The year 2021 is ending, and the Korean Wave is still high all over the world. With the holiday season approaching, what’s better than spending time together with the people we call ‘family’ and watching some movies. While every channel is filled with Christmas and other holiday movies, not everyone wants to watch sentimental love stories meant only for that time of the year. There is no designated time to watch a thriller. And with the year ending, what’s better than to catch up on some Korean Thriller Movies that went under the radar.
While Korean drama thrillers like ‘Squid Game’ ‘Sweet Home,’ ‘Save Me,’ and a lot more have been the talk of the town the whole year all over the globe, some attention-worthy Korean Thrillers were left untouched because of ignorance. From thrillers filled with comedy and satire to the ones that put you in an existential crisis. So here is a list of the top Korean thrillers of the year 2021 that one must not miss starring some of your favorite actors in the roles you have never expected them to do.
Rule of the Game: Human Hunting
Released in January 2021, ‘Rule of the Game: Human Hunting’ was the ‘Squid Game’ before the series took over the world by storm. The movie went under the radar as it isn’t available on any global streaming platform. It stars ‘Suspicious Family’ fame Kim Sung-Soo, ‘Hot Service: A Cruel Hairdresser’ fame Cho Kyung-Hoon, along with Seo Young and Kim Se Hee. The story follows Jeong Hwan, who has a lot of things going on in life and wants to forget it all. Thinking of taking a trip to move on, he decided to visit a remote island along with some other tourists. But reaching there, along with his past, he too gets at the risk of moving on from his life forever. As the game of the hunter and prey begins on the island, the lives of all the tourists are on the line.
The movie can be rented on Google Play Movies.
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Seobok
The science-fiction thriller released back in April 2021 is one of the best Korean movies out there. It stars our own ‘Goblin’ and the seeker from the ‘Squid Game,’ Gong Yoo, and the nation’s boyfriend and prince charming Park Sae Beom in the lead. ‘Seobok’ tells the story of a former intelligence agent named Min Ki Heon and the journey he goes through with his new task. Ki Heon is terminally ill and gets the final mission of his career. He has to transport the first human clone named ‘Seo Bok’. He saves him from all the people after him as Seo Bok holds the secret to immortality.
As Ki Heon takes Seo Bok to the destination, both of them start to bond. Nobody ever took care of Seo Bok like Ki Heon without expecting anything in return. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the movie’s both theatrical and domestic OTT release. ‘Seobok’ went under the radar. The movie is a must-watch if somebody wants to think about life and the ongoing human experiments and enjoy some action-packed fights together.
Seobok is available to watch on Rakuten Viki.
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Midnight
Released in July 2021, ‘Midnight’ is a simple game of cat-and-mouse between a killer and a witness of a murder. Starring ‘Come and Hug Me’ and ‘Misty’ star Jin Ki Joo and the ‘Bad and Crazy’ hero Wi Ha Joon in the lead. Along with ‘Sky Castle’ fame Kim Hye Yoon and ‘In Her Place’ fame Gil Hae Yeon. Meanwhile, the supporting cast includes talented actors like Park Hoon, Kang In Seo, Noh Su Min, Na Eun Saem, Lee Jae Seok, and Park Ji Hoon. The story follows Kyeong Mi, who suffers from hearing impairment and works at a call center. And the killer Do Sik, who loves to kill people.
After a not-so-good office dinner, Kyeong Mi went to pick her mother up from the way. Her mother became Do Sik’s new victim until another girl passed by replacing her mother. But as Kyeong Mi found the dead girl in the dark ally, she ended up becoming the new victim for Do Sik starting the chase. The movie is really intense as the acting, music score, and the storyline keeps the viewers on their toes. While some viewers did call the movie frustrating calling the female lead dumb for not sensing the killer’s motives, we all know how the senses work when the situation comes up IRL.
Midnight is available to watch on TVING (South Korea)
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Sinkhole
Released in August 2021, ‘Sinkhole’ is a comedy thriller starring some of the best entertainers in the main lead. As the name of the movie suggests, it is about a sinkhole that appears in the middle of the city and swallows a hole building. The story follows Dong Won, who saved eleven years to buy a home in Seoul. And soon after, he is able to buy one and calls his office friends for the housewarming party. The whole apartment complex sinks into a 500m deep hole with Dong Wong and his friends stuck inside. As they try to survive and go up the hole, the task isn’t that easy as the water starts filling up the hole, making it deeper.
Starring Cha Seung Won, Kim Sung Kyun, Lee Kwang Soo, and Kim Hye Joon, the acting in the movies is one of the best things about it. As the characters and story develop with time, the viewers are bound to feel the laughter and thrill approaching them. Give ‘Sinkhole’ a try this holiday season if you are in the mood to watch some good Korean satire that might hit home.
Sinkhole can be rented on Google Play, Amazon Instant Videos, and iTunes.
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Hard Hit
Released in June 2021, ‘Hard Hit’ is one of the Korean thrillers that will make you get goosebumps. It stars ‘Happiness’ and ‘Dr. Jin’ fame Jo Woo Jin and ‘Backstreet Rookie’ and ‘Lovestruck in the City’ fame Ji Chang Wook in the lead. The story keeps the viewers on the tip of their toes till the end. The story follows Sung Kyu, who is a bank manager and belongs to a middle-class family. As one day he was on his way to drop his kids off at school, he got an anonymous call telling him that there was a bomb in his car. Telling him to get the money ready, the caller tells him if he gets up, the car will explode. But he isn’t the only one who got the call.
Standing in the traffic with other people who have gotten the same call. As Sung Kyu thought that the call was a joke, seeing a car exploding in front of him makes it believe it’s very much true. As he becomes the only target of the villain and a suspect to the police, Sung Kyu has no other option but to arrange the money and meet the caller face to face and clear the deal out.
The movie is available to rent on Google Play Movies.
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Mission: Possible
Released in February 2021, ‘Mission: Possible’ is another comedy-thriller on the list. Written and directed by Kim Hyung Joo, the movie is based on the Mission: Impossible series by Bruce Geller. Starring Lee Sun Bin and Kim Young Kwang in the lead role. The story follows Yoo Da Hee, a top-secret agent from the Chinese Ministry of State Security. She was sent on the mission when her department received some information about an arms smuggling ring in South Korea. But a case of mistaken identity led her to meet Woo Soo Han, who is an inexperienced private detective whose small-fry cases include searching for missing dogs.
As she had no idea about the type of work he does, she included him in her team. Thinking that he has been earmarked by the secret service and has been fast-tracked to the top. But when the key witnesses are murdered, things start going downhill real quick. Even though the mispair is quite a cliche, the movie just hits the spot in comedy and thriller. The movie has everything a thrilling spy parody needs, including the good chemistry, illegal firearms and gangs, combat battles, and a perfect balance between action and funny scenes.
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