Squid Game, Kingdom, Hellbound … the best South Korean movies and series on Netflix

Game news Squid Game, Kingdom, Hellbound … the best South Korean movies and series on Netflix

Alive

We begin this selection with a film freshly landed on Netflix. #Alive tells the story of Joon-woo, a young Korean streamer who spends most of his time at home. When a virus that turns people into zombies spreads in Korea, Joon-woo has no choice but to barricade himself in his home. After ten days, thinking he was alone, he realizes that his neighbor is also trying to survive. Much more claustrophobic than Last Train to Busan but just as mastered, #Alive is a nice success in Korea which reaches our borders thanks to the streaming platform.

Demon Catchers

Skilfully blending comedy and fantasy, Demon Catchers is consumed without moderation. The series follows the daily life of employees of a noodle restaurant… who hunt demons at night. A story of quirky heroes with incredible abilities straight from the Amazing Rumor webtoon. A very nice show that will keep you going during its 16 episodes. Note that a season 2 should arrive soon.

We change our tone, and we go into the teen-thriller with Extracurricular. Oh Jisoo is a bright young high school student. Coming from a modest background, he embarked on illegal business to finance his studies. His activities will attract the attention of a young classmate. Without ever falling into the cliché, Extracurricular is a fun series with well-constructed and well-interpreted characters. The pitch is a pretext to explore the depths of society, and addresses the taboo of prostitution. An excellent show which shows another facet of Korean culture and more broadly of Asian culture.

• See Extracurricular on Netflix

Hellbound

Hellbound is the latest South Korean bombshell to hit Netflix. Created by Sang-ho Yeon, the director of Last Train to Busan, the series is adapted from the eponymous webtoon written by Sang-ho Yeon himself. Strange events are taking place in Korea: people are told of their deaths by a supernatural apparition. Some time later, “demons” appear out of nowhere and take the souls of these people. Cults seeing here the work of God are then formed across the country around mysterious gurus. Hellbound is a horrific thriller that probes the human soul as Korean works know so well and has fun putting into perspective the great moral principles that frame our society.

• See Hellbound on Netflix

Illang: The Wolf Brigade

Directed by Kim Jee-woon (to whom we owe in particular A bittersweet life, The Good, the Bad and the Crazy, I met the Devil), Illang: The Wolf Brigade is the adaptation of the Japanese animated film Jin-Roh, The Wolf Brigade itself taken from the universe of the manga Kerberos Panzer Cops by Mamoru Oshii. The story takes place in 2029 as the two Koreas are preparing to reunite. A large part of the population opposes this decision, and while a civil movement rises against the government, a terrorist group called “Sect” takes advantage of the confusion to sow terror. A new police unit is then created… Dystopian Uchronia, Illang: the Wolf Brigade is one of the all too rare representatives of Korean anticipation cinema. For the record, Mamoru Oshii loved the movie.

• See Illang: The Wolf Brigade

Kingdom

As a rumor circulates about a strange disease from which the king is said to be affected, the crown prince seeks to hear from him. Despite his insistence, the king’s close advisers prevent him from knowing anything. The prince then decides to conduct the investigation but will quickly understand that a plot to dismiss him is being set up. At the same time, a terrible epidemic begins to spread throughout the country. The Prince then sets off in search of the truth. Kingdom is a perfect blend of horror and historical political fresco. Without ever overdosing on genres, the series delivers an epic epic and takes as a frame a part of Korean history little known to us. The series was so successful that Netflix produced the prequel film. Ashin of The North.

• See Kingdom on Netflix
• See Kingdom: Ashin of the North

My Name

We come back to the thriller with My Name. Traumatized by the murder of her father, Yoon Ji-woo decides to embark on a vengeful quest in search of the culprit. After several years preparing for a gang to which her father belonged, she changes her identity to infiltrate the police. She will quickly realize that her father’s death hides many mysteries. The Revenge Story is a genre that has been featured many times in Korea. In episodic format, it gives a breathtaking story, sometimes agreed upon, but which knows how to largely compensate for that by its technical mastery.

Night in Paradise

Speaking of technical mastery, we are now talking about Night in Paradise. Tae-Gu is an important henchman. While the rival gang offers to join them, Tae-Gu decides to decline the offer. Annoyed by the latter’s response, President Doh orders the murder of his sister, condemned by an incurable disease, and her niece. Tae-Gu decides to take revenge and assassinates the president. To protect him, his gang sends him to hide on Jeju Island while things calm down. There, Tae-Gu will befriend Jae-Yeon, also doomed by illness. Night in Paradise adopts a dark and difficult tone, but the story is also a pretext for action and delivers us intense fights and hemoglobin galore. A dark thriller served by an impeccable staging, as often in South Korea.

Okja

Okja is the first Netflix production of the most prominent Korean director of recent years: Bong Joon-ho. Lost in the Korean mountains, little Mija took care of Okja, a kind of big hippopotamus, for almost 10 years. When the existence of this curious creature is revealed to the world, a large multinational kidnaps Okja with the aim of exploiting him. Mija then launches to the rescue of his friend. The director of Parasite signs with Okja a poetic ode to ecology that recalls the great works of Hayao Miyazaki. Okja is a beautiful entry point into the filmography of one of the greatest directors of his generation.

Squid Game

Do we really need to introduce you Squid Game ? Real phenomenon, most watched series of all time on Netflix
has already won over several hundred million people. The show, between bitter social criticism and bloody Battle Royale, conquered spectators around the world. A total success, which placed South Korea at the top of the audiovisual industry. The story is all the more beautiful as the creator of the series has chained the galleys before succeeding in convincing its producers. Now on the top of the world, Squid Game will soon receive a season 2. A real success story.

• See Squid Game on Netflix

Sweet Home

We end this selection with Sweet Home. The series follows the worthy line of tortured shows, and tells the story of Cha Hyun-soo, a suicidal teenager who moves into a dilapidated complex after his family died in an accident. Barely installed, the young man will attend strange events. Indeed, its neighbors begin to transform into monsters. Sweet Home is another adaptation of a webtoon. The show benefits from impeccable production and special effects. Special mention to the abominable creatures co-created by Legacy Effects, Spectral Motion and VFX Westworld, three internationally renowned studios that have worked on films like Avengers: Endgame, Pacific Rim and Avatar.

• See Sweet Home on Netflix