Equally Interesting, a Series of Films Directed by 'PARASITE' Director Bong Joon Ho that Must Be Watched

Kapanlagi.com - Film lovers are certainly familiar with this South Korean director, Bong Joon Ho. He has long been one of the best filmmakers in South Korea, thanks to his famous films like MEMORIES OF MURDER, MOTHER, and THE HOST. However, he only gained fame and recognition as a world cinema superstar in 2019.

His film titled PARASITE successfully placed Bong Joon Ho among the top directors in the world today. This film, which contains the irony of social inequality, premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it made history as the first South Korean film to win the Palme d'Or.

Bong Joon Ho's extraordinary journey with PARASITE earned him six Oscar nominations and a historic victory for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature, making him the first South Korean filmmaker to win Best Director.

For those of you curious about films directed by Bong Joon Ho, here is a series of films from the director of PARASITE that are equally great.

1. Memories of Murder (2003)

Memories of Murder (credit: imdb)

The film, which was released in 2003, is an adaptation of a true story about a serial killer that shocked the residents of Hwaseong City, South Korea in the 1980s. The ending of the film is also left hanging, as the killer is not found, just like in the real case.

The film stars Song Kang-ho, who also played the role of the poor family head in the film PARASITE. It received an almost perfect rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Song Kang-ho plays Park Doo-man, a detective in a small town who is trying to solve the mystery of the serial murders, with the help of Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung), a young detective from Seoul.

2. The Host (2006)

The Host (credit: imdb)

THE HOST is a South Korean monster film released in 2006, directed by Bong Joon-ho and starring Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona, and Go Ah-sung. The film tells the story of a monster that kidnaps a man's daughter, and his efforts to save her.

Following the success of director Bong Joon-ho's MEMORIES OF MURDER, this film was highly anticipated by film lovers. It was also released in limited theaters in the United States and won several awards, including Best Film at the Asian Film Awards and the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

3. Mother (2009)

Mother (credit: imdb)

This film is a thriller genre released in 2009 that tells the story of a widow (Kim Hye-ja) who lives with her special needs son (Won Bin) in a small town in South Korea, where she earns a living by selling medicinal plants.

The mother and her son then fall into a nightmare after her intellectually disabled son is accused of killing a young girl, and they try to find the real killer to free her son. This film premiered at the Film Festival and received many nominations and awards.

4. Snowpiercer (2013)

Snowpiercer (credit: imdb)

SNOWPIERCER is the first English-language science fiction film directed by Bong Joon Ho. Starring Chris Evans, Song Kang Ho, and others, this is an adaptation of the novel by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, and Jean Marc Rochette titled Le Transperceneige. This film depicts social issues about the differences in treatment between social classes.

The story focuses on attempts to engineer the climate to stop global warming but turns into a disaster. This situation creates a new ice age and brings the remaining humans onto a cross-alpine train run by the leading transportation tycoon, Wilford.

5. Okja (2017)

Okja (credit: imdb)

If previously addressing issues of global warming and social class in Snowpiercer, Bong Joon-ho returns by showcasing violence against animals. The film titled OKJA stars a series of South Korean and Hollywood actors, such as Yun Hee-bong, Yoon Je-moon, and Choi Woo-shik, Lily Collins, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

This film tells the story of a few genetically engineered pigs exploited by a large corporation. Then Mija, a farmer's daughter from South Korea, tries to save Okja, one of the pigs, from the hands of a super big company.

Well, the above films are very suitable for you to watch on weekends and it's a shame to miss them.

Author: Munada Choirunnisa

(kpl/mag)