When it comes to watching crime-based movies, it is evident that they always give us an idea of how the world is also seen from the point of view of crime and investigation. Crime thrillers show us how a criminal thinks and what might happen to anyone; no wonder these movies give all of us an idea of how to be more careful in this world of danger and fear.
Apart from the sense of security when it comes to entertainment, we also look forward to real crime dramas and movies that fill us with a sense of just saying, “Wow, what a movie!” “It’s worth watching!”
Here we have a long list of crime-plot-based movies with a mixture of thrillers and mysteries; the point is that these movies come up with an investigation point. Crime shows are nothing without serial killers and murder; the spice comes from the investigation team’s plot. It somehow makes these crime dramas worth watching.
Korean crime movies come with the best-twisted plotlines, and we would like to recommend these true crime dramas to the audience. The truth is that all of these films are based on true events, and the true ones include a real-life incident that may give you goosebumps and make you wonder, “How can murderers (killers) be this cruel?”
Itaewon Salinsageon
Itaewon Salinsageon is a Korean movie based on a true crime drama based on a real murder case. It is a story based in the era of 1997, where the main lead, a Hongik who is a college student, was discovered murdered in an Itaewon location, where the CID team, with the best officer, examined the murder and the possibility of finding the murderer.
When the CID team succeeded in finding the murderer, the murderer was Arthur Patterson, the son of an Army commander, where it can be seen that he has a Korean mother. Two of his buddies were arrested and later found guilty of murdering an innocent person. It was recorded that the case was too complicated as the victims came from stronger and richer families, which acted as a kind of support shield for them.
The case becomes very interesting as the CID team finds it very difficult to find the victims and when they do, they can’t arrest them. The teenagers and adolescents in the plot engage in a dangerous activity where they kill an innocent in the restaurant for a silly reason, which changes their lives forever.
In South Korea, this murder case is still famous, and everyone from that era of 1997 went through it on news channels. The real horror is that the murderer was stabbed multiple times in the chest and neck, which makes it obvious that he wanted revenge. The real names of everyone are changed in the movie to maintain integrity.
- Director and Producers: Hong Ki-sun and David Cho
- Writer: Lee Maeyu-gu
- Stars: Jang Keun-suk and Jung Jin-young
- Where to watch: Youtube
- Box office collection: $3.4 million
Memories of Murder
A Korean crime thriller movie is titled Memories of Murder. It is primarily based on the real-life story of two detectives who tried to solve the very first verified serial killings in Korea. The detectives here are Park, portrayed by Song Kang-ho, and another named Cho, portrayed by Kim Roi-ha.
They were tasked with looking into a famous double murder. It can be seen that the two detectives go through many ups and downs while solving the case on their own; it made them pretty tired when they weren’t able to collect accurate evidence of the double murder.
The double murder and serial killing storyline start with a scene in the movie where it is seen as In the South Korean region of Gyunggi, a second young, attractive woman is discovered dead after having been raped, chained, and suffocated with her underpants.
The investigation into the murder is being conducted by two talented detectives. They can be seen as local investigators, torturing the suspects and victims so that they can get updates.
Throughout the investigation, it becomes increasingly clear that a serial murderer is responsible for the deaths of the ladies and is also sexually assaulting them before killing them. The serial killer was only targeting females, and after raping and torturing them, he killed them brutally, which somehow made people in the town scared to death.
- Director and Producers: Bong Joon-ho and Cha Seung-jae
- Writers: Bong Joon-ho and Shim Sung-bo
- Stars: Song Kang-ho, Kim Roi-ha, and Byun Hee-bong.
- Where to watch: Hulu
- Box office collection: $2.7 million
Silenced
Silenced is a Korean criminal drama movie. It is based on incidents that occurred at Gwangju Inhwa High School, which was essentially established for special children who were deaf. The main story of the movie starts when one of the faculty members is caught assaulting kids, and the investigation gets started. It was thought that investigating deaf children was important because they couldn’t communicate much due to fear.
It is based on incidents that occurred at Gwangju Inhwa High School, which was essentially established for special children who were deaf. The storyline depicted the crimes as well as the legal proceedings that let the teachers off with little penalty. After a while, the case reopened, which ultimately led to the reopening of the investigations into the assault of deaf kids.
In the story, the main character, named In-ho Gang, discovers physical and sexual abuse at a school for kids with hearing impairments and the deaf, where a brave gang battles the neighborhood to bring attention to and stop the abuse.
The investigation wasn’t easy, but with the help of a human rights activist, the case was solved, and police arrested teachers and faculty. In the end, it can be seen that the court makes the decision, and we can see that truth wins.
- Director and Producer: Hwang Dong-hyuk and Uhm Yong-hun
- Writer: Hwang Dong-Hyuk
- Stars: Gong Yoo and Jung Yu-mi
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Box office collection: $30.6 million
Don’t Cry, Mommy
Don’t Cry, Mommy is the brave story of a mother who fights for her dead daughter, who died in an accident, and it is a South Korean criminal drama film. The plot concerned a mother’s vengeance on the rapists who had raped her loving daughter.
Here, it can be seen that a mother can do anything when it comes to their kids; her daughter was brutally raped and murdered in the story, and she wants fair justice. She realized that no court or police officer could do it to her, so her journey to teach rape criminals will undoubtedly give the audience goosebumps.
