The 40 most popular korean mystery movies, ranked. Click any film for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Hope
2026 · 2h 37m · KR
In the remote South Korean village of Hope Harbor, police chief Bum-seok and officer Sung-ae are called to investigate a mysterious creature wreaking havoc on the community. But all is not as it seems, and perceptions can be misleading. What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions.


Oldboy
2003 · 2h · KR
With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.


Decision to Leave
2022 · 2h 19m · KR
From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife Seo-rae. But as he digs deeper into the investigation, he finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire.


The Wailing
2016 · 2h 36m · KR
A stranger arrives in a little village and soon after a mysterious sickness starts spreading. A policeman is drawn into the incident and is forced to solve the mystery in order to save his daughter.


Dark Nuns
2025 · 1h 55m · KR
Desperation drives two nuns to perform an exorcism no nun should attempt. With a possessed child at the mercy of evil and the opposition of the Catholic Church, they take on the dangerous forbidden rituals themselves, putting their immortal souls in grave danger. They must confront the terrifying cost of their sacrilegious actions, but one goal remains: the boy must be saved at all costs.


Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum
2018 · 1h 35m · KR
The crew of a horror web series travels to an abandoned asylum for a live broadcast, but they encounter much more than expected as they move deeper inside the nightmarish old building.


Hidden Face
2024 · 1h 53m · KR
Su-yeon, a cellist in an orchestra led by her fiancé and conductor Sung-jin, disappears one day, leaving behind only a video recording. Sung-jin is devasted over the loss of Su-yeon, but feels a strong attraction to Mi-ju, a cellist who fills in for his fiancée. Then one rainy night, Sung-jin and Mi-ju get swept away by their mutual desires for each other and commit an unforgivable act at Su-yeon's house.


The Witch: Part 2. The Other One
2022 · 2h 17m · KR
A girl wakes up in a huge secret laboratory, then accidentally meets another girl who is trying to protect her house from a gang. The mystery girl overthrows the gang with her unexpected powers, and laboratory staff set out to find her.


Exhuma
2024 · 2h 14m · KR
After tracing the origin of a disturbing supernatural affliction to a wealthy family's ancestral gravesite, a team of paranormal experts relocates the remains—and soon discovers what happens to those who dare to mess with the wrong grave.


Burning
2018 · 2h 28m · KR
Deliveryman Jong-su is out on a job when he runs into Hae-mi, a girl who once lived in his neighborhood. She asks if he'd mind looking after her cat while she's away on a trip to Africa. On her return, she introduces to Jong-su an enigmatic young man named Ben, who she met during her trip. One day Ben tells Jong-su about his most unusual hobby.


Joint Security Area
2000 · 1h 48m · KR
Two North Korean soldiers are killed in the border area between North and South Korea, prompting an investigation by a neutral body. The lead investigator (Lee Young-ae) receives differing accounts from the two sides.


A Tale of Two Sisters
2003 · 1h 55m · KR
Two sisters return home after a stay in a mental institution, only to face disturbing events and a strained relationship with their stepmother. As eerie occurrences unfold, dark family secrets begin to surface, blurring the line between reality and nightmare.


Forgotten
2017 · 1h 48m · KR
Jin-seok, 21-year-old, moves into a new house with his family. He suffers from a slight schizophrenia but he carries an ordinary life under the warm care of the family. His older brother Yu-seok is a decent college student, a mentor, and role model for Jin-seok. One night, his beloved brother is kidnapped by unidentified assailants before Jin-seok's eye. Jin-seok can’t recognize their faces, but can remember only the VIN that matches with no car. After long silence of 19 days, suddenly Yu-seok returns home, but remembers nothing which had happened in the meantime. And soon Jin-seok feels Yu-seok is a total stranger.


Mother
2009 · 2h 9m · KR
A mother lives quietly with her son. One day, a girl is brutally killed, and the boy is charged with the murder. Now, it's his mother's mission to prove him innocent.


Hunt
2022 · 2h 11m · KR
After a high-ranking North Korean official requests asylum, KCIA Foreign Unit chief Park Pyong-ho and Domestic Unit chief Kim Jung-do are tasked with uncovering a North Korean spy, known as Donglim, who is deeply embedded within their agency. When the spy begins leaking top secret intel that could jeopardize national security, the two units are each assigned to investigate each other.


