Kim Tae-toon’sWall to Wallhas found plenty of success on Netflix over the past week, climbing the platform’s charts and proving there will always be an eager audience for a slick, thought-provoking South Korean thriller.The movie stars Kang Ha-neul as a young tenantwho grows paranoid about his neighbors and the dark secrets they’re bringing to his new home.
Wall to Wallfirst gathered attention for its unexpectedSquid Gamereunion, with both Kang Ha-neul and Kang Ae-sim ditching their pink jumpsuits for two very different characters: a mother/son dynamic that much ofWall to Wall’s story is built upon. Beyond the film’s impressive cast, the most impressive feature of this Netflix movie is the bold and audacious storytelling, which it shares with many other acclaimed thrillers.
The Occupant
Cast
The Occupant, released on August 16, 2025, depicts four estranged siblings grappling with demonic possession after inheriting their family home. The arrival of an eccentric stranger, who claims ownership, coincides with bizarre manifestations that have malevolent effects on everyone present.
The Occupantfollows a successful businessman, played by Javier Gutierrez, who decides to spy on the new tenants of the house he left behind after losing his job. The movie does an excellent job of blending high-stakes tension with character-driven drama in a way that constantly keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.
Perhaps the most effective part ofThe Occupantis theslick direction from David and Alex Pastor, who continually defy expectations with their atmospheric camerawork and precise framing. It’s the kind of film that strongly benefits from a rewatch, as its central mystery unravels in new ways with each viewing.
Streamingis another popularKorean movie from 2025that features Kang Ha-neul in the lead role. Its concept is simple;Woo Sang is a popular video streamer who uses his online following to solve true crimesin real time and employs his fame to improve his detective skills. However, things quickly turn dark when Sang stumbles into a string of brutal crimes.
Much likeWall to Wall, this thriller is filled with non-stop plot twists and action sequences that keep the story moving at a breakneck pace. It’s capable of slowing down and playing with tension when necessary, but the film is one that implores audiences to get sucked into its high-stakes, often melodramatic (in the right way) story.
10 CloverfieldLanemight not seem very similar toWall to Wallon the surface, as their narratives center on totally different concepts, but both Dan Trachtenberg and Kim are verypatient, methodical storytellerswho give their respective projects a very similar atmosphere of tension and apprehension.10 Cloverfield Laneis a little more far-fetched thanWall to Wall, but they’re both equally gripping.
10 Cloverfield Laneis a very loose sequel to Matt Reeves’Cloverfield, with this follow-up taking place almost entirely within the confines of a nuclear bunker. The movie follows three characters, played byJohn Goodman, John Gallagher Jr, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who begin to clash with each other as they debate journeying to the potentially radioactive surface.
Thestory ofWall to Wallasks plenty of important questions about paranoia, identity, and the “reality” of the world around us, many of which are also touched upon in Dennis Iliadis’Delirium. The film,starring Topher Grace in the lead role, tells the story of a psychiatric patient who believes his newly inherited mansion is haunted by supernatural forces.
BothWall to WallandDeliriumare brilliant examples of filmmakers using their own unique visual languages toblur the line between reality and fiction, using the paranoia of their protagonists to put the audience in the same position. It’s such a unique way for a thriller to unfold, and both movies do a great job of achieving their distinct atmosphere.
Forgottenis another creative South Korean thriller that, much likeWall to Wall, adopts a very dark, gritty tone to mirror the unspoken horrors of its narrative. Whilethere’s an element of melodrama that’s to be expected from this specific subgenre, the methodical story does an excellent job of making everything seem realistic and keeping audiences hooked.
Forgottenis rarely considered among the best South Korean thrillers of its time, but it has every right to be.
The film also stars Kang Ha-neul in the lead role, making it the perfect companion piece toWall to Wall. He plays an ambitious young man named Jin-seok, who goes searching for the truth when his abducted brother returns home without any memories of his supposed captivity.Forgottenis rarely considered among thebest South Korean thrillersof its time, but it has every right to be.
One of the most impressive things aboutWall to Wallis how seamlessly it weaves its subtle social commentary into the story,using its rich, complex characters to make audiences careabout the message it’s trying to put across. This is something thatThe Platformalso does very well, offering some poignant critiques of classism and capitalism in modern society.
The Platformcenters around a dystopian future where prisoners are fed according to their status, with their food descending on a stone platform and relying on an honor system for prisoners to take just as much as they need. It’s a powerful commentary on howhuman greed and selfishness are the biggest obstacles to social harmonyin today’s age.
4The Chase (2017)
Directed By Hong Seon Kim
The Chasecenters around an ambitious detective who turns up at the apartment of an unhelpful landlord, looking to solve a crime that was officially closed over three decades ago.The movie is filled with unpredictable twiststhat will constantly take viewers by surprise, with the story repeatedly swerving in directions that you’d least expect.
The Chaseoffers a very effective twist on the familiarsmall-town crime genre, using the metropolitan landscape of South Korea to place audiences in a very unassuming location before uncovering secrets and betrayals that turn everything upside down. The film also boasts several excellent performances, with Wi Ha-joon and Park Ji-hyun standing out among the talented ensemble.
His Houseis certainly more of a horror movie than a thriller, but it touches on many of the same key ideas asWall to Wallthrough its biting social commentary and poignant reflections on class inequality.The film marked Remi Weekes’ debut directorial feature, leading him to several BAFTA nominations.
His Housefollows a South Sudanese couple who immigrate to the United Kingdom, but quickly find that their idyllic new life isn’t going to be the dream they were expecting. After moving into their new home, the couple discovers that a dark evil is lurking within the walls. It’s an unflinching allegory for both the immigrant experience and the apathetic treatment of the working class in Britain.
2025 has been avery strong year for South Korean thrillers, andRevelationsis the strongest of the bunch so far. The movie centers around an enthusiastic pastor who believes his work to be leading him down a road of divine revelation, who interferes with the work of a local detective investigating a recent kidnapping.
The way every single storyline and subplot converges in Yeon Sang-ho’s movie is what makesRevelationssuch a critical success. The movie is patient with its twists and methodical with its character work, luring audiences into a false sense of security before the truth of this narrative finally makes itself known.
WhileParasitecertainly wasn’t the first brilliant Korean thriller, it was certainly the one that introduced the subgenre to a much larger audience. The film, whichswept the Oscars and collected four awards, including Best Picture, follows a working-class Korean family who begin working for their wealthy neighbors and subtly insert themselves into their idyllic lifestyle.
What’s so potent aboutParasiteis how unashamedly Bong Joon-ho turns his fierce social commentary into the main focus of the story, instead of merely hiding it behind something more accessible and simple. It’s a film that makes itself known from the very first scene, and the way it gradually builds into something completely different is something that very few filmmakers could have achieved.
