Kim Ki-duk (December 20, 1960 – December 11, 2020) was a prolific South Korean writer-director of idiosyncratic, allegorical, and often extreme and transgressive arthouse dramas, best known for "The Isle" (2000), "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring" (2003), "Samaritan Girl" (2004), "3-Iron" (2004) and "Pieta" (2012). His films have received many distinctions on the international festival circuit.
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Biography from TMDB.
- December 20, 1960
- December 11, 2020 (aged 59)
- Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang, South Korea
- Writer, director, producer, editor, cinematographer and actor
- 17 on MovieCove · 38 credits in all
What are Kim Ki-duk's films like?
Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 17
Light 1 · Serious 4 · Dark 12
Grounded 5 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 5
Gentle 2 · Charged 3 · Intense 12
Steady 6 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 3
Straight-faced 17 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0
Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0
Casual 1 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 6
Easy watch 0 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 13
Resolved 0 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 10
Moods and endings
- Bittersweet3
- Tragic4
- Ambiguous9
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Kim Ki-duk's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).
- Pieta (2012) · director, writer, producer, editor · free
- Rough Cut (2008) · writer, producer · free
- Birdcage Inn (1998) · director, writer · free
- The Isle (2000) · director, writer · free
- Bad Guy (2001) · director, writer · free
- Moebius (2013) · director, writer, producer, cinematographer, editor · free
- One on One (2014) · director, writer, producer, cinematographer, editor · free
Subscription and free streaming for Kim Ki-duk's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
38 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Ask the Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Call of God (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
The Past Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Dissolve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Excavator (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Stop(2015)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
The Net(2016)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Made in China(2014)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
One on One(2014)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Godsend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Red Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Rough Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Moebius(2013)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Venice 70: Future Reloaded (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Pieta(2012)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Amen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Arirang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Poongsan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Rough Cut(2008)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Beautiful (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Breath(2007)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Kim Ki-duk, filmmaker of convulsive beauty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
The Bow(2005)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
3-Iron(2004)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Samaritan Girl(2004)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
The Coast Guard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Bad Guy(2001)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Address Unknown(2001)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Real Fiction (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
The Isle(2000)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Birdcage Inn(1998)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Wild Animals (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
The Rocket Is Launched (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Crocodile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Career shape
A full career of 38 titles from 1996 to 2025.
Biggest box office
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)
Highest rated
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)
Film career
- 2003Screen debut· Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
By role
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Kim Ki-duk's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 17; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up11
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th3
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
10 of their 17 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Crowd Pleaser10
- Mixed5
Reviewers score the dialogue 42/100 and the plot and story 51/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Kim Ki-duk's work okay for kids?
Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Kim Ki-duk work with?
People who share at least 2 of Kim Ki-duk's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kim Soon-Mo shares the most, 5.
Actors
- Kim Young-minShared titles: The Net (2016), One on One (2014), Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003), Address Unknown (2001)See all 4 shared titles with Kim Young-min
- Cho Jae-hyunShared titles: Moebius (2013), Address Unknown (2001), Bad Guy (2001), The Isle (2000)See all 4 shared titles with Cho Jae-hyun
- Son Min-seokShared titles: The Net (2016), The Isle (2000), Birdcage Inn (1998)See all 3 shared titles with Son Min-seok
- Park Ji-ahShared titles: Breath (2007), 3-Iron (2004), Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)See all 3 shared titles with Park Ji-ah
Composers and editors
- Inyoung ParkShared titles: Human, Space, Time and Human (2018), Moebius (2013), Pieta (2012)See all 3 shared titles with Inyoung Park
- Min-Seon ParkShared titles: The Net (2016), Made in China (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Min-Seon Park
- Park Young-minShared titles: Made in China (2014), One on One (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Park Young-min
- SuahnShared titles: Rough Cut (2008), Breath (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Suahn
Producers
- Kim Soon-MoShared titles: The Net (2016), Made in China (2014), One on One (2014), Moebius (2013), Pieta (2012)See all 5 shared titles with Kim Soon-Mo
- Seung-jae LeeShared titles: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003), Address Unknown (2001), Bad Guy (2001), Birdcage Inn (1998)See all 4 shared titles with Seung-jae Lee
- Kim Woo-taekShared titles: Moebius (2013), Pieta (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Kim Woo-taek
- Youngjoo SuhShared titles: Breath (2007), 3-Iron (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Youngjoo Suh