Forget 'Parasite', This Drama With 100% on RT Is One of the Best Korean Movies Ever Made

When it comes to South Korean cinema, Parasite is the first movie that comes to mind – the Oscar-winning, game-changing masterpiece.

However, in the shadow of this giant, there's another masterpiece that deserves equal attention: Lee Chang-dong's drama Poetry is a film that, despite its perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, remains overlooked.

What Is 'Poetry' About?

The story revolves around Mi-ja, an elderly woman. Her world, filled with quiet joys and observations of the beauty around her, is shattered by a double blow of fate.

First, she receives a progressive diagnosis: Alzheimer's disease. Soon, it emerges that her grandson, whom she cares for, was one of the participants in a violent school incident that led to a classmate's suicide.

'Poetry' Is a Devastating Yet Life-Affirming Movie

Such a plot seems destined to be gloomy and hopeless. However, Lee Chang-dong's genius lies in his ability to find light in the deepest darkness.

Poetry opens and closes with a shot of a river. At first, it is simply a beautiful landscape, but by the end, the river has become a powerful symbol of life's flow, memory, and inevitable change.

As Mi-ja loses her grip on the past, she learns to find poetry in the present moment: the shape of an apple, the play of light on leaves, and the casual glance of a stranger. This is not a story of defeat but of quiet, unwavering resistance to oblivion.

'Poetry' Is Heart-Wrenching, but It Doesn't Manipulate the Viewer – It's Subtle

In the hands of a less talented director, this drama could have easily descended into cheap melodrama or manipulative pity. However, Lee Chang-dong chooses the path of extreme restraint and subtlety.

The film lacks intrusive music to evoke emotion, and it doesn't escalate tearful scenes. The tragedy is conveyed through quiet, almost mundane details: a forgotten word, a silent look, or an awkward conversation with the father of the afflicted girl.

Yoon Jeong-hee's performance as Mi-ja is a masterpiece of inner strength and fragility. Her character evokes profound respect and empathy rather than pity.

Poetry doesn't attempt to overwhelm the viewer with grief. Instead, it invites you to share in a complex and painful yet cathartic emotional experience that leaves behind a piercing sense of clarity.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Poetry'?

• Poetry has 100% from critics and 86% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.8/10.

• On Letterboxd, Poetry scored 4.2/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Poetry'?

Poetry is available to stream on Netflix.