International cinema has been booming these past few years for wide American audiences. But for the most part, many international hits still barely make a dent in the domestic box-office, which is a shame as some of the best cinema has to offer can be found outside of the United States.
Possibly the biggest influence of this change is writer and director Bong Joon-Ho.His 2019 hit,Parasite,burst into theaters and immediately made a name for itself as one of the greatest films of all time, and especially of that year. But he is not just a one-hit-wonder, most of-if not, all of his films are some of the most well-crafted films any viewer will ever see and deserves to be seen by more audiences. But with new viewers come comparison and the conversation of what someone should watch first.
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7Okja
The only Netflix exclusive on the list, also being last on the list. The extremely heartwarming story of a girl trying to save her pet, it is perhaps the warmest of all of Bong Joon-Ho’s films. But put against the rest, it doesn’t really match up. But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be acknowledged or watched. This movie is still a good movie as not a single Bong Jon-Ho movie is a dud in any sense. It still has a gripping story and very emotional moments that keep the viewer entertained every step of the journey.
6Barking Dogs Never Bite
For many familiar with Bong Joon-Ho,Barking Dogs Never Bitebeing close to last on the list isn’t a surprise. But that shouldn’t take away from this darkly funny film that really shows the sparks that would later turn into fireworks for Bong Joon-Ho. It follows a college lecturer trying to get the job he wants while dealing with the barking dog in his apartment complex that he attempts to ‘silence.’ Everything is here for a Bong Joon-Ho movie: memorable re-occurring locations, quirky characters with desire, and thematic or political undertones throughout that are driven by characters' actions. But put against Bong Joon-Ho’s other films,Barking Dogs Never Biteisn’t the most memorable but is definitely worth the watch.
5Snowpiercer
This one is perhaps the one most American audiences will recognize, especially with it having Captain America himself, Chris Evens, in the starting role.Snowpierceris also the film that stands out the most from his catalog with it being overtly science fiction and not set in our current reality-although it may seem we are heading the way of the film’s reality. This film encapsulates many of the politics and themes that audiences will see inBong Joon-Ho’s films from poverty to climate change, but this time in a speeding train filled with the final survivors of the apocalypse.Snowpierceris an extremely intense film that doesn’t let the audience go until the credits roll and creates a world that even the most die-hard science fiction film lovers will appreciate.
4The Host
For many Bong Joon-Ho fans,The Hostwas the entry point to his catalog. Like the previous film, this deals with politics specifically with climate change. But this time features a monster that has emerged from the polluted waters and abducted the daughter of a vendor played by re-occurring Bong Joon-Ho collaborator, Song Kang-Ho. This film was the highly anticipated successor of another film that has yet to be mentioned, with the hype making it the highest South Korean film at the time.
3Memories of Murder
This may shock many film lovers to see this at three. This film would be perhaps an obvious number one pick for any other filmmaker, but Bong Joon-Ho is not any other filmmaker. This film was the first glimpse at what a talent Bong Joon-Ho truly is.Memories of Murderis acrime thrillerbased on real-life murders that had taken place in South Korea. Like his other films, it blends satire and comedy in a truly grim story in a way most filmmakers wish they could achieve. It’s funny, tense, hypnotic, thrilling, and an overall cinematic experience that film fans need to see.
2Mother
For the most part, only two films dominate the top two spots on Bong Joon-Ho lists.Memories of Murderbeing one and the other being the number one spot on this list. But this film is a showcase of Bong Joon-Ho’s talent for storytelling. The film has a premise that has been seen many times before in some shape or form-a mother attempts to prove her son’s innocence when he is accused of murder, but Bong Joon-Ho brings the audience on a rollercoaster of emotion and revelation that very few filmmakers have the ability to do.
1Parasite
The magnum opus of his career. This is the film that brought the awards and attention that Bong Joon-Ho has deserved his entire career but never received. When seen after all of Bong Joon-Ho’s other films, you truly see an amazing filmmaker turn into a master of cinema after sharpening his craft into a dagger. The perfect combination of story, character, theme, music, twists, and his love for putting his politics in his films. Film and the cinema experience don’t get much better thanParasite.