Yoo-Lim finds out that her daughter, Eun-ah, was sexually assaulted by males at school as she was getting ready for a fresh start after divorcing her husband. Because they are juveniles, they won’t be punished. Yoo-Lim seeks revenge after Eun-ah commits suicide.
In short, the story is all about the mother’s courage and way of fighting for revenge, where Eun-ah, the only child of Lim, kills herself after being sexually assaulted by a gang of male classmates.
The issue is that all of the accused are juveniles; therefore, they are all free to go without facing any legal consequences. The victim’s mother, You-lim, is so angry that she seeks revenge on her own, deciding on justice for her daughter’s murders.
- Director and Producers: Kim Yong-han, Kim Yoon-oh, and Son Yoo-jin
- Writers: Lee Sang-Hyeon & Kim Yoon-oh
- Stars: Oo Sun, Nam Bo-ra, and Yu Oh-Seong
- Where to watch: Youtube
- Box office collection: $6,181,135
The Chaser
The Chaser is a criminal Korean drama-based movie and one of the hits. A famous real-life story from Korea is about an unfair and dishonest police cop who, after one of his prostitutes goes missing, finds himself in a desperate race against time to catch the perpetrator.
Just twelve hours remain for him to gather proof against the murderer before the cumbersome Seoul Police Department releases him to resume his duty. It can be seen that the police officer is not fair in many terms, but when it comes to finding culprits, he gives his best.
In the storyline, it can be seen that one of the girls he slept with is missing, and he wants to find possible reasons why. He discovered that there was a serial killer in the town who was killing girls for his own sake. The police department put pressure on him to find the evidence in 12 hours if he wanted to keep his position and the area he ruled over. Here, he started finding suspects and areas where he could find evidence.
The Chaser is ideal for those who enjoy suspense and mystery films featuring a crazed serial killer who astounds everyone with his killing. We would like to recommend The Chaser to all mystery lovers out there.
- Director and Producer: Na Hong-jin and Kim Su-jin
- Writers: Na Hong-jin and Shinho Lee
- Stars: Kim Yoon-Seok, Jung In-gi, Park Hyo-Joo, Ha Jun-woo, and Kim Yoo-Jung
- Where to watch: Prime Video
- Box office collection: $35.7 million
Voice of a Murderer
“A Voice of a Murder” is a crime thriller-drama movie and one of the biggest hits of the 2007 era. The narrative is a real-life-based incident description of a kidnapping case that occurred in the year 1991, and the cinema shows the incident from its point of view.
In the Voice of a Murderer can be seen with the main lead role of YungBBae, Yung Bae, portrayed by Sol Kyung Gu, can be seen in the movie as a successful newsreader. The twist in his life occurs when his son is kidnapped; Han Kyung Bae’s peaceful life is turned down. It became traumatizing, and he couldn’t stay calm because his only in danger.
The kidnappers can be seen in the movie as the course of the next 44 days, and they continue to receive calls from the kidnapper, who gives them instructions and begs for payment in a bone-chillingly dispassionate voice. The kidnapper easily escapes capture despite the police’s best efforts; not only can he be seen one step ahead at all times, but he also appears to enjoy playing games with them in this cat-and-mouse chase.
The kidnapper is really, let’s say, a legend at his own game; he knows the task of the police and everyone. The kidnapper is always one step ahead of them, making it impossible for the police to apprehend him.
When he calls for money, his voice sounds like that of a bold, evil person who is greedy for money. We would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys mystery and the game of an evil kidnapper who enjoys playing with police regularly; it will undoubtedly be entertaining to watch!
- Director and Producers: Park Jin-Pyo and Lee Yu-jin
- Writer: Park Jin-Pyo
- Stars: Sol Kyung-gu, Kim Nam-joo
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Box office collection: $18,160,599
Jiseul
A 2012 year South Korean war film is called Jiseul. During the 1948 era, the villagers could be seen hiding up in a cold cave that could freeze them for nearly 60 days. During the 1948 era, the villagers could be seen hiding up in a cold cave that could freeze them. They keep their sense of humor until their patience runs out. They tried their best to keep themselves busy so that they couldn’t think more about the fear they were going to face.
Jiseul is all about explaining the truth about how the police were back then and how it caused havoc in everyone’s lives. It has happened frequently enough that they may end up hiding from the cruel police and their unjust tribunals. Villages can be seen hiding and running away from police brutality. In such a case, the team started chasing the demonstrators, who were accused of being communists.
The villagers’ lives were clearly disrupted, and Jiseul demonstrated how village unity saved them from the brutality of the cruel police. We would like to recommend Jiseul to all the audience members out there who want to enjoy the war between villagers and police.
- Director and Producers: O. Muel and Kyeong-Joon
- Writer: O. Muel
- Stars: Moon Seok-beom, Hong Sang-Pyo, Yang Jeong-won, and Lee Kyeong-Joon
- Where to watch: YouTube
- Box office collection: $190,000.
Children…
Children is a Korean crime drama movie that is inspired by the Frog Boys of Daegu, a real-life mystery murder case. The main fact here is that the case never got to the point where we could say that it was resolved; it was one of those complicated cases with confusing evidence that never got a chance to be solved properly.
