8 Lee Byung-hun's Best Movies to Watch While Waiting for 'No Other Choice'
Loved him as the Front Man in Squid Game? Then it's time to delve deeper into Lee Byung-hun's filmography.
Lee Byung-hun, one of South Korea's brightest movie stars, has embodied many roles in cinema and on TV over the last three decades, ranging from the leader of a criminal gang to the Front Man of a deadly game.
In September 2025, a new movie by director Park Chan-wook, No Other Choice, starring Lee Byung-hun, is scheduled for release. While you wait for fall, we have recalled other worthy films featuring the actor.
1. 'A Bittersweet Life', 2005
IMDb Score: 7.5/10
Lee Byung-hun plays Kim Sun-woo, the right-hand man of the leader of a criminal group. This young, principled man sets off a chain reaction of bloody reprisals.
The boss trusts Kim like a son and instructs him to look after his beloved, whom he suspects of cheating. When Kim finds the boss's girlfriend with another man, he realizes they are in danger of being killed. Showing pity, he suggests everyone forget what happened.
The boss finds out about the double betrayal. He cruelly punishes the man who refuses to ask for forgiveness. However, Kim literally rises from the grave to take revenge.
2. 'Joint Security Area', 2000
IMDb Score: 7.7/10
Lee Byung-hun rose to fame with the hit movie Joint Security Area, directed by Park Chan-wook. The film is set on the border between North and South Korea.
One night, a shooting occurs at a North Korean guard post in which two North soldiers are killed. Lee Soo-hyeok (played by Lee Byung-hun), a South Korean soldier who ended up on the other side for unknown reasons, is involved in the shootout.
This incident could lead to war at any moment. An investigation begins, but determining the truth will be difficult because the survivors' testimonies differ greatly.
3. 'The Good, the Bad, the Weird', 2008
IMDb Score: 7.2/10
The Good, the Bad, the Weird is an adventure movie that combines elements of Sergio Leone and Indiana Jones. One day, a banker discovers a Qing Dynasty treasure map. The hunt for it draws in not only robbers and adventurers, but also Chinese rebels and Japanese troops.
Byung-hun plays the Bad, the leader of a gang of thugs. The movie was recognized at the Cannes Film Festival, and Lee's performance foreshadowed his future work in Hollywood.
4. 'I Come With the Rain', 2009
IMDb Score: 5.3/10
_39395.webp)
I Come With the Rain is an action thriller directed by Tran Anh Hung. It stars Josh Hartnett in the main role and Lee Byung-hun as Su Dongpo, the leader of a criminal group.
Kline was an ordinary policeman until he met Hasford, a ruthless killer. As a result of one of the operations, Kline became a prisoner of this sadist.
Two years later, he is now a private detective. A mysterious stranger calling himself the owner of a large pharmaceutical company needs his services. The task is to find the client's son, Shitao, and return him to his father.
5. 'Three… Extremes', 2004
IMDb Score: 6.9/10
The horror anthology Three... Extremes, brings together three directors: Takashi Miike, Fruit Chan, and Park Chan-wook.
Lee Byung-hun plays a famous film director who, one evening, finds himself and his family puppets of a crazy man who decides to play a Saw-style game with them.
6. 'Inside Men', 2015
IMDb Score: 7.0/10
Lee Kang-hee, the editor-in-chief of an influential conservative newspaper, is pushing presidential candidate Jang Pil- woo to the forefront of the election race. This campaign is backed by a deal with the newspaper's largest sponsor, Mirae Motors.
A gangster named Ahn Sang-goo, played by Lee Byung-hun, carries out orders from high-ranking officials and is devoted to his cause. One day, however, he decides to give Lee documents about Congressman Jang's secret accounts.
Soon, Ahn finds himself tied to a chair with his hand cut off. Now, the man is determined to take revenge.
7. 'I Saw the Devil', 2010
IMDb Score: 7.8/10
Lee Byung-hun plays Special Agent Kim Soo-hyeon, whose pregnant fiancée was brutally murdered by a local maniac. From that moment on, he becomes obsessed with tracking down the killer and making him feel the same pain.
The confrontation between Kim and the madman, portrayed by Choi Min-sik, gains momentum, turning into a kind of game where more and more lives are at stake.
8. 'The Fortress', 2017
IMDb Score: 6.8/10
The plot of The Fortress revolves around a real historical event. During the Manchu invasion of Joseon, King Injo leads his troops and nobles to the fortress on Mount Namhansan.
The fortification was impossible to take, but the troops' food supplies were rapidly diminishing. The Manchus were ready to retreat but demanded the crown prince as a hostage in exchange.
King Injo finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place: Minister Choi, played by Lee Byung-hun, advocates handing over the prince for the sake of a truce, while Minister Kim favors resisting until reinforcements arrive.
