4 Must-See Films Directed by Bong Joon Ho
After the 92nd Academy Awards last year, Bong Joon Ho became a household name winning 4 Oscars for his latest feature film, Parasite, and becoming the first South Korean director to receive the Best Director award.
His films cover a variety of genres, from thriller to drama, from Sci-fi to family-friendly adventure, while some of his films are a mash of different genres, making it difficult to simply categorize. Comical moments and unforeseeable twists are trademarks of Boon’s films. Boon addresses a variety of social issues in his films from class disparities and inequalities, to environmental challenges.
If you haven’t seen any of Bong’s work, or simply want to do a marathon of his masterpieces, we have compiled a list of Binge-worthy films.
1. Parasite (2019)
This film won 4 Academy awards for a reason and is deserving to be on the top of the list. It is recommended to be watched without viewing any of the trailers or reading about its plot. Without spoiling too much, here’s a miniscule description: An impoverished family living in a semi-basement housing, takes a job at a rich family’s mansion, only to make an unexpected discovery. Not knowing much about the film prior to viewing allows you to keep an open mind, so that the unexpected revelations leave a bigger impact. We guarantee that this film will keep you at the edge of your seat and catch you off-guard.
2. Okja (2017)
A family-friendly film about the close friendship bond between Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun), a young girl, and Okja, a super pig. After Okja is taken away by the company that created him owned by a self-proclaimed “environmentalist” (Tilda Swinton), Mija does everything that she can, with the help of a team of animal rights activists, to rescue Okja. This film explores that dark side of mass-production of livestock and makes you reconsider and think carefully about the ethicality of your food source. Prepare your tissue boxes and get ready to fall in love with Okja, the super pig.
3. Snowpiercer (2013)
Adapted from the French graphic novel, Snowpiercer is a sci-fi action film set in a frozen apocalyptic world where the surviving humans live in a perpetual train, segregated according to their socio-economic status. The film follows Curtis (Chris Evans), as he leads the Tailies (the poorest community on the train) in a revolution to seek equality. As Bong’s first Hollywood film, it is filled with surprising twists and action-packed sequences.
4. The Host (2006)
Bong’s take on the monster horror genre. After a scientist illegally dumps a massive amount of formaldehyde down the drain and pollutes the Han River, a large mutated fish-like monster terrorizes the city. To make matters worse, the fish is a carrier of an infectious disease, infecting anyone who comes into contact with the fish monster. The story follows the Park family. After Park Gang Du’s daughter gets kidnapped by the monster, he, with the help of his siblings and father, tries to rescue her from the monster’s den. Unlike a lot of monster films, that focuses on the scary factor of the creature, the film centralises on the family’s dilemma.
Visit our website www.tfphk.com for more articles like this!
Photo Source: Parasite. Bong Joon Ho. CJ Entertainment, 2019. Film. ; Okja. Bong Joon Ho. Next Entertainment World, 2017. Film. ; Snowpiercer. Bong Joon Ho. The Weinstein Company, 2013. Film. ; The Host. Bong Joon Ho. Open Road Films, 2006. Film.
Disclaimer: Any views and opinions expressed are personal and solely belong to the authors. They are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club organisation, company, individual or anyone or anything.