The plot revolves around four boys who can be considered friends because they always hang out together. The storyline starts with the vanishing of the frog children. It can be seen that this is a genuine story from the early 1990s that served as the inspiration for the movie in Korea.
The storyline starts with Five students from an elementary school informing their parents that they planned to spend the day frog-catching on a nearby mountain. They eventually vanished after a while. They never returned home, creating a stressful environment for everyone who was worried about them.
The case became a top highlight for the investigation team, and they found something interesting as evidence that one of the boys’ parents was a suspect. It’s a true mystery that will never be solved; detectives and cops will never know what happened to those four men.
- Director and Producers: Lee Gyu-man and Lee Yong-ho
- Writers: Lee Gyu-man and Lee Hyun-jin
- Stars: Park Yong-woo, Sung Dong-il, and Ryu Seung-ryong
- Where to watch: Reelgood
- Box office collection: $412,229,393.
May 18
May 18 is based on a true story that was adapted into a Korean crime film. When General Chun Doo-hwan attempted to force the killing of all of the victims and they were innocent students, and the police killed many innocent students in this incident, causing havoc for the victim patient’s family and these suffered family.
The history of the circumstances that led slaughtering of hundreds of students and demonstrators during a rally against the government It can be seen how the Korean government was so cruel that it killed thousands of students for its own benefit. The bullets tore up a very innocent student’s body out there in the incident.
Well, the title of the movie dictates the date when this all happened. This war between students fighting for their rights and the government, which decided to kill all the students who were against them, is something we can say is not fair.
We would like to recommend this movie about a war between police and innocent students. We can assure you that after watching this movie, the audience will realize how important it is to fight for their own rights.
- Director and Producers: Kim Ji-hoon and Yoo In-taek
- Writer: Na Hyun
- Stars: Kim Sang-kyung, Lee Yo-won, Ahn Sung-ki, and Lee Joon-gi
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Take at the box office: $ 49 million
Confession of Murder
Confession of Murder is the story of a 12 Vintage Anime To Watch in 2023 who, after killing 10 women, vanishes for 15 years, and no one is able to trace him to where he could possibly go after killing innocent girls. After 15 years, he returns with a book where he plots how he murdered all the girls brutally for his own kick, but he causes havoc in the victims’ lives.
In his book, Lee Du-Seok writes about killing people and how he murdered them all. The suspense in the story begins when one of the families decides to murder him and hires an investigator to assist them. The story becomes 100 times more interesting to watch as a murderer is in trouble with his own life this time. It is fun to watch how he saves his life this time.
The authorities suspect Lee Du-sok, a serial killer in Korea, is to blame for the abduction of another woman who was among the ten women he killed. Lee Du-sok is being pursued by Detective Choi, who was in charge of the probe into all ten killings and is tasked with revealing the whereabouts of the 11th victim. Han Ji-Soo, the mom of his most recent victim, another girl, seeks revenge. The ending is suspenseful because Lee Du-sok may not be real and is simply a fraud.
- Director and Producers: Jung Byung-gil
- Writer: Jung Yong-hee
- Stars: Jung Jae-young, Park Si-hoo, and Bae Seong-woo
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Box office collection: $1.9 million
Cart
Cart is a crime thriller movie that is based on a real-life incident. The storyline starts with the main lead, Ah Sun-Hee, portrayed by Yum Jung, who is a mother to two kids in the movie.
Here is the story of a mother who signed a contract at her job because she wanted to earn money and survive, where further contracts of work can take her to a permanent upper position and give her hope of earning money. The story is all about a legal fight between a contract worker and a manager, which became heated after a while.
The fight between workers for their rights and clever managers trying to let them down for their own benefit. It is a kind of legal fight where everyone is fighting for their own rights. According to the workers, no company can remove them from their work without informing them; they deserve an explanation here.
Cart, on the other hand, is all about a game and fighting for equal rights. They also fight for their rights in the context of labor rights. Here in the story, it can be seen that laborers and workers started knowing their labor rights, and they started getting into it for a fair game.
- Director and Producers: Boo Ji-young and Jamie Shim
- Writer: Kim Kyung-chan
- Stars: Yum Jung-ah and Moon Jung-hee
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Box office collection: $5.1 million
The President’s Last Bang
The president’s last bang is a black comedy that revolves around a crime drama and a political fraud. The movie’s plot revolves around the events that led to and followed Kim Jae-kyu, who can be seen as the director of the famous Korean Intelligence Agency in the movie. Further, the storyline makes it clear that here Kim is assassinating Park Chung-hee, who can be seen as the president of South Korea.
The president, however, lives a lavish lifestyle and is not as responsible for his duties as he should be. The twist comes when Kyu’s Kim Jae-kyu, the dejected chief of South Korea’s secret service, decides to kill Chung-hee for the welfare of his nation after learning that he has an illness.
Kyu can be viewed as a cruel and deceptive leader who wants to kill anyone who gets in his way of success and more money. The movie is all about the game of ruling and how important a chair is in the game of politics, where it is all about money and power.
Every single leader here is dealing with people whom they can and cannot believe. We would like to recommend “The President’s Last Bang” to all politics-interested audiences out there who find it fascinating to watch all the leaders fighting for power and money.
