Cinephiles are well aware that the most exciting movies in the world often hail from South Korea. The Korean entertainment industry is beloved for legendary films from award-winning blockbusters like Parasite to instantly classic horror movies like The Wailing, and many of the country's most acclaimed auteurs and stars are at the top of their game. 2025 has been no exception; for those looking to catch up, many of the films that dominated Korea's box office this year are now available to rent or stream.
Below, discover the best Korean movies to watch in U.S. theaters or streaming platforms in 2025. (And if you're still immersing yourself in Korean cinema, check out our recommendations for the best Korean movies on Netflix and the best Korean films of 2024.)
'Harbin'
Release date: January 3
Starring: Hyun Bin, Park Jeong-min, Jeon Yeo-been, Jo Woo-jin, and Lee Dong-wook
Why it's worth watching: Crash Landing on You star Hyun Bin won a Blue Dragon Film Award for his portrayal of real-life independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun. This Korean historical thriller takes place in 1909, following Ahn's mission to assassinate Itō Hirobumi, Japan’s first prime minister.
'Dark Nuns'
Release date: February 7
Starring: Song Hye-kyo, Jeon Yeo-been, Lee Jin-wook, and Moon Woo-jin
Why it's worth watching: Released 10 years after the hit Korean horror movie The Priests, this new spinoff is director Jang Jae-hyun's latest religious thriller. When a young boy named Hee-joon (Moon Woo-jin) becomes possessed by an evil spirit, headstrong nun Sister Giunia (Song Hye-kyo) attempts to perform an exorcism despite not being an ordained priest. When her efforts don't work, she meets Sister Michela (Jeon Yeo-been), a novice nun who hides a dark past. As Hee-joon's condition grows worse, the pair must confront their own fears to save him.
'Mickey 17'
Release date: March 7
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo
Why it's worth watching: Though Bong Joon-ho's follow-up to Parasite is an English-language film produced in the U.S., we can't leave off the Oscar-winning director's latest movie. Based on Edward Ashton's sci-fi novel Mickey7, the movie stars Robert Pattinson as a man who volunteered to become a "disposable" employee sent on impossible missions and cloned whenever he dies.
'Revelations'
Release date: March 21 on Netflix
Starring: Ryu Jun-yeol and Shin Hyun-been
Why it's worth watching: This thriller boasts an all-star creative team, including Train to Busan helmer (and Netflix favorite) Yeon Sang-ho as director and Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón as an executive producer. According to the description, the film "follows a pastor (Ryu Jun-yeol) and a detective (Shin Hyun-been), each driven by their own beliefs. The pastor believes it’s his divine calling to punish the culprit behind a missing-person case, while the detective assigned to the case continues to be haunted by visions of her dead sister."
'The Match'
Release date: March 26 on Netflix
Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Yoo Ah-in, Ko Chang-seok, Hyun Bong-sik, Moon Jeong-hee, and Kim Kang-hoon
Why it's worth watching: This sports biopic is based on the true story of the careers of master Go player Cho Hun-hyun (played by Squid Game's Lee Byung-hun) and his protégé-become-rival Lee Chang-ho (Hellbound's Yoo Ah-in). Their intense history comes to a head in the match of a lifetime, played at a time when the game of Go was more popular than the World Cup. (For anyone unfamiliar, Go is the game of black and white stones that was featured in The Glory and the first Knives Out.)
'Revolver'
Release date: April 8
Starring: Jeon Do-yeon, Ji Chang-wook, and Lim Ji-yeon
Why it's worth watching: This twisted revenge thriller centers on Ha Soo-young (Jeon Do-yeon), a police sergeant who agreed to take the fall for a corruption scandal in exchange for a cushy life upon release. However, two years later, no one picks her up from prison. Double-crossed and left with nothing, Soo-young sets out on a ruthless search for the man who screwed her over (Ji Chang-wook).
'Yadang: The Snitch'
Release date: April 25
Starring: Kang Ha-neul, Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-joon, Ryu Kyung-soo, and Chae Won-bin
Why it's worth watching: In this crime thriller, Squid Game season 2's Kang Ha-neul plays Lee Kang-soo, a professional informant (a.k.a. a yadang) who sells intel about the drug world to ambitious prosecutor Goo Gwan-hee (Yoo Hae-jin). When a drug bust at a party attended by high-profile second-generation VIPs leads to Goo double-crossing Kang-soo, the yadang teams up with a framed cop (Park Hae-joon) to get revenge.
