The Book of Fish

The Book of Fish

Born as noble, one dreams to be humble. Born as humble, the other dreams to be noble.

2021 · 126 min · ★ 7.8 · History, Drama

When the scholar Jeong Yak-jeon is exiled to Heuksando Island during the Catholic Persecution of 1801, he decides to write a fish-based encyclopaedia.

Directed by Lee Joon-ik · Written by Kim Se-gyeom

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

Philo

Rent or Buy

Google Play MoviesYouTubeApple TV Store

Cast

Make it a double feature

4h 8m together

The Book of Fish

Hope

Both from Lee Joon-ik.

More from Lee Joon-ikSee all →

HopeHope · 2013
Hope
8.42013
MovieDrama
After 8-year-old So-won narrowly survives a brutal sexual assault, her family labors to help her heal while coping with their own rage and grief.
Dongju: The Portrait of a PoetDongju: The Portrait of a Poet · 2016
Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet
7.82016
MovieDramaHistory
Based on a true story, renowned Korean poet, Yun Dong-ju, is detained and abused by the Japanese for participating in the Korean Independence Movement.
Anarchist from ColonyAnarchist from Colony · 2017
Anarchist from Colony
7.32017
MovieHistoryDrama
Based on the life of the Korean anarchist Park Yeol, the film shows his struggle to counter the massacre of Koreans by the government during the 1923 great Kanto earthquake, focusing on his activities as the leader of the anti-Japanese organization Bulryeongsa and his relationship with Japanese comrade Fumiko Kaneko.
Mood of the DayMood of the Day · 2016
Mood of the Day
7.22016
MovieRomanceComedy
A train ride brings two unlikely souls together as Bae, a committed partner of a serious 10-year relationship, sees her world turned upside down by the charming playboy Kim. Seated together on a business trip from Seoul to Busan, the two find themselves on an adventure to remember.
Sunset in My HometownSunset in My Hometown · 2018
Sunset in My Hometown
7.22018
MovieDramaMusic
On the day that underground rapper Hak-soo fails his 7th audition, he receives a call from his hometown that his father is in the hospital. But he finds out that it was his father's plot to bring him to Byeon-san. To top it all, he is suspected as a phishing scam criminal and locked up in this small, boring suburb.
The ThroneThe Throne · 2015
The Throne
7.12015
MovieDramaHistory
Ancient Korea, July 4, 1762. The Crown Prince Hyojang, posthumously named Sado, son of King Yeongjo of Joseon, is accused of treason. Thus, the king asks him to commit suicide, but his closest vassals prevent it, so the king orders the prince to get inside a wooden rice chest, where he suffers deprivation of food and water.
King and the ClownKing and the Clown · 2005
King and the Clown
7.02005
MovieDramaHistory
Two clowns living in Korea's Chosun Dynasty get arrested for staging a play that satirizes the king. They are dragged to the palace and threatened with execution but are given a chance to save their lives if they can make the king laugh.
Shadows in the PalaceShadows in the Palace · 2007
Shadows in the Palace
6.92007
MovieMysteryDrama
Upon receiving the body of a maid in waiting who was said to have hung herself within the palace walls, dedicated doctor Chun-ryung begins to suspect foul play. Upon launching a personal investigation, however, Chun-ryung quickly discovers a labyrinthine maze of deception constructed by those with limitless power to conceal a valuable secret.
Tazza: The Hidden CardTazza: The Hidden Card · 2014
Tazza: The Hidden Card
6.92014
MovieCrimeDrama
Dae-gil has been skilled with his hands and has shown a strong desire for winning ever since he was a child. He will succeed his uncle and jump into the world of Tazza, risking his life in competition.
Radio StarRadio Star · 2006
Radio Star
6.82006
MovieDramaComedy
Once a famous singer, Choi Gon is reduced to doing gigs in cafes after being involved in a scandal. When Choi Gon gets arrested after an argument, Park Minsu, his manager, seeks help from a director of a radio station, who agrees, with a condition.
The Happy LifeThe Happy Life · 2007
The Happy Life
6.82007
MovieMusicDrama
Three old friends who used to be part of a rock band reunite at the fourth member's funeral. They decide to band back together with the deceased's estranged son serving as the new fourth member.
Love PhobiaLove Phobia · 2006
Love Phobia
6.82006
MovieRomanceDrama
On a sunny day, a boy named Jo-kang meets Ari, a girl in a yellow raincoat, and they become friends. Jo-kang falls helplessly in love with the quirky but attractive Ari, but one day, she suddenly disappears.
Once Upon a Time in a BattlefieldOnce Upon a Time in a Battlefield · 2003
Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield
6.72003
MovieHistoryWar
When the king of Silla joins forces with the Tang Emperor to take over Korea, the king of Baekje calls on a legendary warrior to protect his country.
The UnjustThe Unjust · 2010
The Unjust
6.62010
MovieCrimeThriller
An honest cop has to compromise with his principles when he is told to find a scapegoat for a high-profile serial killer case in exchange for a big promotion.
YonderYonder · 2022
Yonder
6.52022
SeriesDramaSci-Fi & Fantasy
Ja-hyun receives a message from his deceased wife inviting him to reunite with her in a place called 'Yonder'.
Blades of BloodBlades of Blood · 2010
Blades of Blood
6.42010
MovieActionDrama
Lee Mong-hak and a skilled blind swordsman Hwang Jeong-hak, both long to wipe away corruption and heal the world. Lee Mong-hak creates a rebel army to achieve his goal and get rid of the King.