Well, no doubt power and money are the main game changers and can change someone’s attitude towards serving their nation unless and until that leader chooses to be honest.
- Director and Producers: Im Sang-soo and Shin Chul
- Stars: Song Jae-ho, Baek Yoon-sik, and Han Suk-kyu
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Box office collection: $6,287,723
Han Gong-Ju
Han Gong-Ju is a Korean crime thriller film. The story in this film is based on a true incident that occurred in the past. The famous 2004 Miryang gang rape case served as its inspiration. Here in the story, the main character can be seen dealing with some kind of disturbing stuff that is disturbing her mental health and also social activities at a new school.
Han changes her school after a devastating incident. She thought she would forget about it, but she was not able to. To get away from her past, Han Gong-Ju switches schools. Although it takes a while for her problematic background to finally catch up with her, the discovery is terrible when it does.
It is clear from the storyline that she is bullied by many of her classmates for acting strangely around them; it is also clear that gang rape occurred to her, which she never discloses to anyone. Following this incident, she decided to commit suicide, effectively ending her life. After a while, a video of her gang rape is captured by one of her friends, and it causes a twist in the story.
We would like to recommend Han Gong-Ju to the audience who might be interested in mysteries and suspense. There are many instances in the movie where it can be seen that the scenes are so real that one can feel them as they are happening in front of them while watching them.
- Director and Producers: Lee Su-jin
- Writers: Lee Su-jin
- Stars: Chun Woo-hee
- Where to watch: Youtube
Hope
Korean crime thriller drama film, hopefully. The popular case happened in 2008 year as per records. It is also known as the Cho Doo-Soon case, in which an eight-year-old girl was raped and assaulted by a drunk old man in a public restroom.
This is a true story that causes drama in the lives of the child’s parents, who were heartbroken by the incident that occurred with their child. The parents can be seen as fighting for their child’s justice and peace; what followed was that they fought for their child in court and with the assistance of their daughter.
The movies in this section convey the message that parents should never lose hope when it comes to the peace of their children. In the story, a kid who is raped is traumatized by the incident and doesn’t know what happened to her.
The story is all about how it is not fair to hurt people for someone else’s benefit. It causes a sense of insecurity in their life. The battle between parents and the outside world for their child’s best future is what parent love is all about. The incident affected the kid emotionally and physically; her mental health deteriorated day by day.
- Director and Producers: Lee Joon-ik and Byun Bong-Hyun
- Writers: Jo Joong-hoon and Kim Ji-hye
- Stars: Sol Kyung-gu, Lee Re, and Uhm Ji-won
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Box office collection: $17.1 million
A New Trial
“New Trial” is a crime thriller Korean film. The movie is based on the famous “Iksan killing/murder case” from the year 2000, in which a young boy was falsely convicted of killing a taxi driver and sentenced to ten years in jail.
After the incident happened, it became a plot for movie makers, and they showed all the incidents from a cinematic point of view. Well, the new trial movie is all about a man whose life was ruined after he was falsely accused of killing a taxi driver.
Even further, it can be seen that he was forced to admit to the murder after being mistreated by police while being questioned. Ten years later, he turns to a lawyer, who helps him clear his name and lets everyone know that he is the one who never did it and is innocent.
The story’s main character is Hyunwoo, who was falsely accused of murdering a taxi driver by the police and a VIP fraud leader and then forced to accept prison life. It can be seen that he was there for 10 years, and every day in jail was very painful for him.
A lawyer came and helped him. The lawyer somehow knew the truth, and in the end, it can be seen that the case goes in favor of him. Well, the new trial is all about how truth always triumphs.
It might hurt people out there while watching how an innocent boy falls into the trap of fraudsters, and in the end, it causes him to lose his life. We would recommend The New Trail to those who are not softhearted because it might hurt you while watching it on television.
- Director and Producers: Kim Tae-Yoon and Yoon Ki-ho
- Writers: Kim Tae-Yoon
- Stars: Jung Woo and Kang Ha-neul
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Box office collection: $17.3 million
My father
Korean crime thriller movie My Father is based on a true story about a soldier and his father. The movie, which is based on a real-life tale, is about an adopted boy who travels to South Korea in search of his real parents, but he gets to know after a while that his mother is no more and his father is still alive but in jail.
He meets his real father, an executed killer, while conducting his search. James, portrayed by Daniel Henney, is a military captain who serves with the United States Forces in Korea. He learns information that he had always wanted to understand by investigating the reasons why his father is on trial for murder. Then he discovers that his father’s and his life’s secrets are coming out one by one.
It is an interesting story to watch, where a soldier’s son wants to know more of his father’s history and why his father is there in jail; slowly, the truth comes to him. He started putting all the pieces together that could possibly lead him to the real reason for his father’s being in jail.
Well, it hurts when someone sees their parents somewhere they don’t belong, and the same thing is happening in the movie. We would like to recommend My Father to all parents; it will undoubtedly surprise you with many twists and turns.
