The previous article discussed the top ten Korean Webtoons for learning Korean and how they can aid in language acquisition.

Today we will look at a list of Korean movies that are recommended for language learners, as well as how they can be used as input.

The Korean film market has been very diverse. Especially when you consider the variety of mainstream commercial and indie films being produced. Not much has been done to bring Korean cinema to the attention it deserves.

Rather than going through the catalogue for the longest time, consumption of any content is beneficial for language comprehension. The primary focus should be on selecting content that is of interest to you.

Era of Korean movies

The sentiments surrounding old Korean films produced before 1990 revolve around family dynamics, socioeconomic status, and patriotism, highlighting the heroic deeds of historical figures.

The films from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s depict the plight of youth and the working class in a rapidly changing economy and industrialisation.

Movies from 2000 to late 2010 show a lot of diversity, as directors and writers began producing more original content to compete in the international market.

The new South Korean cinema is transgressive and disturbing, embracing forms of behaviour rarely seen in western films. It could be about urgent, undisciplined, or bizarre needs.

Art house for language learning

Although Korean cinema is known for "thriller and suspense," there are several genres available for you to choose from.

From horror to comedy to art house. "Art house" films are unquestionably the best recommended films for learning more about Korean culture.

Due to a lack of cultural understanding, the movies did not appeal to a large number of people outside of Korea, but it is undeniably one of the most popular genres among Koreans.

1. Art house films, in particular, provide an overall understanding of word usage and nuances.
2. The dialogues are brief and mostly in simple sentences.
3. The display of daily activities aids in understanding the less formal and more important nuances of daily activities.
4. Because the topics aren't specific to any particular setting, such as the military or business. Understanding Korean society and how people react to various situations become relatively simple.

These are the significance and reasons for learning Korean through movies.

List of Korean movies for Learning language

House of hummingbird

It depicts family dynamics in the modern city. The story is told through the eyes of a young girl and what she appears to learn about the lives of women around her.

The film does an excellent job of depicting prominently multifaceted social norms, male dominance, and women's future and fate from the perspective of a small child.

Move the grave

In contrast to men's social role in the family, women are strong, dominant, and decisive. The film offers a quick look at gender roles in a large family dynamic.

The film depicts the lives of various daughters and how their age and experience have influenced their thinking and problems.

The fast-paced change in Korean society, the conflict between old and new ways of doing things, bitter family ties, and gender roles are all beautifully and comically depicted.

Microhabitat

The struggles of today's youth in South Korean society are depicted. With no stable income, the desire to leave the parental home. Miso is living her life on her terms. It's a simple choice between saving money for rent and buying cigarettes. As the cost of living rises, she seeks refuge with long-lost friends. Miso is forced to move from one place to another, changing jobs and places while managing to live on cigarettes and champagne, showcasing the life of Korean MZ in their mid-30s with no proper amenities, struggling to meet their needs.

Moving on

During the summer vacation, a father, his teenage daughter, and his small son move into his father's home to spend time with his sick father. With the hope of temporarily reuniting in order to provide better care for the elderly man and also to find a place to live because the father's financial situation is not good. With selling shoes as his only source of income, he must seek alternative sources of income.

Director Yoon Dan-bi depicts the daily life of any ordinary Korean family facing a financially and emotionally uncertain future.

Oasis

It's a love story about two young people who have been abandoned by families who refuse to give them the love and attention they need. Its heroine is a woman with cerebral palsy who is nearly powerless. Its protagonist is an obnoxious and clueless man whose family relocates while he is incarcerated and leaves no forwarding address. We in the audience may be equally hesitant to show them love and attention, which is why the film works so well, so much that it leaves you thinking about the human need for love and affection.

The world of us

Seon the film's young heroine, is 11 years old, and the opening sequence gradually reveals this shy, introverted girl's unpopularity among her classmates, revealing the psyche of how children learn and act according to social norms.

This small but superb coming-of-age drama film immerses us in the small world of its young child through simple moments that allow us to understand and empathise with her.

Clean up

Jung-ju works hard at a cleaning company during the day, attends a Catholic church at night, and washes dishes at a small restaurant.

She is hardworking and polite, and she is never angry or loud enough for others to notice the vast ocean of pain nested within her heart. She used to have a family, but now that she is alone and exhausted at home, she drinks herself to sleep every night until her daily routine is disrupted one day when Min-gu, a 21 years old recently released prisoner, appears in front of Jeong-ju. When Jeong-ju sees him, she is reminded of events from twelve years ago, bringing back her forgotten guilt.

Parasite

The plot revolves around two distinct families. The first revolves around the title and questions who the "real" parasites are. Are they poor people who try to defraud the wealthy in order to profit from their wealth, or are they wealthy people who give nothing to the poor and exploit them as labour to make money?

The main plot, on the other hand, revolves around the three levels of Korean society's hierarchy. The third point to make is that nothing changes in terms of social and financial standing, as the poor are simply replaced by other poor waiting to be exploited by the rich, who appear to have reserved their position in perpetuity.

Right now wrong then

Hee-jung is a lonely woman searching for meaning in her life. She lives with her mother and is insecure, which makes her an easy conquest in the eyes of Chun-su, a womanising man obsessed with earthly pleasures. When the two would-be lovers are put on a more equal footing, their interactions become warmer and more open, revealing a more complete picture of their personalities.

"Right Now, Wrong Then" allows its characters to converse in long, uninterrupted scenes in which Hong tries to build on his realist sensibility by heightening the sense of an authentic, "real" conversation taking place.

Breathless

The film's main focus is the circle of violence started by domestic violence, with nearly all of the characters going through such experiences.

Hoon's childhood abuse causes him to be abusive to anyone and everyone, including his father at the end. Han Yeon's abusive family causes her to be abusive, and her brother seeks more violent measures. Domestic abuse in Hoon's sister's for example, demonstrates the evil that can result from such acts.

The film is said to be semi-autobiographical, with the director's abusive childhood serving as inspiration for the story.

Those were the list of Korean movie recommendations for those interested in learning about Korean culture and language. 

Thank you for reading.