Top 10 Korean Gangster Films

11. Die Bad (2000)

Ryoo Seung-wan's exceptional debut, which is an omnibus of four chronological short films which share many characters, is one of the most successful examinations of youth violence and how teenage ennui in the right (or wrong) circumstances can lead to gang integration.  Few who've seen Die Bad can forget it's climax which obliterates many myths of gang culture and shows it for what it really is.  The opening segment, featuring a high school brawl in a pool hall, is more successful in getting it's idea across that the whole of Gangster High (2006), which seems to try to do the same thing.  A great start from Ryoo and some strong performances from the youthful cast, including Ryoo Seung-beom, the director's brother.

Intro - 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 - Best of the Rest

Top 10 Lists

Year   2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - All Time (Top 25)

Genre   Gangster - Revenge

Reviews and features on Korean film appear regularly on Modern Korean Cinema.  For film news, external reviews, and box office analysis, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update, Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Korean Reviews, which appear weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (Korean Standard Time).

To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.