A great heist story is defined by how elaborate the theft is, the chemistry among the ensemble cast, and the pacing. Some features fall flat in this category, while others are for the books.South Korean cinema has numerous gemsthat will be talked about for years to come, but most of those aren’t heist movies.
Yet, the country’s filmography has a slew of witty, elaborate, fast-paced, and tense heist films to brag about, as South Korean moviemakers have an understanding of what people like to see. These 10 movies are perfect for fans of the genre and newcomers to South Korean cinema.
10’The Spies' (2012)
South Korean cinema does one thing well, and that’sintroducing multiple plots into one story.The Spieshas many things happening at once, but it’s never confusing or over the top. Five North Korean sleeper agents of various backgrounds come together to perform a heist while a murder plot happens alongside it.
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The ensemble cast has perfect chemistry as they riff off each other in comedic dialogue, action-packed chase scenes, and clever fights. The legends of Korean cinema,Kim Myung-minandYoo Hae-ji,nare exceptional with their comedic timing and leading man potential.The Spiescombines many different genres and story elements to craft an excellent heist movie.
9’The Con Artists' (2014)
The 2010s wereKim Woo-bin’s decade, and in 2014, he led one of his most popular ensemble action flicks,The Con Artists. Known for mostly portraying the roles of badasses and heroic leads, Kim doesn’t dominate the stage fully in this one;The Con Artistsis a clever and stylish heist film.
Kim portrays Ji-hyuk, a master safecracker whose new job involves breaking into a safe and looting it in just under 45 minutes. But Ji-hyuk can’t do such a thing alone, so he’s joined by a talented young hacker Jong-bae (Lee Hyun-woo) and a cunning mastermind Gu-in (Ko Chang-seok). Perhaps shallow at times,The Con Artistsis a fun movie to enjoy, especially for lovers of the genre.
8’The Big Swindle' (2004)
Another stylish ensemble heist film,The Big Swindle, feels like a caper and heist movie at the same time; it’s action, comedy, cons, and double-crossings galore. The cast includes some of the greats of South Korean cinema —Kim Sang-ho(Sweet Home),Yum Jung-ah(A Tale of Two Sisters), andChun Ho-jin(I Saw the Devil), among others.
The Big Swindlequestions if one can do a good job if they can’t trust anyone in their team; while everyone has personal plans with the loot, that may be the only thing on each of their minds. Coincidentally, their personal desire for money gets in the way of doing well as a team — much like many viewers were able to see intheNetflixseriesKaleidoscope.
7’The Thieves' (2012)
The ThievesisOcean’s ElevenandMission: Impossiblein one. A group of 10 con artists with different expertise come together to rob a casino. Their loot, however, isn’t the casino itself but a highly valuable necklace that’s going to be there at a certain time.
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The crew are con artists of all ages and backgrounds, banded together for a once-in-a-lifetime steal. The movie feels like watching a Hollywood-produced blockbuster paired with the well-known ability of South Korean filmmakers to combine multiple plots. Fans ofSquid Gamewill enjoy watching a young and handsomeLee Jung-jaeas one of the leads, while fans of the seriesSignalwill see their favorite detective,Kim Hye-su.
6’Time to Hunt' (2020)
One of Netflix’s breakout South Korean movies of 2020,Time to Hunt, is a unique cat-and-mouse heist film. The plot takes a sudden turn around the halfway point, and the atmosphere darkens.Time to Huntfollows a group of friends in a dystopian Seoul whose main goal is to survive the tough times and escape their dystopian hell.
Jung-seok (Lee Je-hoon), Ki Hoon (Choi Woo-sik), Sang-soo (Park Jung-min), and Jang Ho (Hong Ahn-jae) organize a heist just after Jung-seok’s release from prison. They wish to run far away, but reality hits when a trained assassin is sent after them. While many callTime to Huntpredictable, it still fully delivers tension and high-strung action. This is one of the bestSouth Korean thrillers on Netflix— a recommended viewing for any time.
5’The Swindlers' (2017)
Fans ofHyun BinandSouth Korean romantic comedieswill enjoy watchingThe Swindlers. Fans ofOldboywill also be happy to seeYoo Ji-taein another great supporting role. Still, these stars are only there to complete the already pretty great (and convoluted) storyline. Hyun Bin plays Ji-sung, a master conman; Yoo plays Hui-su, a man in need of catching another conman.
Hui-su and Ji-sung join forces, assemble a team of swindlers, and work on executing the perfect con. Here’s another movie that often asks — who can trust whom in this scenario? And why would they, considering who they all are? The action is well-executed, and the movie is fabulously stylish:The Swindlersis a good caper with an excellently picked-out cast.
4’Master' (2016)
Lee Byung-hunmay be the most famous South Korean actor outside the country; after playing in movies likeREDandG.I. Joe: Retaliation, Lee returned to South Korea to make one of his most popular and lucrative movies —Master. This fast-paced, twist-filled heist movie involves more than just getting the loot. It’s about getting revenge on the corporate world and its corrupt participants.
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Kim Woo-bin reprises his role in a heist film, but this time, he’s got some lethal hacking skills. WhileMasteris a heist movie in essence, it’s really all about completing a big and ambitious fraud. The movie isn’t action-packed but very intense, and Lee Byung-hun, who usually plays the good guy, excels as the ruthless President Jin.
3’Inside Men' (2015)
Another exceptional Lee Byung-hun thriller,Inside Men, dominated the box office, possibly because of the stellar cast. It’s similar toMasterbut just as different from it;Inside Mencould be labeled as “just” a heist movie, but it’s also a political thriller, crime drama, and an action flick.
Lee plays a gangster ready to risk his life for uncovering a dirty politician’s slush fund. On the other side, a talented and persistent prosecutor is pushed to find evidence of that same slush fund. Thus, the gangster and the prosecutor decide to work together, joined by the same goal. Multiple plots align as the heist is planned out, makingInside Menan exciting crime thriller above all else.
2’Cold Eyes' (2013)
Cold Eyesis one of the rare blockbusters with a female lead protagonist.Han Hyo-jooplays Yoon-joo, a rookie detective with incredible observation skills and memory. She works with her senior, Chief Detective Hwang, to apprehend an elusive conman known as James (Jung Woo-sung).
Yoo-joo and James enter a cat-and-mouse chase while James simultaneously performs and plans bank heists with a team of thieves.Cold Eyesis more of a surveillance spy thriller with elements of heist, but that shouldn’t deter viewers from giving it a chance. The plot and subplots are all well-thought-out and tightly crafted.
1’Going by the Book' (2007)
Going by the Bookhasa slightly ridiculous premise, but it’s nevertheless quite fantastic. Do-man (Jeong Jae-young) is an inconspicuous traffic police officer who prefers most of his life to be by the book. He’s law-abiding and pays attention to detail. A string of bank heists has been increasingly worrying the public, and the chief of police organizes anti-robbery drills.
The drills are meant to encourage the people’s faith in the police forces by showing what they’d do to prevent future heists. But, the chief of police hires Do-man to be the designated bank robber, and Do-man, being the perfectionist he is, decides to plan a real heist.Going by the Bookis a great action comedy that keeps viewers guessing without introducing convoluted plots. It’s simple — but it works great.
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