The Call
2020 · 1h 52m · KR
Connected by phone in the same home but 20 years apart, a caller puts a woman’s past — and life — on the line to change her own fate.


Unlocked
2023 · 1h 57m · KR
A woman's life is turned upside-down when a dangerous man gets a hold of her lost cell phone and uses it to track her every move.


Svaha: The Sixth Finger
2019 · 2h 2m · KR
Pastor Park, the head of a religious investigation center that exposes cults and cult leaders, begins looking into a suspicious new religion called Deer Mount.


A Hard Day
2014 · 1h 51m · KR
After trying to cover up a car accident that left a man dead, a crooked homicide detective is stalked by a mysterious man claiming to have witnessed the event.


The Old Woman with the Knife
2025 · 2h 3m · KR
Aging assassin Hornclaw has seen it all, but she never expected to mentor a reckless rookie like Bullfight. As their unlikely bond deepens, cracks form in the underworld they navigate together. When Hornclaw discovers someone wants her dead, she's thrust into a deadly game of deception. With enemies closing in and trust in short supply, survival means staying sharp—both blade and mind.


Revelations
2025 · 2h 2m · KR
A pastor who believes in divine revelation and a detective haunted by visions pursue a missing person case — exposing their own demons in the process.


Seobok
2021 · 1h 54m · KR
Ex intelligence agent Ki-heon is tasked with safely transporting Seo Bok, the first ever human clone, who holds the secret of eternal life. Several forces try to take control of Seo Bok to serve their own agendas.


Memoir of a Murderer
2017 · 2h 8m · KR
A former serial killer with Alzheimer's fights to protect his daughter from her mysterious boyfriend who may be a serial killer too.


Sleep
2023 · 1h 34m · KR
A pregnant wife who becomes worried about her husband’s sleeping habits. What starts out as some light sleep-talking soon escalates to unexpectedly grotesque behaviour. They consult a sleep clinic without success and as his nightmarish behaviour escalates, they desperately seek help from a shaman.


The Ghost Game
2025 · 1h 35m · KR
Aspiring YouTuber Gi-ho stages a fake seance for viral content, but Ja-young joins, seeking her missing sister Seo-woo. In an underground cistern, Seo-woo volunteers as the "possessed," but when she collapses, terror unfolds. Trapped with sinister forces, the students face a deadly fate, leading to a shocking twist.


The 8th Night
2021 · 1h 55m · KR
With prayer beads in one hand and an ax in the other, a monk hunts down a millennia-old spirit that's possessing humans and unleashing hell on Earth.


Ghost Train
2025 · 1h 35m · KR
Da-kyung, a horror YouTuber desperate for views, uploads a video about the eerie urban legends surrounding Gwanglim Station—the site of the highest number of missing person cases in the country. The video goes viral overnight. Despite everyone's warnings, Da-kyung's thirst for views only grows stronger. But as she digs deeper, she uncovers a shocking secret behind the station…


The Journey to Gyeong-ju
2026 · 1h 51m · KR
Eight years ago, the youngest daughter, Gyeong-ju, disappeared during a school field trip to Gyeongju and never came home alive. On what would have been her birthday, her mother Ok-sil and her three daughters—Jang-ju, Young-ju, and Dong-ju—put on matching family T-shirts and set off for Gyeongju, the place where Gyeong-ju vanished, in what appears to be a family trip to honor her memory. But beneath the cheerful façade lies a deadly secret. In the trunk of their van is a bound and unconscious man zipped inside a plastic bag.


The Merciless
2017 · 2h · KR
Jae-ho, who aims to become the number one in a crime organization, gets to build up trust with Hyun-su, an ambitious newbie in prison. When they try to take over the organization after their release, their ulterior motives start to emerge.


The Cursed: Dead Man's Prey
2021 · 1h 50m · KR
Following a brutal murder case, the police are baffled to find out that the assailant, whose body was found on the scene with the victim, had already been dead for three months. Meanwhile, journalist Jin-hee sets up a live interview with an anonymous caller claiming he is the true killer behind the mysterious murder. When the man announces three more murders will occur in the hands of the undead, Jin-hee must face the sinister forces beyond understanding.


