim Hee-jin directorial, this family drama focuses on a Korean man’s journey of survival in a foreign land. The story is an adaptation of Cho Hae-jin’s novel I Met Loh Kiwan, the 2013 Shin Dong-yup Prize for Literature in South Korea winner.
According to the streaming giant, My Name is Loh Kiwan recorded 5.1 million views between 4 to 10 March 2024 and topped Netflix’s Non-English movies category in over 31 countries, including South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Portugal.
These highest-rated 2024 Korean movies will keep you glued to your seats
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Love in the Big City
IMDb rating: 7.8
Directed by: Lee Eon-hee
Cast: Kim Go-eun, Steve Noh
Approx. duration: 1 hr. 58 min.
Synopsis: Heung-soo (Steve), a gay man living with HIV, struggles to navigate life and love in Seoul. Supporting him in his journey of self-discovery is his best friend, Jae-hee (Kim).
You Are the Apple of My Eye
IMDb rating: 7.6
Directed by: Cho Young-myoung
Cast: Kim Da-hyun, Jung Jin-young, Shin Jun-chul
Approx. duration: 1 hr. 48 min.
Synopsis: Jin-u (Jung) is head over heels for high school sweetheart Seon-a (Kim). When a chance encounter makes the duo cross paths, Jin-u and Seon-a grow closer and navigate their youth together.
About the movie: It is a Korean adaptation of the semi-autobiographical novel The Girl We Chased Together in Those Years by Taiwanese author Giddens Ko, aka Jiu Ba Dao.
Exhuma
IMDb rating: 6.9
Directed by: Jang Jae-hyun
Cast: Lee Do-hyun, Choi Min-shik, Kim Go-eun, Yoo Hae-ji
Approx. duration: 2 hr. 14 min.
Synopsis: A family in Los Angeles experiences a series of paranormal events and seeks the help of shamans Hwa-rim (Kim) and Bong-gil (Lee). What follows is an intense investigation that leads the duo to a mysterious grave in a village in South Korea. When Hwa-rim and Bong-gil dig up the grave and attempt an exhumation, they end up unleashing even darker evil.
Officer Black Belt
IMDb rating: 6.8
Directed by: Jason Kim
Cast: Kim Woo-bin, Kim Sung-kyun
Approx. duration: 1 hr. 48 min.
Synopsis: When skilled martial artist Jung-do (Woo-bin) saves probation officer Sung-min (Sung-kyun) from a criminal assault, the latter is impressed. The duo soon ally to stop child abuse in Seoul and decide to work together as martial arts officers.
Also read: ‘Officer Black Belt’ ending explained: What happens to Kim Woo-bin’s Jung-do at the end?
My Name Is Loh Kiwan
IMDb rating: 6.7
Directed by: Kim Hee-jin
Cast: Song Joong-ki, Choi Sung-eun, Jo Han-chul
Approx. duration: 2 hr. 13 min.
Synopsis: North Korean defector Loh Kiwan (Song) moves to Belgium with his mother and struggles to make a home in the unfamiliar world. Over time, he decides to acquire refugee status from the Belgium government. Helping him in the process is a former resident of South Korea, Mari (Choi).
Citizen of a Kind
IMDb rating: 6.6
Directed by: Park Young-ju
Cast: Ra Mi-ran, Gong Myung, Yeom Hye-ran, Park Byung-eun
Approx. duration: 1 hr. 54min.
Synopsis: Desperate for money after losing her laundromat to a fire, single mother Deok Hee (Ra) gets involved with loan sharks and falls victim to a voice phishing scam. Enraged, she vows to expose the culprits and teams up with secret informant Kwon Jae-min (Gong).
About the movie: It is based on the true story of laundromat owner Kim Seong-ja of Gyeonggi Province who caught the head of a voice phishing organisation in 2016.
Uprising
IMDb rating: 6.6
Directed by: Kim Sang-man
Cast: Kang Dong-won, Park Jeong-min, Cha Seung-won, Kim Shin-rok
Approx. duration: 2 hr. 6 min.
Synopsis: Amid the Japanese invasions of Korea, childhood friends Cheon Yeong (Kang) and Jong-ryeo turn adversaries. Cheon, now a slave with remarkable martial prowess, struggles to seek freedom from unjust servitude. Meanwhile, Jong-ryeo (Park) becomes Joseon King Seonjo’s closest military officer.
Also read: ‘Uprising’ movie ending explained: Do Cheon-yeong and Jong-ryeo survive the war?
Alienoid: Return to the Future
IMDb rating: 6.5
Directed by: Choi Dong-hoon
Cast: Ryu Jun-yeol, Kim Tae-ri, Kim Woo-bin
Approx. duration: 2 hr. 2 min.
Synopsis: After locating the divine sword, Lee Ahn (Kim) and Mureuk (Ryu) race through time to battle Haava (an alien substance) detonation that has the power to destroy mankind.
I, the Executioner
IMDb rating: 6.5
Directed by: Ryu Seung-wan
Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Jung Hae-in, Jin Kyung
Approx. duration: 1 hr. 58 min.
Synopsis: Rookie detective Park Sun-woo (Jung) is assigned to the Violent Crimes Investigation Division team. However, the leader of the team, veteran Seo Do-Cheol (Hwang), is yet to trust his skills. Soon, the chase of a serial killer brings the duo closer.
About the movie: It is the sequel to his hit 2015 action comedy Veteran.
Wonderland
IMDb rating: 6.2
Directed by: Kim Tae-yong
Cast: Bae Suzy, Park Bo-gum, Choi Woo-shik
Approx. duration: 1 hr. 52 min.
Synopsis: Jeong-in’s (Bae) life changes forever when her young lover Tae-ju (Park) falls into a coma. Desperate to see him again, Jeong-in turns to Wonderland — a virtual domain that uses AI to help individuals reconnect with a deceased close one. Soon, the new technology allows her to rekindle her bond with Tae-ju once again.
(Hero image credit: Kim go-eun/@ggonekim via Instagram; Featured image credit: IMDb)
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the highest-rated Korean movies are 'Parasite', 'A Taxi Driver', 'The Wailing, 'Train to Busan', 'Silenced', 'Love in the Big City' and 'Exhuma'.
According to ticket sales data, some of the most-viewed Korean movies are '12.12: The Day', 'Parasite', 'Decision to Leave', 'The Wailing', 'Train to Busan', 'Memories of Murder' and 'Oldboy'.
'12.12: The Day' won the Best Picture title at the 45th Blue Dragon Film Awards in November 2024.
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Sushmita Mahanta
Digital Writer (Growth) - Entertainment
Sushmita is a writer with a passion for crafting engaging and informative stories. An avid fan of K-pop and K-dramas, Sushmita mostly writes about Korean culture and entertainment. When not writing, you can find Sushmita dancing, reading, collecting books, learning about fashion, art, motion pictures, and appreciating BTS.
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