- Director and Producers: Hwang Dong-hyuk and Seok Myeong-hong
- Writers: Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Stars: Kim Yeong-Cheol and Daniel Henney
- Where to watch: YouTube
- Box office Collection: $ 6.1 million
71: Into the Fire (2010)
Into the Fire is a thrilling Korean war movie. Where it is based on true events that occurred somewhere in the 1990s. The movie was created as a tribute to those who served in the Korean War. The film is based on the true story of 71 South Korean soldiers who served in the Korean War but were outmatched, poorly trained, and unarmed.
They were mostly murdered in the 1950 Korean War at the Battle of P’ohang-dong. The interesting fact is that the war lasted about 11 hours. Well, there are many facts related to the famous P’ohang-dong firefight war.
The war starts at Nakdong River, where the troop fights for their country, but the troop of 71 can’t fight with that intensity because they are undertrained but motivated to fight for their nation. The audience can watch the soldiers’ sacrifices for their country and how they give their lives for it. Patriotic soldiers give us a sense of how a soldier lives only for his country and can die for it twice.
- Director and Producers: John H. Lee and Choi Myeong-gi
- Writers: Lee Man-hee and John H. Lee
- Stars: Cha Seung-won and Kwon Sang-woo
- Where to watch: Apple TV
- Box office collection: $42.4 million
Way Back Home
It is based on the real-life experience of a regular Korean woman who spent two years behind bars in Martinique after being falsely accused of carrying drugs through a Paris airport. It is shown here how an innocent housewife and her mother get into trouble when she is falsely accused of buying and dealing drugs.
It changes her life because she is not wealthy enough to fight the crime that is happening to her, nor can she do anything because all the evidence clearly shows she is a criminal in the plot.
It can be seen that the family of the victim owns a vehicle repair shop owned by a couple. It can be seen that the family of the victim owns a vehicle repair shop owned by a couple where it can be seen that the couple finds it hard to maintain a life where they can earn money and survive their daily lives.
Jeong Yoon, a delicate woman who is a devoted wife and mother, finds herself forced into a court battle. Due to a severe financial argument between the couple, who are experiencing financial despair, Jeong Yeon is sent away with just a mysterious message stating that she will return in a few days, where she is framed in a scene that seems like she is dealing drugs. Way Back Home is a Korean crime mystery drama film.
- Director and Producers: Bang Eun-jin
- Writers: Yoon Jin-ho
- Stars: Jeon D. Yeon, Kang Ji-woo, Choi Min-Chul, and Joanna Kulig
- Where to watch: Apple TV, HBO Max, and Redbox
- Box office collection: $12.8 million
Miracle in Cell No. 7
In the movie, a mentally disabled man who was wrongly convicted of murder forms bonds with the serious criminals who share his cell, and they, in turn, let him see his daughter by once again bringing her into jail.
A father who has been separated from his daughter for some reason is now in jail and wants her back. In the film, it can be seen how powerful people led powerless people into something they did not want to be in, even in a story where an innocent person did not commit the crime but was imprisoned.
The narrative of a guy who was abused and forced to confess to the murder and rape of a 9-year-old girl serves as the basis for the film. In the movie, we can see how a father and daughter’s love is so pure that they can fight the world.
Friendship is another factor we can watch in the movie. Miracle in Cell No. 7 demonstrates humanity and family love. We would like to suggest this movie to all the audiences out there who are greatly into family movies. Miracle in Cell No. 7 is an enigmatic Korean comedy-drama based on a true story.
- Director and Producers: Lee Hwan-Kyung and Kim Min-ki
- Writers: Lee Hwan-Kyung, Yu Young-a, and Kim Young-Seok
- Stars: Ryu Seung-ryong, Oh Dal-su, and Kim Jung-tae
- Where to watch: Rakuten Viki and Netflix
- Box office collection: $80.3
Northern Limit Line
This film tells the experience of a few of the young troops who battled and died in the conflict, which is based on a true incident known as “Yeonpyeong,” one of the best-known second-battle titles. The war came to an end when it can be seen that six men were killed by the troops, and eighteen were left injured.
The Korean patrol can be seen on a boat named Chamsuri 357, which the troop uses for military purposes, and the twist comes when they engage in a backfire battle. This is one of the best incidents that was recorded as one of the hardest battles ever recorded, where the soldiers were killed by enemies.
If you are patriotic and it makes you want to watch patriotic movies, then it could be the best movie to watch in your free time. The northern limit line gets well-appreciated comments from the audience and fan following; everyone praises the movie for the plot line and struggle of the troops who fight for their nation.
- Director and Producers: Kim Hyun-woo
- Writers: Kim Moon-soon
- Stars: Kim Mu-yeol and Lee Hyun-woo
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime
- Box office collection: $38 million
Murder Memories
Memories of Murder is a South Korean real-life crime thriller movie. Because the film is based on true events, we can say that it was heavily influenced by the true story of the first proven serial killings in Korea, which occurred in the Korean city of Hwaseong. The incident occurred in 1986, according to the records. After the incident, two detectives, Park and Seo, worked on the case to find the cruel killers.
The real chaos happened in the city of Hwaseong when more than 10 murders were reported in two days, and after back-to-back murders, police realized that there must be a serial killer out there. The DNA matched after some time with the suspect. The jury’s investigation is so exciting to watch that you will want to watch it over and over again.
