With an Cannes International Film Festival Palme d'Or and an Academy Award for Best Picture, the South Korean film Parasite made history in early 2020 as the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The history of "Parasite" has allowed global audiences to see the rapid improvement in the quality of Korean films over the years.
Although not many Korean films have been released in Chinese mainland, just as the Oscar winner for Best Picture has not been released in Chinese mainland, this does not stop Chinese audiences from loving Korean films.
Song Kang-ho, Choi Min-sik, Ha Jeong-woo, Lee Jeong-jae, Kong Liu, Cho Yin-sung and Hwang Jeong-min are all Korean actors who are very popular with the audience.
By 2021, the above Korean power film emperors have brought many "fierce" films to the audience. If you love Korean movies as much as I do, then these are not to be missed.
1. "Water Cave".
Directed by Kim Ji-hoon ("Gorgeous Vacation") and starring Cha Seung-won, Lee Kwang-so and Kim Sung-joon.
"Water Cave" is a disaster movie that tells the story of a newly built villa that suddenly collapses, falls into a water hole, and in the face of disaster, people rescue and escape.
It is reported that the investment of the film is as high as 20 billion won (117 million yuan), distributed by ShowBox, one of the four major film distribution companies in South Korea.
2. "The Naval Battle of Idle Mountain Island".
Directed by Kim Han-min (The Battle of Mingliang), it stars Park Hae-il, Bian Yo-han and Ahn Sung-ki.
Like the Battle of Mingliang, the Battle of Seungsan Island is a film based on the history of the Korean War of Resistance, based on the war between Korea and Japan that took place near the waters of Kosan Island in Korea in 1592.
That year's "Battle of Mingliang" won 135 billion won a box office in South Korea, breaking a number of Korean box office records, and director Kim Hanmin also won the Best Director Award at the Korean Film Blue Dragon Award. This time he came with "The Battle of Idle Mountain Island", which is still worth looking forward to. The film is expected to be released in South Korea in the second half of 2021.
3. Walking with God 3.
Still directed by Kim Yong-hwa (Walking with God series), Ha Jeong-woo and Joo Ji-hoon return to star.
"Walking with God" has been released twice, both co-starring Ha Jeong-woo and Joo Ji-hoon, and is a very classic series of movies in Korean film history.
Ha Jeong-woo is a Korean power actor, and his films are generally not bad, let alone a classic series.
4. Witch 2.
Directed by Park Hoon-jeong (Witch, New World) and starring Shin Shi-ah, Kim Do-mi and Cho Min-so.
When filming the first part of "Witch", director Park Hoon-jeong was the newcomer actor Kim Do-mi. In the second part, Kim Do-mi returns, but the first star Shin Shiya is still a newcomer actor.
Although the first star in "Witch" is a newcomer actor, the popularity of the film after its release is very high, especially her action scenes are praised. In the second part, according to the director, the scenes and action scenes will be upgraded. The film is scheduled to be released in 2021, and the exact date has not yet been announced.
5. Pirates 2.
Directed by Kim Jong-hoon, it stars Kang Ha-na, Han Hyo-joo and Lee Kwang-so.
Subtitled "The Flag of the Ghost", "Pirate 2" is still set in the pirate story of the Joseon Dynasty and has nothing to do with the plot of the previous game. This film, whether it is a director or an actor, has undergone a major blood change, and the character setting has been completely changed.
Released in 2014, "Pirates: Mountain Thieves Running to the Sea" cost 16 billion won to produce, and it was the first film in South Korea to be based on marine adventures.
6. "Kidnapping".
Directed by Kim Sung-hoon ("To the End", "The Tunnel") and starring Ha Jeong-woo and Joo Ji-hoon.
It is also a powerful joint film work, director Kim Sung-hoon, actors Ha Jeong-woo and Ju Ji-hoon, all have a strong box office appeal in South Korea.
7. "Representations".
Directed by Lin Shunli ("The Most Brilliant Moment of Our Lives") and starring Huang Zhengmin and Xuan Bin.
Since "New World", Huang Zhengmin has become one of the hottest film emperors; Xuan Bin has always been a powerful handsome actor loved by the audience. The cooperation between these two in "Negotiation" is very exciting.
The film is based on the 2007 Afghan Taliban terrorist organization taking South Korean hostages, telling the story of diplomats played by Hwang Jeong-min who negotiate with the Taliban to rescue the hostages.
8. Mogadishu.
Directed by Yoo Seung-wan ("Gunkanjima") and starring Kim Lun-hee and Cho Yin-sung.
The film is still based on true events in South Korea's diplomatic history, telling the story of two major diplomats between South Korea and North Korea in the 1990s.
9. The Mathematician of strange countries.
Directed by Park Dong-hoon and starring Choi Min-sik and others.
Actor Choi Min-sik is a national treasure actor in South Korea, known as South Korea's "Chow Yun-fat" because of his superb acting skills. Every character he portrays is so deep into the marrow of the bone, it's wonderful.
In this film, Choi Min-sik will portray an exiled North Korean mathematician. This time he is no longer as chilling as in "Seeing the Devil", but shows his warm side.
10. "Xu Fu".
Directed by Lee Yong-joo, starring Kong Liu and Park Baojian.
Since "Ghost" and "Busan Trip", I have liked the Korean actor Kong Liu, and his works are always so enduring.
The movie "Xu Fu" is a science fiction action film, Park Baojian's character In the film, Xu Fu is a clone who holds the secret of eternal life, and in order to compete for him, former agents min Jixian and Xu Fu, played by Kong Liu, are in danger.
11. Wonderland.
Directed by Kim Tae-yong (Giant), it stars Bae So-chi, Kong Liu and Tang Wei.
This is the second film that Kim Tae-yong and Tang Wei have worked together on, and this film is an artificial intelligence-themed romance film that tells the story of people meeting their deceased family members and lovers again through video calls.
In the film, Tang Wei and Kong Liu play a 40-generation couple. The wife played by Tang Wei has passed away, while her surviving husband Kong Liu raises the children alone. The child misses his mother all the time, and in order to let them meet, Kong Liu came to the "wonderland".
12. "The Determination to Break Up".
Directed by Park Chan-wook ("Old Boy") and starring Tang Wei, Lee Jung-hyun and Park Hae-il.
In the film, Tang Wei plays a widow who has a relationship with the criminal police officer (played by Park Hae-il) who investigates her husband's misstep.
13. Declaration of Urgency.
Directed by Han Jae-lin ("The Law of Love"), starring Song Kang-ho and Lee Byung-hyun.
The cast of this movie is very strong, all of them are powerful actors. The film is the first air crash film in the history of Korean cinema, telling the story of the plane that has flown into the sky and encountered a disaster once in a century, and finally landed unconditionally.
The portrayal of human nature in Korean movies is very profound, and actors Song Kang-ho and Lee Byung-hyun are also powerful actors who express human nature. In the face of air disasters, in addition to the disaster special effects, the display of human nature is also a major attraction.