Korean Movies of 2016

 Although 2016 was a difficult year in many ways, she excelled in Korean cinema. With great writers returning with some of their best work, young filmmakers making their mark, and yet another promising new indie series, the industry has seen its best film crop in years.

Films with a strong social message took center stage and it was also a strong year for female directors, with four names in the 20 titles below (including five honorable mentions). While independent films have been stronger than ever compared to previous listings, many more commercial films appear here. This is in part due to the number of notable filmmakers with a new title in 2016, but perhaps also the success of foreign companies venturing into the Korean market, such as Fox and Warner Bros. Read more about Korean Movies 2016

Considering the wealth displayed, it hardly seemed fair to remove several films that might have made the Top 5 in other years, so I extended this year's list to 15 indulgent titles. I saw a little over 100 local movies in 2016, a little less than usual, but I don't think I missed anything major. As usual, the criteria for the films were those which were shown for the first time this year at a festival or directly in theaters.