More Like This

Anatomy of a MurderAnatomy of a Murder · 1959
Anatomy of a Murder
7.81959
MovieCrimeDrama
Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler takes the case of Army Lt. Manion, who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife claimed that he raped her. Over the course of an extensive trial, Biegler parries with District Attorney Lodwick and out-of-town prosecutor Claude Dancer to set his client free, but his case rests on the victim's mysterious business partner, who's hiding a dark secret.
FreaksFreaks · 1932
Freaks
7.81932
MovieDramaHorror
A circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance.
All Quiet on the Western FrontAll Quiet on the Western Front · 1930
All Quiet on the Western Front
7.81930
MovieDramaWar
When a group of idealistic young men join the German Army during the Great War, they are assigned to the Western Front, where their patriotism is destroyed by the harsh realities of combat.
Wings of DesireWings of Desire · 1987
Wings of Desire
7.81987
MovieDramaFantasy
Two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, glide through the streets of Berlin, observing the bustling population, providing invisible rays of hope to the distressed but never interacting with them. When Damiel falls in love with lonely trapeze artist Marion, the angel longs to experience life in the physical world, and finds — with some words of wisdom from actor Peter Falk — that it might be possible for him to take human form.
The 400 BlowsThe 400 Blows · 1959
The 400 Blows
8.01959
MovieDrama
For young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel, life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by inconsiderate adults, including his neglectful parents, Antoine spends his days with his best friend, Rene, trying to plan for a better life. When one of their schemes goes awry, Antoine ends up in trouble with the law, leading to even more conflicts with unsympathetic authority figures.
Citizen KaneCitizen Kane · 1941
Citizen Kane
8.01941
MovieMysteryDrama
Newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane is taken from his mother as a boy and made the ward of a rich industrialist. As a result, every well-meaning, tyrannical or self-destructive move he makes for the rest of his life appears in some way to be a reaction to that deeply wounding event.
MetropolisMetropolis · 1927
Metropolis
8.11927
MovieDramaScience Fiction
In a futuristic city sharply divided between the rich and the poor, the son of the city's mastermind meets a prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.
Madame BovaryMadame Bovary · 1991
Madame Bovary
6.21991
MovieDrama
In 19th-century France, doctor's wife Emma Bovary seeks to escape her dull provincial life through various extramarital affairs and extravagant spending, leading to tragic consequences.
The Diary of Anne FrankThe Diary of Anne Frank · 1959
The Diary of Anne Frank
7.21959
MovieDramaHistory
The true, harrowing story of a young Jewish girl who, with her family and their friends, is forced into hiding in an attic in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.
Alice in the CitiesAlice in the Cities · 1974
Alice in the Cities
7.71974
MovieDrama
German journalist Philip Winter has a case of writer’s block when trying to write an article about the United States. He decides to return to Germany, and while trying to book a flight, encounters a German woman and her nine year old daughter Alice doing the same. The three become friends (almost out of necessity) and while the mother asks Winter to mind Alice temporarily, it quickly becomes apparent that Alice will be his responsibility for longer than he expected.
Children of ParadiseChildren of Paradise · 1945
Children of Paradise
8.01945
MovieDramaRomance
In a chaotic 19th-century Paris teeming with aristocrats, thieves, psychics, and courtesans, theater mime Baptiste is in love with the mysterious actress Garance. But Garance, in turn, is loved by three other men: pretentious actor Frederick, conniving thief Lacenaire, and Count Edouard of Montray.
FrankensteinFrankenstein · 1931
Frankenstein
7.51931
MovieDramaHorror
Henry Frankenstein pieces together body parts in the hope of bringing a human-like creature to life. The mad scientist’s dreams are shattered by his monstrous creation awakening with rage to a world that hates and fears him.
The Night of the HunterThe Night of the Hunter · 1955
The Night of the Hunter
7.91955
MovieCrimeDrama
In Depression-era West Virginia, a serial-killing preacher hunts two young children who know the whereabouts of a stash of money.
Gangs of New YorkGangs of New York · 2002
Gangs of New York
7.32002
MovieDramaHistory
In early 1860s New York, Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon is released from prison and returns to the Five Points, seeking revenge against his father's killer, William Cutting, a powerful anti-immigrant gang leader. He knows that revenge can only be attained by infiltrating Cutting's inner circle. Vallon's journey becomes a fight for personal survival and to find a place for the Irish people.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter