At the Busan International Film Festival, Netflix revealed its 2025 Korean film lineup during the “Next on Netflix: 2025 Korean Films”.
Reflecting on its involvement with Korean cinema, Netflix offered an exclusive look at seven upcoming films set for release next year.
Vincent Taewon Kim, Netflix Korea’s Director of Content (Film), joined directors such as Yeon Sang-ho (Revelations), Byun Sung-hyun (Good News), and Kim Byung-woo (The Great Flood) to highlight their 2025 projects. Other films include Wall to Wall by Kim Tae-joon, Love Untangled by Namkoong Sun, Mantis by Lee Tae-sung, and Lost in Starlight by Han Ji-won. This event allowed filmmakers to share insights on their creative process, their vision for the future of Korean cinema, and collaboration opportunities within the industry.
Since 2020, Netflix has released 23 films, from Time to Hunt to this year’s Uprising, which opened the festival. Vincent Taewon Kim emphasized Netflix’s commitment to bringing joy to audiences through diverse storytelling. He noted the focus on both quality and variety in the 2025 slate, stating, “As viewers’ preferences vary, we aim to offer both universal and unique narratives.” The 2025 lineup spans a range of genres, including action, thriller, romantic comedy, sci-fi, and animation, ensuring there’s something for everyone.
Netflix is excited to be a creative partner for storytellers, helping both seasoned directors and newcomers bring their visions to life. Yeon Sang-ho (Hellbound, Parasyte: The Grey) shared that he’s taking a new direction with his film Revelations, saying, “I’ve relied heavily on CGI since Train to Busan. This time, I wanted to explore filmmaking with less CGI, focusing on a more cinematic approach and how it resonates with Netflix viewers.”
The directors also emphasized the value of their collaboration with Netflix. Namkoong Sun, debuting her first commercial film Love Untangled next year, praised Netflix’s ability to deeply connect with global audiences. Lee Tae-sung (Mantis) highlighted how the platform aligns with modern viewing habits, while Byun Sung-hyun (Good News, Kill Boksoon) appreciated the significant support Netflix offers to creators.
At the event, Netflix also revealed its first Korean-language animated film, Lost in Starlight. Director Han Ji-won expressed gratitude, saying, “This opportunity was made possible through collaboration with Netflix.”
Looking ahead to 2025, Netflix promises an exciting slate of Korean films that will reach audiences worldwide.
1. Good News
Set in 1970, Good News (working title) follows a high-stakes, covert operation by a determined group aiming to land a hijacked airplane by any means necessary. Written and directed by Byun Sung-hyun, who gained international acclaim for The Merciless (2017), which premiered at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, and the Netflix hit Kill Boksoon, which premiered at the 73rd Berlin Film Festival, this film promises to deliver gripping suspense.
Sul Kyung Gu (The Whirlwind) reunites with Byun for the fourth time, portraying a mysterious fixer who appears whenever needed to resolve issues. Hong Kyung (Weak Hero Class 1) plays an Air Force lieutenant involved in a secret mission, delivering a nuanced performance. Ryoo Seung Bum (Moving) rounds out the cast as the government official overseeing the entire operation.
2. The Great Flood
Set on Earth’s final day, The Great Flood is a sci-fi disaster film centered on the desperate efforts to save a child trapped in a flooding apartment after a global flood devastates the planet. Director Kim Byung-woo returns to helm this blockbuster, following the critical and box office success of The Terror, LIVE and Take Point, known for their unique storytelling and intense portrayals of extreme circumstances.
Kim Da Mi, acclaimed for her performances in The Witch: Part 1 – The Subversion and Itaewon Class, stars as Anna, an artificial intelligence researcher fighting to survive a catastrophic tidal surge. Park Hae Soo, known for his versatile roles in Squid Game, Prison Playbook, and Narco-Saints, plays Hee-jo, a security team member determined to rescue Anna from the apocalyptic flood threatening the world.
With the powerful combination of Kim Da Mi and Park Hae Soo, The Great Flood captures the intense emotions and struggles of individuals facing an unstoppable natural disaster, brought to life through their compelling performances.
3. Lost in Starlight
Netflix’s first Korean-language animated film, Lost in Starlight, tells the touching love story of scientist Nan-young, whose astronaut mother went missing during a Mars probe mission. Like her mother, Nan-young has always dreamed of exploring space and hopes to find clues about her mom’s fate on Mars. Her aspirations come to life when she is chosen as one of the astronauts for a Mars probe project.
