Movies that capture the atmosphere of the city.
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The Host (2006)
Allegorical horror/black comedy/social critique about a giant, shrimp-like monster emerging from the Han River to chomp on citizens after U.S. troops in central Seoul pour poison down a drain (a real incident). Camera offers unusual city views—from underneath river bridges—as the monsoon pounds down and a family defies bureaucrats to rescue two children from the creature’s lair.
Taegukki: Brotherhood of War (2004)
Melodrama overwhelms this Korean War-era brother-versus-brother tearjerker, but the final widescreen shot—when the camera pans out from a group of refugees cooking in the ruins to reveal the devastated city—is worth the price of entry.
Oldboy (2003)
This ultra-violent film noir earned the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes in 2004. An ordinary businessman is locked in a shabby motel room for years for reasons unknown by persons unknown. One day, he is mysteriously released to take revenge. Filled with lurid scenes of back-alley Seoul.
Shiri (1999)
The movie that heralded the “Korea Wave” of movies and TV soaps, which have flooded Asia, this thriller showcased a sophisticated Seoul. South-North spy versus spy: What happens when a handsome capitalist agent falls for a gorgeous communist assassin?
