These are some of the best romance films to come out of the South Korean peninsula.
Movies about love are the best way to gratify viewers’ inner romantic side. There will always be rom-com and romantic dramas that succeed in making their stomach feel butterflies, no matter how corny they may be, despite being a hardcore romance movie fan and having seen every love story cliché play out on the screen.
It is undoubtedly true that South Korean romantic movies have an undeniable appeal and inventiveness that viewers find impossible to resist. Thus, here is the list of 10 romance movies fans must watch from the 2010s.
This 2015 romantic comedy The Beauty Inside was based on the 2012 American version of the same name about a South Korean who woke up every day in a different person’s body. That person designs furniture and is in a relationship with a woman who overlooks his minor defect because she appreciates the beauty he possesses on the inside.
The unique and creative concept of the film is where the success of the film begins. Additionally, the serious and significant message that the movie wishes to convey is that love comes in a variety of sizes and shapes and can transcend gender, age, and language. The cast of The Beauty Inside is diverse and equally brilliant, and despite their differences in real life, they can all portray the same character convincingly and thoroughly.
On Your Wedding Day is a 2018 romantic comedy depicting two people’s ten-year love and friendship from adolescence to adulthood. The movie opens when the man’s (Kim Young-Kwang) first love, whom he thought was his destiny when they first met in high school, sends him a wedding invitation.
Despite having a typical and predictable plot for a Korean rom-com, On Your Wedding Day stands out for its creative character development, which resonates with viewers. Additionally, the film's color is a bit vintage with soothing music and a gradual yet upbeat tempo because of the merging of the present and the past in the storyline. The leading couple also possesses incredible on-screen chemistry.
Tune in for Love is a romantic movie set in the 90s with a student and a teenager who instantly clicked after accidentally meeting at a bakery. However, fate seems to set on keeping them apart from that point on.
The soundtrack to the film is the loveliest and most heartfelt ever, and it frequently brings viewers to tears while immersing themselves in the storyline. Additionally, the idea that love makes the world a better place and that love changes people is effectively conveyed. The lead couple, Jung Hae In and Kim Go Eun, dominated every scene they were in with their natural acting and amazing on-screen chemistry.
Be with You follows a man who loses his wife tragically and then becomes a single parent. Nonetheless, before passing away, the wife vows to return on a rainy day a year later. By some miracle, she does return, but she is entirely memoryless.
Be with you is one of the few movies that successfully combines the themes of love and parenthood into one cohesive piece. Moreover, thanks to its simple plot, stellar and natural acting, profound soundtrack, sympathetic dialogue, and clever camera angles, the movie is a light-hearted and emotional watch, especially on a rainy day.
Always tells the story of a seasoned ex-boxer who now works as a parking lot attendant and a blind young telemarketer who accidentally walks into his booth one day. They begin a romance when the girl's vibrant energy wins over the guy, but their joy does not last long.
The film is masterfully made, with just the right mix of suspense, drama, and swoon-worthy scenes. Han Hyo-Joo and So Ji-sub, two seasoned actors, excelled in their roles and elevated the movie through their acting, which included only physical interactions and chemistry between them rather than just exchanging dialogue. Additionally, Always, like other Korean romantic films, makes clever use of music and lighting to enhance the mood and tell the story.
Love 911 follows a widower firefighter pursued by a doctor who volunteered to become a paramedic to work alongside him. Even though he gradually begins to like her, he can't help but think that she's hiding something from him.
The movie deftly and delicately explores themes like life and death, morality, and human values about success and the lives of those who risk their own safety regularly to save others. Although the plot was predictable, the primary couple's and the supporting characters' acting and the film's bright scenery made up for it.
Romang centers on a married couple who, after 45 years of marriage, both develop dementia. Despite this, their love for one another only deepens as they begin to forget everything.
With small details that make us think of our own families and make devoted Korean film fans cry, Romang is deeply moving and full of family love. Experienced performers Lee Soon-Jae and Jung Young-sook make sure that viewers can comprehend every move, look, and tear with their natural acting and incredible chemistry.
Mood of the Day tells the story of a charming playboy and a woman in a committed relationship who meet each other on a train voyage from Seoul to Busan, ultimately transforming both of their lives.
The film's clever use of dialogue and the constrained environment make it stand out despite having a straightforward plot. Moreover, the film isn't afraid to openly address and critique issues pone's gender and age determine obligations and expected behaviors first film directed by Cho Kyu Jang, it is condensed and sprinkled with humorous moments that help to break the tension and provide a new and enjoyable perspective on the subject.
Crazy Romance follows a couple of coworkers who recently parted ways with their partners (one called off his engagement, and the other was cheated on by her ex), determined to overcome their situation by starting a new relationship with each other.
Although Crazy Romance takes a very mature look at a contemporary romance, this isn't the typical overtly sweet, corny first-love tale. Additionally, in the conservative South Korean society, where obligations and expected behaviors are determined by one's gender and age, the screenplay ingeniously challenges these gender expectations of people of the protagonists' age, making it an interesting approach.
A bit similar to Crazy Romance above, Love Guide for Dumpees follows two single strangers who were recently rejected by their ex-partners. After meeting by coincidence, they decide to start a relationship with an expiry date to help each other overcome the heartbreak, even though they never anticipate falling in love.
The story is genuinely mean-spirited, which sets the movie apart from most others of its genre. The film's first part is a dark comedy that explores taboo topics like date rape and suicide as potential remedies for heartache. Moreover, despite the extremely gloomy subject matter, Yoon Kye-sang and Han Ye-ri’s performances deserve praise for making their characters sympathetic.
Jessie Nguyen is a List Writer at Collider. She is a Vietnamese writer, copywriter, and blogger who was interested in television and movies from a very young age – a Succession reference if you may notice.
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10 Best South Korean Romance Movies of the 2010s – Collider
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