Movies like The King's Poison (1984)
The best movies like The King's Poison (1984) are The Face Reader (2013), Kundo: Age of the Rampant (2014) and The Treacherous (2015). If The King's Poison hooked you, these 27 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedKingdom: Ashin of the North (2021)7.1/10 from 661 votes
- NewestThe King's Warden (2026)Released 2026
- In KoreanThe Face Reader (2013)Also in Korean
The Face Reader (2013)
An exceptionally talented face reader becomes entangled in a bloody power struggle between a child king and his uncle who plans to usurp the throne.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKundo: Age of the Rampant (2014)
In 1862, amidst the rule of the late Joseon dynasty in Korea, a band of fighters named Kundo rise against the unjust authorities.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Treacherous (2015)
The story of Joseon's tyrant king Yeonsan who exploits the populace for his own carnal pleasures, his seemingly loyal retainer who controls him and all court dealings, and a woman who seeks vengeance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Divine Weapon (2008)
During the reign of King Sejong in the 15th century, the Joseon Dynasty was the embodiment of the perfect state. To the Ming China, the aspiring imperial power, Joseon presented an obstacle to territorial expansion. To protect themselves from war, King Sejong develops a secret weapon to defend their territory and take back their land and supremacy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRemember (2022)
Pil-ju, an Alzheimer's patient in his 80s, who lost all his family during the Japanese colonial era, and devotes his lifelong revenge before his memories disappear, and a young man in his 20s who helps him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChunhyang (2000)
Once at a pagoda Mongryong Lee, a scion of a well-to-do family, meets Chunhyang, the young daughter of a courtesan and an aristocrat. Despite her low social standing she is smart and well-educated. The young people fall in love and think about marriage so that they could always be together. Mongryong is soon to go to the capital to take the state civil service exam. They part and in Chunhyang's life there appears the greedy and lustful Byun Hak-do, who tries to seduce her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Concubine (2012)
A tragic love triangle story between Hwa-yeon, a daughter of a nobleman, her true love Kwon-yoo, a servant and the man who will be King, Prince Sung-won.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisKingdom: Ashin of the North (2021)
Tragedy, betrayal and a mysterious discovery fuel a woman's vengeance for the loss of her tribe and family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisServe the People (2022)
Mu-kwang volunteers to be a kitchen police of Sa-taek, the divisional commander, dreaming of success. One day, Mu-kwang meets Su-ryeon by chance, who is a young and beautiful wife of the commander. Soon, he feels a strong attraction by her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMonstrum (2018)
Ancient Korea, 1506. The tyrannical King Yeonsan-gun of Joseon is overthrown by his half-brother Jung-jong, whose reign begins with a blood bath. Over the years, traitors plot against him, sinking the kingdom into chaos. In 1528, frightened rumors come to royal palace, regarding a mysterious creature, known as Monstrum by the peasants.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this26 Years (2012)
Three relatives of victims come together to get revenge on a murderer twenty-six years after the massacre. The man had killed groups of people in the 1980 Gwangju murders.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThread of Lies (2014)
Cheon-ji's unexpected suicide causes her mother Hyeon-sook and older sister Man-ji to be moved into another apartment. Tracking down clues from school, Man-ji discovers that Cheon-ji's best friend Hwa-yeon is behind everything.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure (2022)
A gutsy crew of Joseon pirates and bandits battle stormy waters, puzzling clues and militant rivals in search of royal gold lost at sea.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMay 18 (2007)
The citizens of Gwangju lead a relatively peaceful life, until one day the military takes over the city, accusing the residents of conspiracy and claiming that they are communist sympathisers preparing a revolution against the current government. Seeing as the soldiers beat defenceless people, mainly students, to death, the citizens are in for retaliation and form a militia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPhantom (2023)
In 1933, when Korea was under Japanese occupation, five people in Gyeongseong are suspected to be "Phantom" spies of the anti-Japanese organization.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYou Will Die in 6 Hours (2024)
Jung-yoon was approached by a random stranger named Jun-woo, who told her she'd be dead in six hours. As she follows him for answers, she begins to question whether he's her savior or the one trying to put her in danger.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEveryone Is There (2020)
Soo Yeon decides to commit suicide to end the bullying she goes through at school, when a savior appears. A woman punishes the bullies on behalf of Soo Yeon and saves her from the reality of hell.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMaundy Thursday (2006)
Yu-jeong is suicidal, yet she reluctantly goes to prison for volunteer work. There, she meets a prisoner who is waiting for death penalty. The two quickly fall in love despite their differences, yet they do not have much time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Dry White Season (1989)
During the 1976 Soweto uprising, a white school teacher's life and values are threatened when he asks questions about the death of a young black boy who died in police custody.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this47 Ronin (2013)
Kai—an outcast—joins Oishi, the leader of 47 outcast samurai. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. To restore honour to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe King's Warden (2026)
In a remote mountain village of 15th-century Joseon, humble headman Heung-do hears a rumor that any village hosting an exiled nobleman will be blessed with abundance and fortune. Hoping to bring prosperity to his impoverished community, he eagerly submits a petition to host one—unaware that his guest is none other than the fallen monarch, deposed boy-king Danjong.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Canvas of Blood (TBA)
Dedicating his days to art, Prince Anpyeong leaves matters of the kingdom to his elder brothers, King Munjong and Prince Suyang. But after dreaming of a utopia in a peach grove and commissioning a painting of it, Anpyeong begins involving himself in politics, driven by the desire to turn his dream into reality for his nation. When Suyang steps in to manifest his own dreams for Joseon, the fate of the kingdom and their own lives hang in the balance, testing their brotherhood to the breaking point.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The Hit List (TBA)
Han Myeong-hoe, among the most powerful men of the Joseon era, rose to the top through bloodshed. Opposite him is Baek E-hwa, a woman who loses everything to Han and turns her life over to revenge. Han’s right-hand man, Jang Gil-do, is a fearsome warrior in his own right.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Apricot Blossom In Snow For One Born In Seven Months (1994)
When the young King Danjong accedes to the throne, the Court is in chaos. In this moment, Han Myeong-Hoe, who feels strongly the absurdity of the society, appears. He cherishes an ambition with the help of his friend Kwon Rang. The plot of Han Myeong-Hoe kills Kim Jong-Seo and Hwang Bo-In, who grope for the regency of the King Anpyeong. After that, his plot kills the scholars of Jibhyeonjeon, who plan for comeback of Danjong, as well. Han Myeong-Hoe obtains a high government position twice in the chaos of the death of the King Keumseong and the exile of the King Danjong.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The King's Poison?
The closest matches to The King's Poison are The Face Reader (2013), Kundo: Age of the Rampant (2014) and The Treacherous (2015). Below are 24 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The King's Poison?
Start with The Face Reader (2013), the closest match to The King's Poison.
What is the highest-rated movie like The King's Poison?
Kingdom: Ashin of the North (2021), rated 7.1/10 by 661 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The King's Poison?
The King's Warden (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Korean movies like The King's Poison?
Yes: The Face Reader (2013), Kundo: Age of the Rampant (2014) and The Treacherous (2015).
How are movies similar to The King's Poison chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The King's Poison, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.