Shim Sung-bo (심성보) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter born in 1972. A graduate of the Korea National University of Arts, he gained major recognition as the co-screenwriter of Bong Joon-ho's acclaimed crime thriller Memories of Murder (2003), earning multiple awards for his screenplay. Shim made his feature directorial debut with the survival maritime thriller Sea Fog (2014), which he co-wrote alongside Bong Joon-ho. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was chosen as South Korea's official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards.
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Biography from TMDB.
- South Korea
- Director and writer
- 4 on MovieCove · 5 credits in all
What are Sung-bo Shim's films like?
Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
A split, not a type: Light 1 · Serious 0 · Dark 3
Grounded 1 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0
Gentle 0 · Charged 2 · Intense 2
Steady 1 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0
Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1
A split, not a type: Casual 2 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 1
A split, not a type: Easy watch 2 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 2
Resolved 1 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
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 Sung-bo Shim's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 4 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, on Tubi (1).
Subscription and free streaming for Sung-bo Shim'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
5 credits, 4 with a MovieCove page.
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Sea Fog(2014)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
What the...? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Memories of Murder(2003)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 3 titles from 2003 to 2014.
How do Sung-bo Shim's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 4; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 74th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up3
- 50th to 74th1
Shape of the crowd
2 of their 4 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Crowd Pleaser2
- Mixed1
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.
Who does Sung-bo Shim work with?
People who share at least 2 of Sung-bo Shim's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bong Joon Ho shares the most, 2.
Writers
- Bong Joon HoShared titles: Sea Fog (2014), Memories of Murder (2003)See all 2 shared titles with Bong Joon Ho
Editors
- Kim Jae-beomShared titles: Sea Fog (2014), Blade of the Phantom Master (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Kim Jae-beom
- Kim Sang-beomShared titles: Sea Fog (2014), Blade of the Phantom Master (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Kim Sang-beom
