A Glean movie guide
Beyond Parasite
Tense, satirical, and unforgettable.
Masterful thrillers exploring class, deception, and the dark side of social ambition.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Snowpiercer
Bong Joon-ho’s visionary take on a train-bound society divided by rigid, brutal class structures.
In a future where a failed global-warming experiment kills off most life on the planet, a class system evolves aboard the Snowpiercer; a train that travels around the globe via a perpetual-motion engine.
- 02
The Handmaiden
An intricate, visually stunning tale of deception and shifting power dynamics in 1930s Korea.
1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl, Sook-hee, is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, Hideko, who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle Kouzuki. But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to steal her fortune.
- 03
Burning
A haunting, slow-burn mystery that masterfully examines the widening gap between social classes.
Deliveryman Jong-su is out on a job when he runs into Hae-mi, a girl who once lived in his neighborhood. She asks if he'd mind looking after her cat while she's away on a trip to Africa. On her return, she introduces to Jong-su an enigmatic young man named Ben, who she met during her trip. One day Ben tells Jong-su about his most unusual hobby.
- 04
The Menu
A sharp, biting satire that traps the ultra-wealthy in a high-stakes, deadly dining experience.
A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.
- 05
Shoplifters
A deeply moving look at a makeshift family living on the fringes of society to survive.
In the outskirts of Tokyo, a poor but close-knit group living on the fringes of society survives through shoplifting and odd jobs. When Osamu and his son take in a neglected young girl, their already fragile existence begins to unravel. As the family grows attached to her, buried secrets surface, forcing them to confront the true meaning of love, belonging, and what makes a family.
- 06
Saltburn
A provocative exploration of obsession and infiltration within the world of the British aristocracy.
Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton, who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family's sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.
- 07
Triangle of Sadness
A chaotic, satirical cruise ship disaster that flips the social hierarchy on its head.
A celebrity model couple are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged, alcoholic captain. What first appears Instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island in a struggle of hierarchy.
- 08
Mother
Another Bong Joon-ho classic featuring a desperate, twist-filled search for justice.
A mother lives quietly with her son. One day, a girl is brutally killed, and the boy is charged with the murder. Now, it's his mother's mission to prove him innocent.
- 09
The Servant
A classic, chilling precursor to modern infiltration thrillers about a servant who slowly usurps his master.
An indolent aristocrat gets more than he bargained for when he hires a competent but silently devious manservant.
- 10
Oldboy
An iconic, visceral South Korean thriller defined by its shocking twists and profound thematic depth.
With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.