Before her launch, Nan-young meets Jay, a musician who repairs vintage sound instruments, through an old turntable she inherited from her mother. In Lost in Starlight, Kim Tae Ri and Hong Kyung voice the characters of astronaut Nan-young and musician Jay, who navigate the challenges of the longest long-distance relationship ever — one that connects Earth and Mars.
4. Love Untangled
Love Untangled is a youth romance film set in 1998 that delves into themes of first love and friendship. The story follows 19-year-old Park Se-ri, who plans to straighten her perpetually frizzy hair before making a pivotal confession of her feelings, all while getting involved with transfer student Han Yun-seok.
Gong Myung stars as Han Yun-seok, the newcomer who assists Se-ri in her mission to confess to her crush. Opposite him, Shin Eun Soo plays Se-ri, a high school student frustrated by her unruly curly hair, which she believes is standing in the way of her romantic success. Determined to confess to the most popular student in school, Se-ri thinks that straightening her hair is the key to achieving her goal, and she enlists Han Yun-seok’s help to make it happen.
5. Mantis
Mantis (working title) is an action film that follows Mantis, an ace assassin who returns to the chaotic hired killer industry after a vacation. Upon reentering this anarchic world, he encounters Jae-yi, his fellow trainee and rival, along with Dok-go, a retired legendary killer, as they all compete for the top position among assassins.
Set in the same universe as the 2023 Netflix film Kill Boksoon, which premiered at the 73rd Berlin Film Festival, Mantis serves as a spin-off. While Kill Boksoon focuses on Gil Boksoon’s struggle to balance her life as a single mother and a killer, Mantis promises to engage audiences with thrilling action from Mantis, Jae-yi, and Dok-go, each racing toward their own ambitions.
Byun Sung-hyun, who expertly directed the menacing contract killer world in Kill Boksoon, co-wrote the script with director Lee Tae-sung. This film marks Lee’s debut as a feature director, building on his experience as an assistant director on projects like Kill Boksoon and The King (2017).
6. Revelations
Following the success of the thriller Hellbound, Netflix collaborates once again with director Yeon Sang-ho and writer Choi Gyu-seok to adapt another gripping comic into a film. Revelations centers on a pastor and a detective, each driven by their distinct beliefs. The pastor feels a divine calling to seek justice for a missing-person case, while the detective is haunted by visions of her deceased sister.
Ryu Jun Yeol (The 8 Show, The Night Owl) stars as Min-chan, a pastor operating a church in a small provincial town with a mission for church planting. When a man named Yang-rae visits his church, Min-chan receives a divine revelation identifying him as the perpetrator behind the abduction of his son, prompting him to pursue justice. Straddling the line between sincere faith and harsh reality, Min-chan becomes increasingly consumed by his quest for vengeance.
Shin Hyun Been (Hospital Playlist, Reborn Rich) plays Yeon-hee, the detective investigating Yang-rae, the suspect in the missing-person case, as well as the enigmatic pastor Min-chan. Yeon-hee is plagued by visions of her sister, who fell victim to a heinous crime. Despite her personal struggles, she relentlessly seeks the truth, adding an intense layer of tension to the narrative.
7. Wall To Wall
This thriller follows the story of Woo-seong, a man who finally saves up enough to buy an apartment, only to have it turn into a nightmare with financial ruin and mysterious noises from neighboring floors.
Celebrated actor Kang Ha Neul (Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet, Midnight Runners, When the Camellia Blooms) takes on the role of Woo-seong. In his quest to own an apartment, Woo-seong exhausts all his financial resources, including his savings, stock investments, loans, and even his mother’s garlic farm. However, he soon faces the harsh realities of high-interest payments and gets tormented by disturbing noises from his neighbors every night.
Yeom Hye-ran (Mask Girl, The Glory) plays Eun-hwa, the resident representative dedicated to maintaining peace within the apartment complex. Rounding out the ensemble cast is Seo Hyun Woo (My Name is Loh Kiwan, Decision to Leave) as Jin-ho, the man living above Woo-seong. He and Woo-seong team up to find the source of the persistent noises in the building.
Director Kim Tae-joon received acclaim for creating a thriller set in realistic, everyday situations with Unlocked. In Wall to Wall, he spins a different kind of suspense set in the familiar space of an apartment complex, where a financially burdened character grapples with mysterious situations involving unidentified noises.
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7 Korean Films To Look Forward To On Netflix In 2025
Source: Pinoy Student Wars
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