12 Deep Red Nights
2015 · 1h 14m · KR
1. 'Driver' Told by an attractive female customer that he'll receive a lot of money if he kills her, chauffeur In-sik decides to take her up on the offer... 2. '11:55 PM' Translator Young-ran, working overtime alone at his publication office, is about to call it a night-but at 11:55 PM, somebody buzzes.... 3. 'atmosFEAR' High-end audio equipment in hand, sound designer Kwanghyun heads to the park at night to record the ambiance. Through his headphones, however, he hears something entirely different. 4. 'The Secret Night' Young female employee Youngmin, given incentive to steal sensitive company information, sneaks into the office at night. Everything goes according to plan-but on her way out, she runs into fellow coworker Hayoon, who won't seem to let her leave. Slowly, their long-suppressed inner feelings start to come out...


Fairy Beauty Shop
2017 · 1h 41m
A Japanese woman visiting Korea stumbles upon a secret that involves a hundred-year-old story. The secret comes in the form of a ghost, it's story, and the strange groaning noises it makes.


Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman
2023 · 1h 38m · KR
For generations, the eldest son of the village has been the protector, but the current heir, Dr. Cheon, is a fake exorcist who doesn't believe in ghosts. Using his penetrating insight into people's minds, he performs fake exorcisms and resolves cases brought to him. However, Yoo-kyung, a client who can see ghosts, approaches him with an offer too tempting to refuse. With his assistant In-bae, Dr. Cheon heads to Yoo-kyung's house, and gets involved in a series of strange phenomena. As they delve into the mysteries there, they uncover the secrets of a talisman known as 'Seolkyung'...


Recalled
2021 · 1h 39m · KR
Soo-jin, who lost her memories due to a horrible incident, starts suspecting her husband. She is confused between reality and illusion, truth and lies.


Dead Again
2025 · 1h 14m · KR
Min-hyeok and Hae-ji, Seon-woong and Mi-mi, who came on a couple's trip to Vietnam, are very excited. Min-hyeok also enjoys a thrilling secret meeting with his wife Hae-ji as well as Mi-mi, who has been in a long-term relationship, and has a satisfying time. However, Min-hyeok suddenly feels intense pain and stops breathing, and when he opens his eyes thinking he is going to die, it is his first day in Vietnam. Min-hyeok, who is confused about everything, finds out that there is a reason for the vacation that ends in death...


Beasts Clawing at Straws
2020 · 1h 48m · KR
A struggling restaurant owner, caring for his sick mom, finds a bag of cash in a sauna locker, while a customs officer gets into trouble when his girlfriend runs off with money he borrowed from a loan shark.


Toxic Desire: Addiction
2014 · 1h 31m
Psychiatrist Joon-sang is a well-known doctor. He is level-headed with his patients, but he's got a painful past. He'd witnessed his wife kill herself because she was raped. He'd suffered insomnia along with guilt and sadness until a beautiful girl Ji-soo comes along. She tells him every man who's loved her died and that someone was watching her. She seduces Joon-sang. A detective suspects Ji-soo to be involved with a recent murder case and asks Joon-sang for her medical records... Falling in love with something dangerous and the end of which is unknown!


The Hole, 309 Days to the Bloodiest Tragedy
2026 · 1h 39m · ID
When a spate of gruesome killings rocks the countryside in East Jakarta, army officer Soegeng is tasked with clearing up rumours about the military’s involvement. Soegeng’s investigation, however, confronts him with the foundations of corruption – a truth too close for comfort.


Ordinary People
2018 · 1h 39m · KR
A gym teacher and his female student look for her missing friend. But as they investigate, they find that her disappearance is a part of a larger conspiracy.


The Priests
2015 · 1h 43m · KR
To save a girl in danger, a priest and deacon jump into a mysterious case.
South Korean cinema spent the 2000s building a reputation for genre films that refuse to stay in their lane — thrillers that turn into family dramas, revenge stories with slapstick. Parasite's Best Picture win in 2020 confirmed what festival audiences had known for two decades.
Mystery films are structured around withheld information, trusting the audience to work alongside the investigator. The genre ranges from cozy whodunits to bleak, unresolved character studies.