I love movies. Love the way they allow me to sink into another world so I can be absorbed into it. Thoughtful attention to framing scenes, strong acting, sensitivity to and the juxtaposition of colours and lines – and yes, a tight plot-line are qualities that make a movie for me.
Films don’t have to be full of action or overly dramatic to grab my attention. As a matter of fact, I especially love the ones that focus on characters’ day-to-day lives. Think, Wenders’ Perfect Days, for instance.
Some films — the good ones — stay with me for days, sometimes months or even years afterwards. They leave behind either a pleasant aftertaste or a gritty residue while some can leave a bit of both.
For the most part, South Korean cinema does something I call “the South-Korean-Left-Turn”. This seems to me to be part of their filmmaking ethos. Their movies begin relatively innocuously but for some reason, viewers aren’t generally allowed to relax into the film. The benign start to their films will invariably lead to something shocking and often brutal happening. But thankfully they don’t linger on the brutality like in many Western films. It’s brief and stark.
The South Korean movie Burning (2018) based on Haruki Murakami’s short story Barn Burning is one that left me with a significant amount of residue and is a great example of the ‘South-Korean-left-turn’. Although I saw it in 2020, it’s still fresh in my mind.
Spring Summer, Fall Winter….and Spring (2003) is another example. It can boast of having both a delicate aftertaste and a gritty residue.
Little Forest (2018) is a truly beautiful movie for food lovers that trails a sweet aftertaste. One of my all time favourite films, this quiet little movie has some beautiful camera work — and focuses determinedly on food. What’s not to like?
Here’s an abbreviated list of some of South Korean films I’ve seen over the years.
Which of these will leave you with a sweet aftertaste and which will leave behind residue?
Copyright © 2026
Lisi-Tana.com
All Rights Reserved
Show your support for the arts by becoming a supporter of my blog.
un.deux..trois… blog is reader supported. Consider signing up to be notified when there is a new post, or become a monthly subscriber to show your support.
Where can I find these? The Korean films…actually, they were series…that I totally enjoyed were Hometown Cha Cha Cha and Pachinko.
I do love a film that doesn’t have much of a plot. Remember Happenstance?
I was *just* thinking about rewatching Happenstance a few days ago.
I’ll look up where I watched each of the films and let you know. I am 100% sure you will LOVE Little Forest. I watched it again two nights ago and loved it all over again.