Bong Joon-ho is not a new director as many people thought after hearing about Parasite win all the awards it did in 2019. He’s been developing a style for decades now, and that hard work is paying off greatly now. His style consists of a lot of dark humor, unique camera blocking, adventurous blocking, and fantastic character moments.
Metacritic generally has positive reviews of his movies, with only a few having critic reviews below 80. It’s interesting to see how fans react to these films because Bong is famous for creating dialogues after the movie is over. The messages are clear, but the journey to that final message is what’s unique and makes for the full experience. Since everyone experiences it a different way, the movies can be somewhat divisive.
8 Tokyo! – 63
Tokyo! is an omnibus of works that Bong Joon-ho’s film appears on. The movie is about the city of Tokyo itself and really dives deep into its inner workings and life. Tokyo seems to become a character itself, which is a great sign for a movie when the setting can feel so alive.
The movie is his lowest-rated work on Metacritic, likely because it’s relatively unknown, and not all his own work. Bong Joon-ho’s style is about dynamic direction and manipulation of the audience’s expectations, which he doesn’t get to utilize fully in this omnibus.
7 Barking Dogs Never Bite – 66
As Bong’s directorial debut, Barking Dogs Never Bite received generally favorable reviews, even though its contents are pretty grim and dark. The movie follows an out-of-work college lectern who becomes irritated by the barking of his neighbor’s dogs to the point of taking action. He kidnaps, tortures, and abuses the dogs as the movie progresses. This escalation of cruelty can be a turn off for a lot of viewers.
Where the film shines is in its character moments. The stress of unemployment, the never-ending quest for fame, the guilt of abuse, and more are all themes explored in this short comedy. Each character and scene has significance in progressing the plot and themes, and it isn’t afraid to make its audience laugh a bit in the process.
6 Okja – 75
Okja is a Netflix original movie directed by Bong. It carries a message about the meat industry and humanity’s need for abundance. The movie follows the story of a young girl who befriends a massive, genetically modified farm animal named Okja and becomes its caretaker. Okja is taken by a corporation and is branded as the face of a business, even though she will be slaughtered eventually.
The young girl tries to save Okja and bring her back home but she is confronted by the corporation, activists, capitalists, and protestors. It’s a nice story that has a great message, complemented with tremendous performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and Tilda Swinton. The movie lacks that dynamic direction that Bong is known for, and seems to play it safe in a lot of aspects it should have taken risks. The concept itself was nothing groundbreaking, and the story was pretty predictable.
5 Mother – 79
The themes of Mother really set it apart from other movies in the cinema at the time of its release. How far would a mother go for her child? Are there limits to unconditional love? Can a mother force herself to believe a lie for the sake of her loved ones? All these questions are proposed and challenged in this movie through fantastic screenwriting and direction.
The dramatic irony of this film is one of its strong points since viewers don’t know too much more than the characters of the movie, but little details go a long way in figuring out the mystery. Revelation after revelation is made until the final question is answered, and then the question becomes, “was any of it worth it?”
4 Memories Of Murder – 82
Based on a true story, Memories Of Murder follows the story of three detectives as they try to find a serial rapist and killer. The relationships between the detectives are tested in new imaginative ways that defy cliché and surprise the viewer with every turn. On top of the character relations, the mystery itself is enough to keep people on the edge of their seats.
This movie also features some fantastic examples of scene blocking, dynamic camera angles, and easy flowing dialogue that any director and screenwriter can learn from. Bong’s won 4 Oscars and this film is an outstanding example of why he deserves them. The movie has few bad reviews and reception on release was overwhelmingly positive.
3 Snowpiercer – 84
Snowpiercer was the movie that put Bong on the map for a lot of western fans. The apocalyptic setting, stunning computer graphics, gritty visuals, and recognizable actors made for a great recipe to create a truly memorable film. Its messages are easy to digest and don’t suffer at the cost of good action or tension.
Snowpiercer mimics the progression of the movie, giving the characters and the viewers more information as they move through the train. Learning as the characters learn makes for a relatable experience, which goes a long way in establishing an action film’s story. The film received high praise on release in the west, as an action movie, and an art film
2 The Host – 85
The Host was released in 2007 to critical acclaim. It used graphic computer-generated creatures to reflect humanity’s darker side. Not only does the movie get dark, but it also uses humor to offset the general grim tone of its events. Bong’s use of humor is truly remarkable and special because the timing of the gags with his dynamic vision creates a unique experience unlike a lot of western directors.
It seems to take inspiration from movies like Jaws where the gore and horror are over the top and often comical in timing. Of all the movies on Metacritic, this one got the most polarizing reviews with more perfect scores from critics, and lower scores from fans. It isn’t hard to see why because of the content of the film itself, but it’s still interesting to say the least.
1 Parasite – 96
Parasite explores themes seen in other Bong movies, and also takes his dark humor from others to the next level. The film’s premise is refreshingly original, the cast is outstanding, the direction is stunning, and it all comes together to create a wonderful film-watching experience. There are so many scenes where it’s unclear whether the audience should laugh, cry, or gasp in shock and that’s what makes the movie so special.
No two people will experience Parasite the same way, and everyone will have different interpretations of its meaning and message. A score of 96 is so close to perfect, so it’s clear to say that the movie received crazy good reviews. It won best picture at the Academy Awards, won the Palme d’Or in 2019, and other best picture awards from different platforms.
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