South Korean cinema is no stranger to the fantasy genre. In fact, it's one of the most successful cinemas to utilize fantasy as a backdrop for social commentary. One filmmaker who stands out in this genre is, of course, Academy Award-winning director Bong Joon-ho — indeed, there are multiple films of his on our list. For directors like Bong, fantasy allows them to step back from reality while simultaneously examining it through different lenses.

More than anything, South Korean fantasy movies are entertaining. From thrilling audiences to taking them to worlds unknown, the films on this list have become some of the most internationally renowned films. Without further ado, here are the best South Korean fantasy movies, ranked.

9 The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion (2018)

Written and directed by Park Hoon-jung, The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion is the first film of The Witch duology. It stars Kim Da-mi and Choi Woo-shik, up-and-comers at the time, and established actress Jo Min-su. The plot follows a young girl named Ja-yoon, who manages to escape a mysterious laboratory and finds herself a new family. After many years, we find out that she has telekinetic abilities and needs a cure for the disease she's dying from. What truly helps the plot is the chemistry between Kim and Choi (we'll later see them star in a rom-com together). The Witch: Subversion showcases deranged lab-made characters with high intelligence, who are basically created to destroy and maim.

Related: Best South Korean Action Movies, Ranked

8 The Call (2020)

Based on the 2011 British and Puerto Rican film The Caller, The Call is a thriller directed by Lee Chung-hyun. Starring Park Shin-hye and Jeon Jong-seo in the lead roles, the film revolves around Seo-yeon and Young-sook, two women from different time periods as their lives become interconnected through an old phone. Both women soon realize they live in the same house, but while Seo-yeon lives in 2019, Young-sook is from 1999. They relate to each other due to their hatred towards their mothers, one is abusive, the other responsible for the death of her husband. Get ready for a pretty intense storyline with an unexpected ending.

7 Psychokinesis (2018)

Written and directed by the Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho, Psychokinesis is the first South Korean superhero film. Starring Ryu Seung-ryong, Shim Eun-kyung, and Park Jung-min in the lead roles, the plot follows Shin Roo-mi​​​​​​​ and her estranged father Seok-heon. Seok-heon is a security guard, who drinks from a mountain spring where a mysterious meteor landed. As a result, he gains telekinetic powers and embarks on a journey to save his daughter's business from an evil company. It's definitely a fresh take on the superhero genre, as well as the father-daughter dynamics that are discussed and dealt with throughout the movie — a theme evidently dear to Yeon given the premise of Train to Busan.

6 The Mimic (2017)

Written and directed by Huh Jung, The Mimic is a horror-fantasy movie starring Yum Jung-ah and Park Hyuk-kwon. The plot centers around an evil spirit that is capable of mimicking dead loved ones' voices, consequently luring people in and sacrificing them. What's interesting is that the story was inspired by the South Korean urban legend of the Jangsan Tiger, a man-eating tiger who is often heard making a sound that resembles a woman's wail. You should definitely watch this one if you're a fan of scary movies with children characters.

5 A Werewolf Boy (2012)

Director Jo Sung-hee's first commercial film, A Werewolf Boy is a fantasy romance movie starring big South Korean actors Park Bo-young and Song Joong-ki in the leading roles as Eun-joo​​​​​​​ and Chul-soo. The movie revolves around a young girl who is sent to a country house to better her health. There, she befriends a werewolf boy and tries really hard to civilize him. If you're sentimental at heart, then there's a big possibility you'll be left sobbing after watching the film. It's no wonder that A Werewolf Boy quickly rose to become the most successful Korean melodramas of all time.

Related: 9 South Korean Movies That Will Disturb You For Days

4 Snowpiercer (2013)

Based on the French climate fiction graphic novel Le Transperceneige, Snowpiercer is a South-Korean-Czech co-production directed by Bong Joon-ho. The spectacle stars big names such as Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, and many more. The plot focuses on a globe-encircling train called Snowpiercer, which houses the last of the human population. The situation was created due to a failed climate engineering attempt to stop global warming, turning the globe into an uninhabitable snowball instead. The new way of co-existing doesn't stop the higher-ups, of course, from separating the train into social classes: the lower class at the tail, and the higher classes at the head, living in luxury — that is, until Evans' character decides he has had enough and starts a revolution.

3 Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017)

Based on the webtoon series of the same name, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds is a fantasy action movie directed by Kim Yong-hwa and stars Ha Jung-woo, Cha Tae-hyun, Ju Ji-hoon, and Kim Hyang-g. After a firefighter dies on duty, he's suddenly accompanied by three grim reapers who are assigned to lead him to afterlife, while examining his actions while he was alive. The themes of death, redemption, and people's purpose on Earth are heavily discussed throughout the plot. To this day, it's still the third highest-grossing film in South Korean cinema history.

2 The Host (2006)

We warned you that this list will probably include a lot of Bong Joon-ho films, and here we have another one. The Host is a monster film starring Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona, and others. After a river monster kidnaps a man's daughter, his family does everything in their power to rescue her. Bong's criticism of South Korea's dependence on the U.S. stays prevalent throughout the plot. The monster was created after an American scientist ordered a Korean scientist to pour the leftover chemicals into the local river. Bong once again proved that he's the master of subtle social commentary.

1 Okja (2017)

Last but not least, we have yet another Bong Joon-Ho masterpiece: Okja. The film centers around a young girl named Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun), who has participated in a national contest of raising a genetically created super pig. The special creature, Okja, quickly becomes her best friend, and Mija does everything in her power to save her from the evil meat production organization Mirando Corporation, whose CEO is Lucy Mirando (Swinton). It stars other big names such as Choi Woo-shik, Paul Dano, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins, and Jake Gyllenhaal. It heavily criticizes the meat industry, the abuse of animals, and capitalism (via VICE). It's one of the first movies to positively depict the Animal Liberation Front.