16 Korean Thriller Films So Unsettling, It's Hard to Watch Them

Let's just say, after watching these films, you'll look at your quiet neighbor or the local milkman in a whole new, slightly suspicious, light.

16. The Cursed: Dead Man's Prey (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: N/A

A sequel to the television series "The Cursed," this film centers on a mysterious case of serial murders where the victims are found with a strange symbol carved into their skin, invoking supernatural elements.

15. Carter (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 32%

After waking up with no memories, Carter discovers a voice in his ear guiding him on a dangerous mission to rescue a kidnapped girl, uncovering a massive conspiracy involving a deadly virus and North and South Korean relations.

14. Lucid Dream (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 40%

In a movie clearly inspired by Nolan's Inception, a journalist uses lucid dreaming to uncover the truth about his son's abduction, entering a dream-world to piece together clues and track down the kidnapper, blurring the lines between reality and dreams.

13. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 53%

In a tale of revenge, a deaf-mute man's desperate attempt to fund his sister's kidney transplant goes tragically wrong, setting off a chain of vengeance and violence between him and his child's kidnapper.

12. Confession of Murder (2012)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 65%

After the statute of limitations expires on a series of high-profile murders, a man publishes a tell-all book claiming responsibility, sparking a frantic pursuit by the detective and families affected.

11. Confession (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 67%

A lawyer with a 100% success rate is drawn into a complex case involving a murder suspect with amnesia, uncovering layers of legal and moral ambiguity in a high-stakes game of truth and deception.

10. Hwayi: A Monster Boy (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 75%

A teenager, raised by five criminal fathers, discovers the truth about his upbringing and embarks on a vengeful quest against his own 'family,' unraveling his complex identity.

9. I Saw the Devil (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%

A secret agent embarks on a relentless quest for revenge against a sadistic serial killer, leading to a brutal and bloody game of cat-and-mouse, blurring the lines between good and evil.

8. Forgotten (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 82%

A young man's life turns upside down when his brother is kidnapped and returns with no memories of the past 19 days, unraveling a shocking family secret and a psychological mystery.

7. Burning (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

A slow-burn thriller about a young man, his childhood friend, and a mysterious wealthy stranger, leading to an intense psychological drama with themes of obsession, class conflict, and an ambiguous reality.

6. Memories of Murder (2003)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

Based on a true story, two detectives struggle to find the perpetrator of a series of brutal rapes and murders in 1980s South Korea, facing the limitations of technology and a bureaucratic system.

5. Mother (2009)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%

A devoted mother embarks on a relentless quest to prove her mentally challenged son's innocence after he is accused of the brutal murder of a young girl, leading her into a dark and morally ambiguous world.

4. Parasite (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%

A dark comedy-thriller about a poor family scheming to become employed by a wealthy family, leading to a series of unpredictable events, class conflict, and a shocking revelation.

3. The Wailing (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%

In a small village, a policeman investigates a series of bizarre deaths and illnesses linked to a mysterious stranger, leading to a clash of shamanism, Christianity, and evil forces.

2. Midnight (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%

A deaf woman becomes the target of a ruthless killer on the streets of Seoul, leading to a tense game of cat-and-mouse as she attempts to outwit and escape her relentless pursuer.

1. The Call (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%

A woman discovers she can communicate through a phone with a person living in the same house but 20 years earlier, leading to changes in the past with dire consequences in the present.