Filmgoers were blown away by Bong Joon-ho’s family drama Parasite in 2019. Winner of the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, the Palme D’Or, Parasite tells the story of two Seoul families - one poor and one wealthy - whose lives irrevocably merge. Joon-ho was already considered one of the best directors to come from South Korea when Parasite hit theatres, and the film solidified his status.

Joon-ho doesn’t exist in a vacuum. He’s part of a much larger cinematic tradition in South Korea, one that goes further than genre horror and science fiction. While some movie fans might know Oldboy and Train to Busan, this list pulls together 10 of the best South Korean films that defy styles or expectations. Any of these would be a perfect follow-up to the emotional rollercoaster elicited by Parasite.

The Wailing (2016)

This environmental disaster flick, directed by Hong-jin Nah, follows a small-town police officer as he tracks a strange virus that is wreaking havoc on his community. An epic drama, The Wailing relies on images of the compromised natural world to highlight how things have gone wrong.

Like Parasite, The Wailing is also a family drama that demonstrates how the degradation of nature leads to the degradation of society, networks, and personal health.

A Tale Of Two Sisters (2003)

Kim Jee-woon directed this retelling of a classic Korean folktale about siblings wrapped up in a ghostly and traumatic family history. After their mother dies, Su-yeon and Su-mi spend time in a mental hospital.

When the girls return home, their father has remarried. The girls despise their stepmother, and Su-mi begins to experience terrifying visions that make her believe her father harbors nefarious secrets. While considered a horror film, A Tale of Two Sisters goes above and beyond this classification, incorporating intense character studies, Shakespearean tragedy, and beautiful set designs.

Hope (2013)

Also known as Wish, this heartbreaking drama focuses on a family reeling from a terrible incident. After a girl named Soo-won is kidnapped and attacked by an older man, she becomes the focus on media scrutiny as her parents pursue charges against her attacker.

Directed by Lee Joon-ik, the movie is based on a true story. The girl’s working-class family, while happy, doesn’t have the resources or wealth to handle all the extra attention, and they are devastated when the man only receives 12 years in prison for stealing their daughter’s innocence. Ultimately, the film is a story of survival, showing how So-won’s family sticks together to help her through the ordeal.

The World Of Us (2016)

A film about childhood and how awkward it can be, The World of Us tells the story of Sun, an introverted girl who befriends Ji-ha, a new transfer student. When the pair start school together, their friendship is put to the test.

While Ji-ha is accepted by her classmates, Sun doesn’t fit in and is often bullied. Highlighting class and economic status much like Parasite, The World of Us is a promising debut from Yoon Ga-eun.

Peppermint Candy (2000)

Lee Chang-dong is at the helm of his film whose story is told backward. Peppermint Candy centers on the mental and emotional breakdown of a man, Yeong-ho, who is experiencing some seriously bad luck.

He’s in debt. His wife just left him for another man. He’s grappling with suicidal thoughts. As the narrative moves back in time, though, it becomes obvious Yeong-ho is not as out-of-control of his own fate as it seems. He has a sketchy, violent past, full of indiscretions and unforgivable meanness toward others.

Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (2002)

Chan-wook Park is perhaps the other South Korean director, next to Bong Joon-ho, whose name is most noticeable to international audiences. This first film in his Vengeance Trilogy, followed up by Oldboy and Lady Vengeance, doesn’t receive as much attention as its follow-ups.

The movie follows a deaf-mute boy who is trying to help his sister get a kidney transplant. Poor, lacking resources, and possessing an incompatible blood type, Ryu must turn to the black market in order to find a viable organ. Things take a terrible turn from there, and the story unravels with the same intensity experienced in the final 20 minutes of Parasite.

The Housemaid (2010)

Im Sang-soo directed this erotic thriller about a housemaid who becomes embroiled in a bizarre love triangle with the couple whose house she oversees. Another look into the Korean servant class, The Housemaid is a dark tale.

Eun-yi is the young woman who becomes a wealthy family’s new housekeeper after their long-time domestic starts to need additional help. Eun-yi is seduced by Byung-sik, the wealthy “man of the house,” but once she becomes pregnant, the family blames her for the indiscretion. Shocking and suspenseful, The Housemaid is a great companion to Parasite.

House Of Hummingbird (2019)

Kim Bora directed this beautiful, whimsical film about a teenage girl looking for love in 1994 Seoul. Dealing with a turbulent home life, Eunhee tries to spend as much time in the city and on the outside as possible. She eventually forms a bond with her after-school tutor, Sae-byeok Kim, who exposes her to all the possibilities that lay outside the confines of childhood.

House of Hummingbird explores family struggles, identity, and belonging with a fine-toothed comb. It won many awards and accolades.

Secret Sunshine (2007)

For anyone blown away by Song Kang-ho’s performance in Parasite, check out Secret Sunshine. Directed by Lee Chang-dong, this harrowing movie tells the story of a Job-like female character named Lee Shin-ae. After her husband dies, she moves to a new town with her young son, who is soon later abducted.

Song Kang-ho plays a local mechanic who forms an interesting bond with Lee Shin-ae that defies social status and class, which is quite stratified in South Korea. An exploration of faith, loss, and grief, this film will get you at your core.

Poetry (2010)

Another stunning feature from Lee Chang-dong, Poetry’s main character is an older woman dealing with the onset of Alzheimer’s. While her mind is slowly going, and while her family life is in turmoil, the woman turns to poetry in order to find relief and solace.

Yang Mi-ja is surrounded by toxic men, from her grandson to the stroke victim she cares. A tale of memory and deceit matched with the timeless beauty of lyrical musings, Poetry is a Korean masterpiece.