- Director and Producers: Bong Joon-ho and Cha Seung-jae
- Writers: Bong Joon-ho
- Stars: Song Kang-ho, Park Hae-il, and KiRoi-ha
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime and Netflix
- Box office collection: $2.8 million
Spy Myung Wol
Spy Myung-Wol is a South Korean romantic and spy drama that was one of the year’s most popular shows. It’s most likely a romantic story with a dash of suspense and crime thrown in for good measure. Here the main lead is Korean spy Myeong-Wol, who attempts a kidnapping of Knag Woo, where it can be seen that he is a popular pop singer and is kidnapped by a girl who can be seen as a spy agent in the movie.
Myung attempted the kidnapping because she wanted to be her father, a great spy agent. She gets involved in kidnapping for a reason: she wants an autograph from Knag but realizes the only way to get one is to kidnap him. Well, more likely, after the kidnapping, they both fell in love with each other after a while, and it seems like anything that happened for good.
Here in the story, the mission of kidnapping failed multiple times, but Myung did not give up and realized that she needed a new plan for her task as a spy agent. We would like to recommend the movie to all spy and mystery lovers out there. The movie also comes to a point where a romance can be seen.
- Directors: Hwang In-hyuk & Kim Young-Kyun
- Writers: Kim Eun-young
- Stars: Han Ye-seul, Lee Jin-wook, and Eric Mun
- Where to watch: Amazon
The Admiral: Roaring Currents
Roaring Currents is a historical story that is all about the military victories of the past. The main character of the story is named Admiral Yi Sun-shin, who can be seen as the military leader and can be seen ruling the troops for the mission.
Japan and Korea are at war, and the Japanese army can be seen invading Korea. By this count, there were around 300 ships from Japan ready for the attack. With this many ships, the Japanese army was stronger than the Koreans’.
The story reveals that the Korean army, despite having little fighting equipment, is now ready for war. Finally, it is clear how many soldiers lose their lives while fighting for the army.
We would like to suggest this patriotic movie to all patriotic people out there who can die twice for their country; it is something that will give you a cinematic point of view. The battle between the two sides of the country was interesting and hurtful at the same time. Many of the soldiers died and left their loved ones out there in the cruel world.
- Director: Kim Han-min &
- Writers: Jeon Chul-hong & Kim Han-min
- Stars: Choi Min-sik, Cho Jin-woon, and Ryu Seung-ryong
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Box office collection: $138 million
Signal
The signal is a Korean fantasy and criminal drama television series. The Signal television drama series is based on one of Korea’s real-life illegal and criminal incidents, which also included the notorious Hwaseong brutal serial murders.
The plot begins with the lead character, Park Hae-young, portrayed by Lee Je-hoon, who is seen coming with a criminal profile to solve an abduction case involving a suspect who appears to have vanished after the crime.
The success of this investigation leads to the development of a long-term cold case team. The lead investigator can be seen here solving many cold cases as Hae-young solves additional cold cases that had gone unsolved for years with the assistance of his assistant named, Jae-ha.
In the story, Jae is the only person on the other end of the walkie-talkie while simultaneously assisting Jae-Han in solving other cases. There are many cases in the movies that appear to be very difficult to solve by the police and FBI, but when the cold cases come into the hands of Hae and his assistant, the cases are no longer as cold as when they began solving them.
We recommend this crime drama series to all crime thriller fans who enjoy watching people solve cold cases with little evidence.
- Director: Choi Jin-hee & Park Ji-young
- Writers: Kim Eun-hee
- Stars: Lee Je-hoon and Kim Hye-soo
- Where to watch: Netflix
Awl
The Awl movie comes with two main lead characters, and it can be seen that they both define their characters throughout the movie. where our first character, Lee Soo-in, is a morally upright supermarket manager. Further, it can be seen in the movie Awl that Soo-in challenges his boss and decides to join the union after he is instructed to dismiss all temporary workers.
Soo-in challenges his boss and decides to join the union after he is instructed to dismiss all temporary workers. Where Soo-in and the workers raised the company’s bad rules and regulations, which are not good for the workers, only the upper management benefits, so they made a strategy where they tried together to improve the company’s labor standards.
From the movie’s point of view, Lee Soo-In is the type of person who must always do the right thing.
He worked at a huge consumer store after being discharged from the army. He is one of those who know how to raise their voice for the right thing, and he decided it in the movie too.
One day, his supervisor instructed him to dismiss the company’s temporary workers. The step he takes is something his supervisor is not expecting, and Lee Soo-In declines and opts to join the labor union.
Well, the criminals in the movie are the upper class, who are stealing someone’s labor and working for them without any explanation. In the end, what the audience can learn is that fighting for your rights is not at all a bad thing; it is the only way to be yourself.
- Director: Kim Suk-Yoon
- Writers: Choi Kyun-Seok, Kim Soo-jin, and Lee Nam-kyu
- Stars: Ahn Nae-Sang and Hyun Woo
- Where to watch: My Asian TV
A Taxi Driver
A Taxi Driver is a Korean crime and thriller action and historical drama film. It is a real-life story that basically revolves around a taxi driver and a journalist who is proof of reality.
Based on a true incident, the movie follows a taxi driver from Seoul who accidentally becomes involved in the circumstances of the Gwangju Rebellion in the year 1980. A German journalist named Jürgen Hinzpeter encounters taxi driver Kim Sa-bok and interviews him in all possible ways.
