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Kim Byung-seo

Kim Byung-seo

Cinematographer, writer and director · Born February 16, 1978 (48) · South Korea

Kim Byung-seo (김병서) is a South Korean filmmaker who first made his name as the cinematographer of a number of films including the Along with the Gods films, and then went on to direct the hit films Ashfall and Cold Eyes.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 16, 1978 (48)
From
South Korea
Works as
Cinematographer, writer and director
Titles
25 on MovieCove · 33 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 65 days to Oct 28Down 35% in 30 days

What are Kim Byung-seo's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 27th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

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

share of theme weight
Morality
33%
Bonds
28%
Self
18%
Power
7%
Ideas
7%
Survival
6%
Society
3%
Romantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themePower2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 4 · Dark 5

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 3

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 7

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Melancholic
8
Contemplative
4
Thrilling
4
Romantic
2
Other
7

How their films linger

Bittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2

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 Byung-seo's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 25 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Kim Byung-seo'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

33 credits, 25 with a MovieCove page.

  • Lobby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Adaptation

  • Wonderland(2024)

    Adaptation

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Exhuma(2024)

    "D" Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • 12.12: The Day(2023)

    "C" Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Hunt(2022)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Ashfall(2019)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Take Point(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

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

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Love, Lies(2016)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Priests(2015)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Advocate: A Missing Body(2015)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Memories of the Sword(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • My Dictator (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Cinematographer

  • Cold Eyes(2013)

    Director · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Chase(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Dangerous Liaisons(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Punch(2011)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Silenced(2011)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Hindsight(2011)

    Adaptation · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • I Saw the Devil(2010)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Season of Good Rain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Cinematographer

  • Take Off(2009)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Castaway on the Moon(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Five Senses of Eros(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Go Go 70s (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Cinematographer

  • Secret Sunshine(2007)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Host(2006)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Sad Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer

  • ...ing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Cinematographer

  • If You Were Me(2003)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • www.whitelover.com (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Cinematographer

  • Solo Leveling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Creator · Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 32 titles, 31 of them dated from 2000 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017)

$109M worldwide

Highest rated

Castaway on the Moon (2009)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing3 of 32: 0 only directing, 3 with another roleWriting5 of 32: 2 only writing, 3 with another roleCinematography16 of 32: 14 only cinematography, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score61stOther crew13 of 32: 12 only other crew, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score84th

32 titles, 4 with more than one role.

By decade

2000s10 · crew2010s16 · crew2020s5 · crew

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 Byung-seo's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 25; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 25 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 25 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · cinematographer

The Chase (2009)

75th percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Castaway on the Moon (2009)

Midcredits 98th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 69/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 52. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

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 Byung-seo's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 12 · minimalMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Kim Byung-seo work with?

People who share at least 2 of Kim Byung-seo's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ha Jung-woo shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers