Your Ultimate Lee Joon Gi Movie Guide
From critically-acclaimed ‘The King and the Clown’ to multi-awarded drama ‘Fly, Daddy, Fly,’ our favorite sageuk king has quite an impressive line-up of movies, too!
In his two decades in the industry, Lee Joon Gi has gifted his fans with a massive range of titles, many of which turned out to receive both critical and commercial success. Since making his debut, this veritable action star and "King of Sageuk" has starred in a total of 18 dramas and 8 films, as well as appearing in several reality TV shows and producing an impressive number of hit albums.
While Lee Joon Gi is widely popular for starring in some of our favorite dramas such as Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), My Girl (2005), Lawless Lawyer (2017), and, of course, Flower of Evil (2020), he wouldn't be where he is today without first landing his first leading role playing a clown in the critically acclaimed film The King and the Clown (2005).
His portrayal of the effeminate clown named Gong-gil in the Joseon Dynasty led him to win Best New Actor at the 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards and the 43rd Brand Bell Awards. Numerous award-giving bodies also gave him recognition for his outstanding performance as Gong-gil. A year later, he was awarded Most Popular Actor for his role in Fly, Daddy, Fly at the 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards.
And we admit it, we absolutely love watching Lee Joon Gi in all his dramas but we love seeing him in his classic films, as well. Below, we round up all eight movies you can watch him in—chronicling his rise to Hallyu star status and his fantastic growth as an actor and artist!
Your Ultimate Lee Joon Gi Movie Guide
Your Ultimate Lee Joon Gi Movie Guide
The Hotel Venus (2004)
This Japanese-made film performed in the Korean language tells the tale of a strange world where there is a secret hotel behind a shabby diner called the Venus Cafe. This hotel harbors some of the most unusual people who keep some of the most torturing secrets in their hearts.
Photo Credit: Shochiku, Asmik Ace Entertainment
The Hotel Venus (2004)
Lee Joon Gi plays the challenging young boy by the name of Boy who resides in Room 4. He carries around a gun longing to become a strong man and dreams of becoming a hitman some day.
Photo Credit: Shochiku, Asmik Ace Entertainment
Flying Boys (2004)
Best friends Min-jae, Dong-wan, and Chang-seob share all the common problems of high school seniors. They struggle against their parents and other peers to establish their own identities, fall for girls, eat, drink, and stress about college entrance exams and what school they’ll get into.
Photo Credit: CJ Entertainment
Flying Boys (2004)
Lee Joon Gi plays the minor role of Dong-wan, one of the best friends of the lead Kang Min-jae played by Yoon Kye-sang.
Photo Credit: CJ Entertainment
The King and the Clown (2005)
This film is adapted from the 2000 stage play, Yi, about Yeongsangun of Joseon, a Joseon dynasty king and a court clown who makes fun of him.
Photo Credit: Cinema Service, CJ Entertainment
The King and the Clown (2005)
The plot is set at the height of the 16th-century Chosun Dynasty, where a pair of rural male actors—Jang-seng (Kam Woo Sung) and Gong-gil (Lee Joon Gi)—travel to Seoul and team up with a struggling acting troupe. When their show mocks the famously hedonistic king, they get more than they bargained for. After being promptly arrested, they’re given a chance to spare themselves if they can make the king laugh. To everyone’s surprise, the ecstatic monarch loves the show they put forth and names the actors official court jesters, giving them more extravagant food and shelter than they’d ever imagined. But the king’s attentiveness to Gong-gil makes it apparent that humor isn’t the only thing motivating his generosity. The king’s mistress, the country’s ministers, and Jang-seng grow suspicious, and jealousy and anger spring from all sides.
Photo Credit: Cinema Service, CJ Entertainment
Fly, Daddy, Fly (2006)
Directed by Choi Jong-Tae, this film follows the story of Jang Ga-Pil (Lee Moon-Sik) who is an ordinary middle-aged father. One day, he comes home to find out his teenage daughter was assaulted by a group of guys at a bar. This group of guys is led by boxing fighter Kang Tae Wook, the son of a powerful congressman. He seeks revenge and concocts a plan to stab the boxing fighter on his way to school.
Photo Credit: Cinema Service
Fly, Daddy, Fly (2006)
However, his plan doesn't quite work out and Jang Ga-Pil meets another high school student—Go Seung-Suk (Lee Joon Gi) who is apparently the only guy who can beat Kang Tae-Wook in the boxing ring. He offers to train the middle-aged father and help him complete his revenge.
Photo Credit: Cinema Service
Virgin Snow (2007)
Min Kim (Lee Joon Gi) moves to Japan following his father who teaches by profession. . One day at a shrine, he meets a beautiful Japanese girl with innocent eyes. Her name is Nanae (Aoi Miyazaki), an aspiring painter. He falls for her at first sight and learns that they attend the same school.
Photo Credit: Kadokawa Pictures, CJ Entertainment
Virgin Snow (2007)
Despite cultural and language barriers, they become friends and take in the beautiful scenery of Kyoto. Their feelings for each other grow but an event happens in Min's life where he must return to Korea. When he cannot get in touch with Nanae, he becomes anxious. He hurries back to Japan but cannot find Nanae.
Photo Credit: Kadokawa Pictures, CJ Entertainment
May 18 (2007)
The film is set on May 18, 1980, where students in Gwangju, South Korea gather in front of Chonnam National University to protest the closing of their university. The army that is stationed around the university move in quickly, using lethal force on the students.
Photo Credit: CJ Entertainment
May 18 (2007)
Taxi driver Min-Woo (Kim Sang-Kyung) lives in Gwangju and watches over his younger brother Jin-Woo (Lee Joon-Gi) like a father. When Min-Woo drives near Chonnam National University he witnesses first hand the chaos and violence that is erupting in Gwangju. He drives home quickly and instructs Jin-Woo to not take part in the student uprising. But when one of the Jin-Woo's classmates is killed by the military, Jin-Woo leads his classmates out into the streets to protest.
Photo Credit: CJ Entertainment
Never Said Goodbye (2016)
This Korean-Chinese romance film is directed by Lin Yu-Hsien and stars Lee Joon Gi, Zhou Dongyu, and Ethan Juan. The heartbreaking romance flick starts off with Jun Ho (Lee Joon Gi) breaking up with his girlfriend Xiao You (Zhou Dongyu) as he wants to return to Italy to study opera, supposedly his childhood dream. The movie then focuses on how she deals with the breakup along with emotions and pressure at work.
Photo Credit: Beijing Juhe Yinglian Media, Emperor Motion Pictures, Yingyi Production
Never Said Goodbye (2016)
The two had met in university, falling for each other soon after that. Jun Ho is a Korean student who was raised by his elder sister in Italy, comes to study and work in Shanghai. After an incident, Jun Ho finds out that he has brain cancer and has only 6 months to live. He finally makes up his mind to break up with Xiao You, rather than let her see him die. After 3 months, when Xiao You still cannot forget him, he fakes his death in Italy with the help of his elder sister and arranges a funeral, so that Xiao You can move on with her life. But things only get worse for Xiao You, as she gets more emotionally attached to him after his "death".
Photo Credit: Beijing Juhe Yinglian Media, Emperor Motion Pictures, Yingyi Production
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)
The sixth and final installment of the Resident Evil film series stars Milla Jovovich, Iain Glen, Ali Larter, Shawn Roberts, Eoin Macken, Fraser James, Ruby Rose, Rola, and William Levy. In the film, Alice and her friends are betrayed by a clone of Albert Wesker, who gathers the entire forces of Umbrella into one final strike against the apocalypse survivors.
Photo Credit: Sony Pictures
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)
Lee Joon Gi plays Commander Chu, Umbrella's security chief and second-in-command.
Photo Credit: Sony Pictures
Have you watched all of Lee Joon Gi's films? Let us know which ones are your favorites!
Lead photos from Cinema Service and CJ Entertainment. Background image by Alex Cochinillos on Pexels.
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