The taxi driver got caught up in the protests by accident, and something happened that changed his life: someone threw a tear gas grenade, and it exploded where he helped a pregnant woman but eventually got caught as one of the people involved in the protest.
Taxi Driver is one of those films in which you become so involved in the plot that you realize it’s all true—but when this occurs, the film gets even more fascinating. Furthermore, from the point of view of cinema, it’s more engaging when you feel it happening in front of your eyes as you’ve also lived it.
- Director and producer: Jang Hoon and Park Uk-Kyoung
- Writers: Eom Yu-na
- Stars: Song Kang-ho, Ryu Ju-yeol, Park Hyuk-Kwon, and Choi Gwi-Hwa
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Box office collection: $88.5 million
Minari
Minari is a crime drama movie. The plot begins with a family moving from Korea to America to complete and fulfill their dream. They faced a lot of problems out there and started to slowly learn what it meant to be a family and to be at home.
Where Jacob and his wife Monica, with their kids, start a new life in another country, where the main character, Minari, helps the couple understand the meaning of their own rich culture and family. It can be seen that the couple struggles to fit into a new environment with new people, and they begin to doubt their ability to succeed, but they do.
They began farming as a way of life and eventually decided that it could help them. Well, the whole story can’t be explained here. We would like to recommend Minari to an audience with taste in love, family, trust, and dignity. Who hasn’t enjoyed watching movies about people who can do amazing things? Here, Minari is something that will show you what a loving and understanding family can accomplish.
- Director and producer: Lee Isaac Chung and Dede Gardner
- Stars: Steven Yeunn, Alan Kim, and Han Ye-ri
- Where to watch: Apple TV and Google Play
- Box office collection: $15.7 million
Midnight
Midnight is the most recent 2021 release in the crime thriller genre, and it is one of the best crime dramas of the 2021 year on all OTT platforms. Kyeong-mi, played by Jin Ki-Joo, is a deaf woman who struggles to survive in society due to her inability to hear. She works at the sign language call center as a sign language counselor.
The story witnessed something disturbing; she saw So Jung stabbing someone one night, and due to her fear, she remained silent for many days.
Here in the story, there is a scary serial killer who is killing people brutally by stabbing them. A deaf mother is shown here demonstrating her bravery by rescuing her daughter from a serial killer and even fighting the killer.
The conflict between a mother and a serial killer in which both are harmful to the other’s targets, even the deaf mother, can be challenged as being deaf but always one step ahead of the serial killer because it is all about saving her daughter from him. Midnight is an interesting movie to watch and a perfect fit for you if you’re one of those mystery and crime drama lovers.
- Director and producer: Kwon Oh-Seung
- Writers: Kwon Oh-Seung
- Stars: Jin Ki-Joo, Wi Ha-Joon, and Gil Hae-Yeon
- Where to watch: Vudu and Apple TV.
- Box office collection: $14,019 million
My First Client
My first client appears in a crime thriller drama film about a wealthy lawyer and his first difficult case as a stepping stone in his career. The storyline starts with Jung-yeob, who can be seen as a lawyer in Seoul.
He is seen working in child welfare, where he meets a girl around the age of ten at a police station. The girl’s name is Da-Bin, and his brother can be seen being abused physically and mentally by their stepmother.
As a good human being, a lawyer helps them by entertaining them, but after a while, he realizes that they are not happy with their mother and want to run away from her as soon as possible. The twist comes in the story when he is informed by someone that the girl killed his own brother, and he decides to take the case.
Lee Dong takes it on as a personal case to solve and discovers new evidence that changes his life while collecting evidence. We would like to recommend My first client is for all the mystery fans out there who enjoy shows like Sherlock Holmes because solving a case seems like something worth watching, right?
- Director: Jang Gyu-Sung
- Writer: Min Kyung-Eun
- Stars: Lee Dong-Hwi, Lee Joo-Won, and Yoo-Sun
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Old Boy 2003
Oldboy is a Korean action thriller and crime drama. The main lead in the Old Boy movie is Oh Dae-Su, who can be seen as an unpleasant drunk guy. who got kidnapped on a night in 1988 when he was facing rainy weather while drunk. He awakens in an odd hotel room with no windows to look out at the outside world after being kidnapped, and it makes him feel stressed after going through all of this.
Where it can be seen that his kidnappers keep him nourished by giving him good food and have progressively drugged him so that he feels low and takes a step toward suicide, there is also a TV in his room, which keeps him engaged after fifteen long years in captivity. Oh, Dae-Su’s kidnapper set him free.
The kidnapper was his adversary, and he wanted him to kill him multiple times in this manner to show him how important it is not to deal with him. For him, captivity was lethal because every day was the same, and he couldn’t stand the monotonous days ahead.
Everything is given to him the day he releases the kidnapper, and after a while, he meets a girl to whom he is attracted. Well, the story is really complicated, and there is a secret that might shock everyone in the end. We would like to recommend Old Boy to all the mystery and crime thriller lovers out there.
