10 Classic Korean Films to Stream for Free

I've been a watching and writing about South Korean cinema for well over a decade. So while I rejoiced to see Parasite win those four well-deserved Oscars, I was also aware that Bong Joon-ho's latest masterpiece is no anomaly. South Korea's been making great movies since the beginning of the 20th century! Below is proof: 10 movies that are at least 50 years old and are currently streaming for free via YouTube's Korean Film Archives — akin to a Turner Classic Movies outpost for the international set. (Please note: My blog is more a record of what I watch than a traditional review site. Because of that, spoilers abound in the linked reviews.)

1. Stray Bullet (1960): The Koreans have a rep for making kick-ass gangster films but Yu Hyun-mok's thrilling neo-realist tragedy shows that they've been masters of other forms for a long time too. (Read review) (Watch movie)

2. A Flower in Hell (1958): Forgive me for putting two bleak pics back-to-back at the top but once you've seen Shin Sang-ok's ultimate bad girl pic, you'll understand why I'm such a Choi Eun-hie fanatic. (Read review) (Watch movie)

3. Transgression (1974): Though best known for The Housemaid and its psychosexual offspring, director Kim Ki-young's equally nutso tale of three initiates in the running to helm a monastery remains my all-time favorite by this offbeat auteur. (Read review) (Watch movie)

4. Hometown in Heart (1949): Who doesn't relish a coming-of-age story with a talented young actor (Min Yu) as the lead? If you like The 400 Blows and Lady Bird then this is the one for you. (Read review) (Watch movie)

5. Yangsan Province (1955): As styles go, "folk" is probably the hardest to manifest on the silver screen but Kim Ki-young's first flick manages to shun naturalism while telling timeless truths. (Read review) (Watch movie)

6. Madame White Snake (1960): As a gay man, I feel obliged to put something unapologetically camp on this list. This fantasy involving a seductress who's also a snake who's also a witch should suffice. (Read review) (Watch movie)

7. The Sea Knows (1961): Sections of this war pic are sadistic. Other parts are preposterous. But the ending blew me away, proving that a great end can justify the label "necessary viewing." (Read review) (Watch movie)

8. The Widow (1955): The first Korean film directed by a woman was stiffed by distributors. Let's remedy that: Park Nam-ok's drama prominently featuring male eye candy deserves a bigger audience despite some missing footage! (Read review) (Watch movie)

9. Empty Dream (1965): In a way, you could say this is what would happen if you crossed the original Little Shop of Horrors with L'Age d'Or. I know that doesn't make sense. Neither does the movie but oh my... (Read review) (Watch movie)

10. The Night Before Independence Day (1948): Early Korean cinema was known for its byeonsas, narrators employed by the theater to act out the story. This seedy portrait of society's underbelly is a fascinating example. Admittedly not for everyone but definitely for me. (Read review) (Watch movie)

Top Ten Korean Movies of 2019 (Sort of)

Thanks to the Korean Film Archive on YouTube, this past year was very much devoted to movies of yesteryear, especially those starring Choi Eun-hie or directed by Kim Ki-young. So while a few movies on this list are fairly recent, most date back at least 50 years. And as much as I consider myself a fan of Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, and Kim Ki-duk, I would now count A Flower in Hell and Transgressions as among my favorite Korean films of all time.

1. A Flower in Hell (1958): Choi Eun-hie's turn as an amoral woman in this war melodrama is so good and so atypical that it's almost hard to believe it's her.

2. Empty Dream (1965): This dreamscape set in a dentist's office rates as one of the most surreal flicks I've ever seen. And yes, I'm including Un Chien Andalou and Meshes of the Afternoon.

3. A Hometown in Heart (1949): If coming-of-age films like Okja and The 400 Blows are your thing then have I got a movie (with a young Choi Eun-hie) for you.

4. Columbus (2017): This visually impressive American indie has chunks of dialogue in Korean and a terrific lead performance by Korean-American matinee idol John Cho.

5. Dark Figure of Crime (2018): You can't have a top ten Korean movies list without at least one featuring a serial killer. Hence, this engaging flick by director Kim Tae-gyun.

6. Night Before Independence Day (1948): Basically a silent movie with a narrator, this arthouse relic about urban lowlifes is absolutely fascinating to watch.

7. Parasite (2019): One of the most buzzed-about films of 2019 is really just the latest masterpiece from Bong Joon-ho, a director who has plenty of wonders to his credit.

8. Transgression (1974): From the psychosexual Kim Ki-young comes this mind-bender about three men under consideration to helm the monastery after the old monk dies.

9. The Widow (1955): The first Korean movie directed by a woman should be required viewing given how it was short-shrifted when it was released.

10. Yangsan Province (1955): Kim Ki-young's first film is a gorgeous folk tale that gains power from performances and music very much rooted in the past.

The Widow: Females First, Female Firsts

Quick. What's the first Korean movie directed by a woman? Yeah, I didn't know the answer either and that's too bad because Park Nam-ok's The Widow is actually really, really good. This despite missing the final footage and having the ten minutes preceding that missing footage devoid of sound. How many movies can you say are unquestionably worth watching even though you never get to see the end? Well, The Widow is one of that select few. Part of the movie's appeal can be attributed to Lee Min-ja who brings a lot of complexities to the lead character, the single mother Shin: She seems crafty by necessity, devoted but only to a point. She's neither the hero nor the villain; she's more a self-respecting woman trying to get by in very less-than-ideal circumstances. You can't blame her for manipulating her husband's old friend, the rich Mr. Lee (Shin Dong-hun), and you've got to appreciate Park's unexpectedly bold presentation of her as a far-from-perfect mother to her petulant and needy child Ju (Lee Seong-ju).

Also hard not to relish is how the sex symbol of The Widow is neither Shin nor the philandering Mrs. Lee (and certainly not the prostitute who lives down the street). It's Taek (Lee Tak-kyun), the unofficial lifeguard we first meet wearing only a bathing suit even as our protagonist is hanging out on the same beach in traditional raiment with a parasol over her head. You could say, he's The Widow's homme fatale who will lead Shin to compromise herself in her family, to indebt herself to a married man, and to drink hard liquor. He's not trying to ruin this lady's life. He simply can't help cause all-around grief and destruction. Just ask his former love, Mrs. Lee.