Throughout his illustrious run in the realm of movies, Park Chan-wook have helmed 12 movies, if we’re not taking his anthology contributions or short films into consideration. Although his initial two directorial efforts, 1992’s The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream and 1997’s Trio, were critical and commercial flops, his following works have placed him in the discussion for one of the greatest filmmakers.
Like many beloved auteurs, the director has amassed a passionate following among cinephiles on Letterboxd. And barring his initial works, almost everything has garnered a strong rating on the platform. Here’s a full ranking of the auteur’s directorial efforts:
12. The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream (2.4)
It’s easy to see why Chan-wook went on to disown this movie publicly, as this was made on a very low budget, and the auteur himself acknowledged it was awful. On the bright side, it helped him familiarize himself with filmmaking in his 20s.
The crime drama revolves around a love triangle between a gangster, his boss’ mistress and the gangster’s brother, and currently boasts a 2.4 rating.
MovieIMDbTomatometer/PopcornmeterStream/RentThe Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream4.9–Apple TV
11. Trio (2.5)
Chan-wook’s second directorial effort was another misstep from the filmmaker, and he regrets it more than his directorial debut, as his original vision for the story was butchered due to studio meddling.
The movie follows the story of three outcasts, involving a single mother, a violent man with an IQ of 81 and a suicidal saxophonist, and sits at a 2.5 rating.
MovieIMDbTomatometer/PopcornmeterStream/RentTrio 4.9–Apple TV
10. Stoker (3.6)
Stoker, as one would expect from a more seasoned Park Chan-wook, boasts a respectable 3.6 rating. While still far from his best works, it still stands as a great horror experience, and given that it was his first English feature, it makes it all the more impressive.
Starring Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska in the lead, the movie follows the Stoker family in the wake of the Patriarch’s death, and things take a turn for the worse after the arrival of the uncle.
MovieIMDbTomatometer/PopcornmeterStream/RentStoker 6.770/60%Apple TV
9. I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (3.7)
Coming off the heights of the acclaimed Vengeance trilogy, Park Chan-wook put his versatile chops on the forefront with I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Ok, an unconventional and whimsical look into mental illness.
The movie follows the story of Cha Young-goon, who is remanded in a mental institution after she begins electrocuting herself over delusions of being a cyborg.
MovieIMDbTomatometer/PopcornmeterStream/RentI’m Not a Cyborg, But That’s Ok6.992/79%Apple TV
8. Thirst (3.8)
The genre-bending horror from Chan-wook further exemplifies his knack for weird love stories. And much like I’m Not a Cyborg, But That’s Ok, it demonstrated that the director wasn’t confined to the style and tone of the Vengeance trilogy, especially in the eyes of international audiences.
Thirst revolves around a priest, who becomes a vampire after a botched experiment, and amid his thirst for blood, he becomes entangled with a woman trapped in a marriage.
MovieIMDbTomatometer/PopcornmeterStream/RentThirst 7.181/74%Apple TV
7. Lady Vengeance (4.0)
The third entry in the Vengeance trilogy, Lady Vengeance, is as stylistic and gruesome with its violence and its narrative as its predecessors. Even though it might not have one of the most gut-wrenching twists in cinema, it’s an impeccable study of the emotional and ethical cost of vengeance.
Having spent 13 years after being wrongfully imprisoned for a child’s murder, Lee Geum-ja embarks on a quest to exact vengeance on the man responsible.
MovieIMDbTomatometer/PopcornmeterStream/RentLady Vengeance7.576/87%Apple TV
6. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (4.0)
The movie that commenced his Vengeance trilogy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, offers a glimpse into the themes that Park Chan-wook would become notable for, whether it’s the morally ambiguous characters or the cost of violence.
Desperate to secure money for his sister’s treatment, a deaf factory worker opts to kidnap his boss’ daughter after getting fired, leading to a chain of tragedies, pushing the father to take revenge.
MovieIMDbTomatometer/PopcornmeterStream/Rent Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance7.553/84%Apple TV
5. Decision to Leave (4.0)
The movie that was famously snubbed at the Oscars despite earning Chan-wook a Cannes win, Decision to Leave, immaculately blends noir, romance, and mystery, and has rightfully cemented itself as a modern-day classic.
The story follows a detective investigating a murder mystery and becomes entangled with the victim’s widow, who is also a prime suspect in the case.
MovieIMDbTomatometer/PopcornmeterStream/RentDecision to Leave7.394/84%Hulu
4. No Other Choice (4.2)
The latest feature from the auteur, set for a limited Christmas premiere before its wide release in January, No Other Choice is already being discussed as a frontrunner at next year’s Oscars, and currently sits on a perfect rating on RT.
The movie follows a desperate man, laid off from his company, spiralling to extreme means to survive in this critique of late-stage capitalism.
MovieIMDbTomatometerRelease Date (Reported)No Other Choice7.9(as of writing)100%(as of writing)25th December
3. Joint Security Area (4.2)
After a less-than-thrilling beginning, Chan-wook announced himself to the world with Joint Security Area, which humanizes soldiers across both sides of the Korean DMZ in this tale of friendship, division and the absurdity of war.
Following the death of two North Korean soldiers, an investigation from a neutral party ensues that gradually unravels the brotherhood across the borders.
MovieIMDbTomatometer/PopcornmeterStream/Rent Joint Security Area8.188/89%Apple TV
2. The Handmaiden (4.4)
Often regarded as Chan-wook’s best work to date, The Handmaiden is full of turns and twists, and even that is selling it short. But beneath them lies a tale of romance, and unlike his other works, it genuinely offers a happy ending.
What originally sets out as a con man, along with a pickpocket, trying to defraud a wealthy heiress, the narrative takes dramatic turns after the story shifts perspective, ultimately standing as one if not his best works.
MovieIMDbTomatometer/PopcornmeterStream/RentThe Handmaiden8.196/91%Apple TV
1. Oldboy (4.4)
There’s little left to be said about Oldboy that hasn’t already been said. From its awe-striking action to its twist, the movie paved the way for Korean cinema to international audiences and remains one of the best revenge thrillers to emerge from the 2000s.
Oldboy follows the story of a man who was held captive for 15 years. What begins as a straightforward revenge story for a man looking for answers soon takes a twisted turn after some haunting revelations.
MovieIMDbTomatometer/PopcornmeterStream/RentOldboy8.282/94%Apple TV
The fact that seven out of his twelve movies boast a rating of 4 or higher, since his initial mishaps in the ’90s, Chan-wook hasn’t missed, which explains why he’s regarded as one of the very best in the realm of direction.
What’s your favorite Park Chan-wook movie? Drop below!
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