'Lost in Starlight'
Release date: May 30 on Netflix
Starring: Kim Tae-ri and Hong Kyung
Why it's worth watching: This year, Netflix debuted its first-ever Korean-language animated film, a love story between scientist Nan-young (Kim Tae-ri) and musician Jay (Hong Kyung). Nan-young dreams of traveling to Mars and searching for traces of her mom, an astronaut who never returned after a mission. Right before her space voyage, she meets Jay, who repairs retro instruments. Per the streamer, the adorable film will see the pair "embark on the longest-ever long-distance relationship—one that bridges Earth and Mars."
'Hi-Five'
Release date: May 30
Starring: Lee Jae-in, Ahn Jae-hong, Ra Mi-ran, Kim Hee-won, Yoo Ah-in, Oh Jung-se, and Park Jin-young
Why it's worth watching: Check out this action-comedy for a new spin on the ragtag superhero team. When five strangers receive organs from a mysterious donor, they find that they've inherited unbelievable powers that link them together. They must learn to work together against a cult leader (Park Jin-young of GOT7) who seeks to absorb their new powers.
'Wall to Wall'
Release date: July 18 on Netflix
Starring: Kang Ha-neul, Yeom Hye-ran, and Seo Hyun-woo
Why it's worth watching: For this thriller, Unlocked writer/director Kim Tae-joon promises another stomach-churning thriller that hits a bit too close to home with its realistic premise. After exhausting all his financial resources, Woo-seong (Kang Ha-neul) "finally saves up enough to buy an apartment, only to have it turn into a nightmare with financial ruin and mysterious noises from neighboring floors."
'Love Untangled'
Release date: August 29 on Netflix
Starring: Gong Myoung, Shin Eun-soo, Cha Woo-min, Youn Sang-hyun, and Kang Mi-na
Why it's worth watching: For rom-com fans, this romance film set in a high school in 1988 sounds like a must-watch. According to the description, it "follows 19-year-old Park Se-ri (Shin Eun-soo) as she plans to straighten her perpetually frizzy hair before making a life-changing confession, all while getting entangled with transfer student Han Yun-seok (Gong Myoung)."
'Good News'
Release date: September 5 on Netflix
Starring: Sul Kyung-gu, Hong Kyung, and Ryu Seung-bum
Why it's worth watching: This historical black-comedy from Kill Boksoon director Byun Sung-hyun is based on a real-life hijacking of a Japanese airplane by militant communists in the 1970s. Instead of going the thriller route, Good News focuses on the absurd details of the event and the spineless attempts at damage control from bureaucrats trying to pass the blame for the incident.
'Mantis'
Release date: September 26 on Netflix
Starring: Yim Si-wan, Park Gyu-young, and Jo Woo-jin
Why it's worth watching: Two years after the thriller Kill Boksoon debuted on Netflix, writer Byun Sung-hyun returns to the world of contract-killing agencies in this spinoff film co-written and directed by Lee Tae-sung. Per the description, the action movie "follows Mantis (Yim Si-wan), an ace assassin returning to a collapsed order-hired-killer industry after his vacation. Upon reentering this anarchic world, Mantis encounters Jae-yi (Park Gyu-young), his fellow trainee and rival, and Dok-go (Jo Woo-jin), a retired legendary killer, and realizes they are all vying for the top spot among the killers."
'The Great Flood'
Release date: December 19 on Netflix
Starring: Kim Da-mi and Park Hae-soo
Why it's worth watching: This disaster movie is set on the last day on Earth, as a catastrophic flood threatens the entire planet. Kim Da-mi stars as An-na, an AI researcher struggling to survive as she rescues a child from a flooding apartment. Meanwhile, a security team member named Hee-jo (Park Hae-soo) tries to save Anna from "the flood that threatens the entire world."
'No Other Choice'
Release date: December 25 in theaters
Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won
Why it's worth watching: Park Chan-wook's highly anticipated new film, adapted from Donald E. Westlake's novel The Ax, is a must-watch for fans of satirical black comedies about the ways capitalism drives us to extremes. (Yes, think Parasite.) When a lifelong paper-industry pro (Lee Byung-hun) is unceremoniously fired, he decides to rid the competition to ensure his and his family's livelihood.
