3 other ace movies from Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, director of Oscar and Golden Globe-winning thriller, Parasite
South Korean black comedy Parasite just made history, winning four Oscars including best picture – but these three other films from Korean director Bong Joon-ho are also well worth checking out
Following on from its roaring success at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Globes, the Bong Joon-ho-directed thriller has continued on its fairytale trajectory, taking home four Oscars – including best picture, the first time a non-English language title has claimed the top prize – from a landmark of six total Academy Award nominations.
Bong, now elevated to the status of South Korea’s latest superstar, also claimed best director and best original screenplay, while the movie was also named best international feature (formerly best foreign language film). The movie also claimed the country’s first-ever Palme d’Or last May and followed that up with best foreign language film at the Golden Globes.
On their return from Cannes last May, film director Bong and Parasite actor Song Kang-ho, were greeted at the airport by fans, “as if they were K-pop group BTS”, the New York Magazine reported.
Bong’s magnificent accomplishments have provoked global curiosity from fans about his earlier body of work.
Bong told the same magazine that “Fear, anxiety, and a kekeke sense of humour” were the main ingredients in his films. These three brilliant films from the creator of Parasite make compelling viewing.
1. Okja (2017)
The sci-fi, action-adventure is one of Bong’s most controversial works, as it was also a Netflix-produced film that competed for the Cannes Palme d’Or. At its press screening, a technical problem led to the film being mistakenly projected in the wrong aspect ratio, which resulted in a mixture of boos and applause from the crowd. In the end, however, it was well received, and garnered a four-minute standing ovation.
Described as “E.T. on crack” by Indiewire critic David Ehrlich, Okja follows the heart-warming story of Mija, a young South Korean girl from the countryside, who befriends Okja, one of the many genetically-modified ‘super pigs’ bred and distributed by the Mirando Corporation. Mija’s grandfather, who raised Okja, wins an award as the best ‘super pig’ breeder, and Okja is sent to Mirando’s headquarters in New York City for further studies.
Mija is devastated by the separation and does everything she possibly can to get Okja back, prompting Bong to tell Wired magazine: “The essence of the movie is the love between human and animal. But capitalism turns that love into something ugly and turns living things into commodities.”
The film question the morality that comes with being pro-animals, what it means to be eco-conscious, and whether true evil lies only in the actual eating of animals or the way they are treated while they are alive. Set in Korea and the United States, the film stars child actress Ahn Seo-hyun and Hollywood stars Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal and Lily Collins.
2. Mother (2009)