- Director and Producers: Park Chan-wook and Lim Seung-y
- Writers: Hwang Jo-Yun and Park Chan-wook
- Stars: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, and Kang Hye-jung
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
- Box office collection: $15 million
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
Lee Geum-JA, portrayed by Lee Young-ae, has been imprisoned for the past 13 years for a brutal murder she did not even commit, as seen in the movie, which made her really sad. She is obsessed with wreaking revenge on those who have done this to her.
There were many people involved in it, including the police officer who compelled her to confess in court and a teacher with whom she has had a lot of conflicts in the past. After her release, she joins forces with a gang of quirky companions she met behind bars to clear her record.
On her journey of vengeance, she meets some of the jail’s most loyal comrades, who give her hope and a plan for vengeance. She exacted vengeance on everyone who had wronged her. In the movie, she can be seen as a lady with a fire for revenge.
We would like to recommend this movie to all the ladies out there who think they can’t do bigger things, but when it comes to saving yourself, you can do bigger things, and this is what Lady Vengeance has taught us in the movie so far. Happy watching!
- Director and Producers: Park Chan-wook
- Writers: Jeong Se-Kyeong and Park Chan-woo
- Stars: Lee Young-ae, Kim Si-hoo, and Oh Da-su
- Where to watch: Pluto TV, Apple TV, and Filmzie
- Box office collection: $23.8 million
The Whistleblower
The storyline starts with the main lead character of the story, Lee Jang-hwan, earning tremendous recognition and media coverage for effectively cloning one of the human embryonic stem cells.
The journalist in the movie named, Yoon Min-Cheol, is a successful TV news producer. He receives a call from an unidentified person who claims to have collaborated with Dr. Lee on the same stem cell study. Further, it can be seen how Lee’s study on the science project blows everyone’s mind. Lee is a good researcher who is passionate about finding new things in life.
Lee used unethical methods to conduct research, which was harmful to humankind in some ways. It is almost certain that greedy scientists and researchers will harm animals and humans in order to prove their research over time. We would like to suggest this movie to all the science lovers out there who know what science can do when it comes to research and magic.
- Director and Producers: Yim Soon-rye and Lee Choon-Yeon
- Writer: Lee Chun-hyeong
- Stars: Park Hae-il and Yoo Yeon-seok
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
The Man From Nowhere
The man from nowhere is a Korean crime thriller movie. It can be seen that a guy named Cha Tae is quite mysterious in the way he lives. Someee Jung, a kid, lives below his apartment and is not happy with her mother, who consumes drugs and is drug addicted. Her mother steals drugs from a big drug dealer, which causes her trouble, and as can be seen, the gang kills her for this.
Cha slowly made a bond with Somee as her innocence, and cute nature made him feel like he could be friends with someone. After a while, he found the dead body of Somee’s mother in a car without any organs left, which made him feel like now Mother and Kid are in danger and he has to take a step to save her life. There are fights and mysteries in the movie, which will entertain for sure.
Cha fights for an unknown kid whom he met only a week ago but feels like he is her daughter as he lost his daughter in an accident and now wants to be protective of her. We would recommend The man from nowhere film to anyone looking for an emotional twist in a thriller or crime drama.
- Director and Producers: Lee Jeong-beom and Lee Tae-heon
- Writer: Lee Jeong-beom
- Stars: Won Bin and Kim Sae-Ron
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Box office collection: $42 million
I Saw the Devil
The storyline starts with the main lead, Kyung-Chul, portrayed by Choi Min-Sik, who can be seen as a cab driver who comes to discover a terrified female driver trapped in a vehicle. What was strange was that he pulled over her but did not help her in any way.
When the woman’s head is recovered from a nearby river in the film, her stressed fiancé, Kim Soo-Hyeon, a skilled secret agent and FBI agent, becomes emotionally obsessed with finding her girlfriend’s murderer. The chase game started when he wanted to kill the murderer but couldn’t catch him because he was way smarter than him.
He can also be seen ahead of him in this game of chasing. I saw the devil is based on a true Korean crime story. We’d like to recommend movies to the audience who are always looking for mysteries to solve and experiencing crime through the lens of cinema.
- Director and Producers: Kim Jee-Woon
- Writers: Park Hoon-jung
- Stars: Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Box office collection: $12 million
The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil
The plot revolves around three main characters: a serial killer, a crime boss who almost becomes a victim of the serial killer, and a police officer who wants to catch the film’s villain.
The cop, as well as the gangster, together with action and tricks, resolved the case and wanted to work together to catch the killer, but they encountered difficulties during chasing and catching. These three, with a great combination of experience and tricks, amaze everyone with the game they played in the move to catch the villain.
The audience can see how these three made strategies to find a solution and let them bring every single piece of evidence together in The Gangster, the Cop, and the Devil, as they come forward to fight against the crime they saw and now want to catch the killer. We’d like to recommend movies to the audience who are always looking for mysteries to solve and experiencing crime through the lens of cinema.
- Director and Producers: Lee Won-tae and Won-seok Jang
- Writers: Lee Won-tae
- Stars: Ma Dong-seok, Kim Sung-kyu, and Kim Mu-yeol
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Box office collection: $25 million
We would like to recommend all the above movies to the audience out there who wants to watch the best of the movie with the mixture of crime, fantasy, romance, suspense, war, military, thriller, and more entertainment out there. Happy Watching!
Also Read: 44 Gangster Korean Drama To Watch If You Like Action Series
