Halloween is upon us and there’s no better way to celebrate than with a night of horror movies. I’ve seen plenty of scary flicks, but few movies manage to linger in my head like Korean horror movies.
Trick or Stream
Welcome! This article is part of Trick or Stream, a seasonal series in which members of the Tom’s Guide staff share what they’re planning to watch for Halloween 2024 and their takes on the horror genre, with the goal of helping you find great movies that you might want to stream during spooky season.
South Korean horror movies are great for their storytelling, cinematography, and unpredictable plot twists. They’re also known for being gorier than their U.S. counterparts, so take note if you’re squeamish.
Below I’ve rounded up four of my favorite K-horror movies, along with where you can stream them. For more scares, make sure to check out our guide to the best Halloween movies.
‘The Wailing’ (2016)
“The Wailing” is one of the best movies I’ve seen combining possession, zombies and the devil in a two-hour, 36-minute thrill ride that’ll leave you on the edge of your seat. It takes place in a small Korean village where locals are dying from a mysterious disease that turns them violent and causes them to kill their own family members.
Police officer Jong-Goo begins to investigate the killings and is led to a mysterious Japanese man who he believes is an evil spirit responsible for the bizarre infections. As the investigation grows, Jong-Goo’s young daughter falls victim to the disease and soon enough the entire village is turned upside down as he attempts to capture the elusive Japanese villager.
Watch “The Wailing” on Netflix now
‘I Saw the Devil’ (2010)
James Bond meets “Silence of the Lambs” in “I Saw the Devil,” a gory K-horror movie that centers around National Intelligence Service (NIS) agent Kim Soo-hyeon. After his fiancee is brutally murdered by serial killer Jang Kyung-chul (Oldboy), Soo-hyeon sets out to avenge his fiancee’s death.
But things take a turn when Soo-hyeon catches Kyung-chul, beats him up and then releases him in a twisted game of catch-and-release. While there are many brutal and gory scenes, the movie’s cinematography is mesmerizing and the lead actors do an excellent job of immersing you in their dark world of vengeance, cannibalism and dismembered body parts.
Watch “I Saw the Devil” on Amazon
‘The Call’ (2020)
“The Call” is a suspense/horror movie about two women whose lives are connected by a mysterious phone. After finding an old phone in her ailing mom’s apartment, Kim Seo-yeon begins to receive distress calls from Oh Young-sook, who is living in the same house, but 20 years earlier. Young-sook claims her mother is torturing her and asks Seo-yeon for help.
The girls quickly form a bond and Seo-yeon decides to intervene and help change the course of Young-sook’s life. Unfortunately, Young-sook lives on to become a ruthless serial killer. It’s a rollercoaster of a movie with twists and turns that are impossible to predict.
Watch “The Call” on Netflix now
‘Goedam’ (2020)
If you prefer to have your Halloween scares in small bites, “Goedam” is a K-horror anthology comprised of eight stories that range up to 15 minutes each. The stories are heavy on atmosphere and while the plots don’t always make sense, they’re easy to binge and provide just the right amount of cheap thrills. Some stories are scarier than others, but my personal favorites are “Crack,” “Destination” and “Special Guest.”
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