15 Greatest Movies About the Korean War

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For decades, Korea remained united under Japanese rule but when the Asian nation surrendered after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, a leadership challenge emerged. The United States and the Soviet Union thus agreed to oversee the administrative duties of the South and North respectively. Sadly, the peace didn’t last and in 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea with the support of China and The Soviet Union. A deadly war then broke out.

Today, stories about The Korean War (1950 – 1953) have been told extensively in a number of movies. These films cover the perspectives of the Americans and the Korean natives. A few of them also show what the Chinese and Soviets were thinking and planning. Among the items on the cinematic menu so far, the following can be labeled the quintessential motion pictures about this particular period in history.

15 War Hunt (1962)

A scene from War Hunt (1962) TCM

There are numerous critically acclaimed one-man-army movies, yet none is as unique as War Hunt. Events take place toward the end of the Korean War, and they focus on the courageous Private Endore, who has a habit of infiltrating enemy lines by himself at night and knifing Chinese and North Korean soldiers to death. However, Endore is not the typical combatant who kills and keeps moving. He also performs rituals on every person that he slaughters.

Throughout the movie, Endore seems to operate in his own realm. In addition to slicing throats, he enjoys painting his face like John Matrix and never smiles, no matter how clever the jokes is. His wise colleagues know better than to interfere with anything he does, but when he insists on going into enemy territory even after a peace treaty (the Korean Armistice Agreement) has been signed, they are forced to try and stop him, a move that doesn’t go so well.

14 Tae Gug Ki (2004)

The main characters of the Korean War movie, Taegukgi Showbox

Military service is still mandatory in South Korea, though it is never something for the male populace to worry about nowadays because there is no war going on. However, in the early ‘50s, getting drafted meant getting thrown into the battlefield and that’s such is the fate the brothers Jin-tae and Jin-seok are forced to endure in Tae Gug Ki.

The film is basically about love and family sacrifices as it mostly involves Jin-tae’s efforts to try and acquire the “Taegugki” bravery medal, which will allow both him and Jin-seok to be discharged. This way, Jin-seok will get to complete the education he desperately craves. The goal seems clear at first, but things become more complicated when Jin-seok’s fiancé gets arrested on suspicion of being a turncoat.

13 Devotion (2022)

James and Bar stand by a bar in Devotion Paramount Pictures

Devotion is a story about Jesse Brown — the U.S. Navy’s first-ever Black aviator — and his close bond with fellow pilot, Tom Hudner. The two have plenty of memorable moments together, including undergoing carrier tests with the dangerous F4U-4 Corsair planes and meeting actress Elizabeth Taylor while on vacation in France, but the real fun starts when the Korean War breaks out halfway into the movie.

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12 The Battle of Jangsari (2019)

A fight scene in The Battle of Jangsari Tubi

The Battle of Jangsari is an independent Korean film with a Korean cast. Interestingly, it also has one of Megan Fox’s best performances. How she found herself here is a story fans would definitely love to hear from the actress herself. The film focuses on the Independent 1st Guerrilla Battalion’s mission to trick North Korean forces into thinking an attack would be launched from Jangsari Beach.

In history, the mission was crucial because it allowed the South Korean and American forces to plan the Incheon Landing, which helped turn the tide in the war. Though the spotlight remains on the soldiers, Fox’s character, an American journalist, plays a crucial role as she helps rally the international community to offer support.

11 The Steel Helmet (1951)

Steel Helmet Sam Fuller Lippert Pictures

The Steel Helmet is Hollywood’s first-ever movie about the Korean War, and it was released just a year after the conflict broke out. It has a case for being considered one of the best anti-war movies since it preaches against America’s involvement in the affairs of other countries. It’s also the first-ever feature to address the controversial Japanese-American Internment (detention of Japanese Americans across the US after the Pearl Harbor attacks).

The film has one of the most captivating opening sequences, which shows a soldier worming his way through a rocky ravine on his belly with his hands tied behind his back. He also has a wound on his leg and a hole in his helmet where a bullet fired by North Korean forces passed. Audiences soon learn that he is the only survivor of his platoon. As the events unfold, he teams up with other survivors who are wandering around. Together, they take shelter at a Buddhist temple where they fend off attacks.

10 The Hunters (1958)

A scene from The Hunters (1958) Posterazzi

It wouldn’t be foolish to presume that the creators of Top Gun drew some inspiration from The Hunters. It even has a character called Iceman, just like the one played by Val Kilmer. Here, Iceman is a World War II veteran pilot who has just returned to help out in the Korean War. Under his command are the daredevil Pell and the cowardly Abbott.

Dealing with both characters becomes a true test of Iceman’s patience and mental health. Pell keeps ignoring commands whereas Abbott is never sure what to do. Things become juicer when Abbott’s wife falls for Iceman. The movie thus becomes part romance drama, part war drama, featuring some of the most impressive aerial dogfights.

9 MAS*H (1970)

A scene from the MASH movie 20th Century Studios

Whenever M*A*S*H is mentioned, fans think of one of the TV shows with the highest ever Nielsen ratings but the adventure all started with a movie. Like the series, the film focuses on a medical unit stationed at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) at the height of the Korean War. The war comedy is adapted from Richard Hooker's novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors.

There is plenty of humor in the proceedings, making the scenes of mutilated bodies easier to tolerate. And unlike the TV shows, there is a greater focus on mature dialogue and subplots. There are a few sexual jokes as well as some religion-themed discussions that might be considered controversial.

8 Snipers (2022)

A scene from Snipers (2022) Beijing Enlight Media

Snipers is more of the Chinese version of American Sniper. It’s a fictionalized account of the life of the sharpshooter Zhang Taofang, who took out 214 American soldiers with his sniper rifle in under a month at the height of the Korean War. Interestingly, he only had an old Mosin–Nagant rifle without an in-built telescope. Supporting characters include members of the Chinese Army’s 5th Squad, 8th Company.

It’s a refreshing film because it’s a reminder that Americans aren’t normally the only skilled parties during wars, something many war movies like to make audiences believe. In addition to that, it’s a story of hard work and resilience. In the beginning, Taofang has a poor aim, but he works hard to sharpen his skills. Within no time, he reaches a point where he hardly wastes any bullet.

7 The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

The Manchurian Candidate starring Frank Sinatra United Artists

Denzel Washington’s The Manchurian Candidate is arguably more popular, but the original is better. While the remake touches on the Gulf War, the original bases its plot on the Korean War. After members of a platoon get captured by Soviet and Chinese forces, one of them gets programmed to be a sleeper agent. When he returns home, he begins his assignment.

Frank Sinatra gives an incredible performance in The Manchurian Candidate, which many saw as a message to detractors who felt he was a good singer but a terrible actor. Angela Lansbury also shines as the sleeper agent’s mother, so much so that she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance. Away from the performances, there are numerous twists, all of which help make the film tasty to fans of all genres.

6 I Want You (1951)

A scene from I Want You (1951) TCM

Whenever war breaks out, there are always the courageous and patriotic ones who rush to be enlisted and those who try to avoid the battlefield, either out of cowardice or because of personal principles. I Want You features a few American citizens who want to avoid fighting in the Korean War for various reasons. George Jr. feels he’ll be better off if he continues working for his construction company while Jack wants to keep seeing a girl he is currently dating.

These individuals make serious efforts to try and make themselves exempt from the draft. One fails due to bureaucratic issues and the other gets betrayed by people he thought would help him. Thanks to detailed character development, viewers get enough reasons to either hate the main characters for not being patriotic enough or pity them for failing to get what they truly desire.

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