Filmography Worship: Ranking Every Bong Joon-ho Film
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Filmography Worship is a series where we review every single feature of filmmakers who have made our Wall of Directors
Contemporary auteur Bong Joon-ho has become a perennial name in cinema. A highlight of the wave of South Korean directors of the turn of the twenty-first century (alongside fellow alumni like Park Chan-wook and Lee Chang-dong), Bong has become a major influence thanks to his ability to bend genres into thought-provoking works (in the form of either satires or bleak dramas). While he works slowly and methodically, Bong still has a career of riches, with almost every single film being worthy of being any fan’s favourite release of his. I can verify that not a single feature in Bong’s filmography is a dud, but I instantly knew what my favourite Bong film was in the same way that I’m sure that your pick won’t waver, either. Bong has the ability to connect to almost any viewer via unusual, non-traditional stories, ideas, and styles. He can never tell a story via one straight-forward genre either, and his capability of blending genres together is another reason why Bong has been a must-watch name for years.
With all of that in mind, it comes as no surprise that Bong has been one of the most successful and influential directors of international cinema. While he grew up transfixed and inspired by the films of directors like Alfred Hitchcock (especially the film Psycho), Martin Scorsese (Mean Streets), Akira Kurosawa (High and Low), and Kim Ki-young (The Housemaid), Bong has become a new master of building suspense, depicting human beings amidst hardship and the corruption of the elite, and tweaking the crime genre in refreshing ways. As a result, Bong has received many unparalleled honours, including having the first non-English film win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. With a steady flow of projects on the move, it’s safe to say that Bong still has much to share with us. For now, we have a handful of films to enjoy and reflect on. Here are the feature films of Bong Joon-ho ranked from worst to best.
8. Barking Dogs Never Bite
Bong’s debut feature film, Barking Dogs Never Bite, is far from a bad motion picture, but it is easily his weakest effort. This decent black comedy about a disgruntled professor driven mad by the barking of neighbourhood dogs doesn’t say nearly as much as it believes it does, but it does boast early signs of Bong’s fascination with the oddities of human nature (particularly those surrounding guilt and what people are capable of at their lowest). This film also feels the most simple by Bong’s standards, as it is a darkly humourous character study that feels somewhat toothless as a statement; even still, he makes the most of a slim budget and his then-green skills (he was clearly warming up). Barking Dogs Never Bite is good enough that anyone can watch it and get something out of it, but I would recommend that those seeking to discover Bong’s films for the first time should leave it for when they are more familiar with the South Korean great’s signature style and peak works.
7. Okja
I would argue that every film from this point on is good enough to warrant multiple watches. Sadly, I have to place Okja second last. Simply put: the other six films are just better at what they want to accomplish. Having said that, Okja still has a lot riding for it. It possesses some of Bong’s strongest warmth in a film, as he directs this environmentally-conscious effort with the intention of inspiring change in the world via optimism amidst bleakness. As we follow the titular super pig and its devastating journey from its home to a meat factory, we see so many sides of humanity, from the worst (greed, sadism, corruption) to the best (in the form of a child named Mija who goes the distance to save Okja). I feel like Okja possesses heaps of whimsy which can make for a lighter Bong watch (the film is willing to get dark and sad when it needs to, mind you), and maybe that is why it leaves less of an impact on me than most of his other films; I still like it quite a bit, and Okja the super pig will forever have a place in my heart.
6. Mickey 17
How does one follow up a smashing success like Parasite? By making something drastically different, of course. I was cautious of Mickey 17 once it was delayed an entire year, as it appeared that Bong and Warner Bros. were butting heads as to how this strange science fiction satire should transpire (such a setback is usually a bad sign). The end result is the least subtle Bong film to date, which isn’t necessarily a problem but I do prefer when you can dig into his feature films than when he reveals all of his thoughts in a surface level way. Even so, Mickey 17 is at least a fun ride full of Bong’s strange sense of humour, a fully-committed performance by star Robert Pattinson, and a scathing opinion on certain governments driven by unapologetic capitalism (get ready for Mark Ruffalo to chew the scenery). I do like seeing Bong let loose with a sillier feature film, but I also find him far more interesting when he has full control of his craft.
5. Snowpiercer
Easily the best English-language film Bong has directed thus far (and one of the strongest transitions into English-speaking cinema by an international titan in recent memory), Snowpiercer is a fierce, uncompromised analogy of the class system. While the use of a train to showcase the different tiers of privilege can feel a bit on-the-nose, Bong takes an intriguing concept and goes as far as he can with this astonishing fable of uphill battles and rebellion. As we follow revolutionist Curtis and his quest from the back of the Snowpiercer train to the front cars (where the elite live in comfort), we see society displayed in such a peculiar yet familiar way. Bong plants numerous twists and turns in this action film to spice things up and keep us guessing along this dangerous, eye-opening adventure. Snowpiercer was the first Bong film watched by many Americans, and it is one hell of an entry way to his filmography; its themes of global class warfare sadly only feel more prominent with time.
4. The Host
The stigma surrounding monster films is that they’re ones where you can turn your brain off and just enjoy some arbitrary destruction on a large scale. While grossly untrue, you are also missing out on a film like The Host which blends the monster flick with the tropes of a family drama. The end result is a thriller that mixes melodramatic hyperbole with emotional gravitas: a monster film where you feel the weight and scope of the chaos. Even if the visual effects feel the slightest bit dated, Bong’s storytelling surpasses the test of time thanks to the filmmaker’s humanization of his characters, and the many details found within his world-building. The Host is somehow about both the central creature and the impact humans have on the planet and each other, furthering the scope that this film reaches: ruination is capable in many ways, both large and small.
3. Mother
Mother is a film that is great on your first watch but proves to be even better when you revisit it. The first go-around is a stirring film noir about the lengths a mother is willing to go to in order to protect her mentally challenged son who she feels is being framed for murder. You aren’t sure where Bong or the film are heading, and each revelation and twist only complicates your perception of these events further. You reach the shocking climax, and you finally know where you stand (somewhat). Watch Mother again, and you’ll get a multifaceted look at unconditional love, the perplexing murkiness of morality, and the inability to prevent the inevitable. I know that it’s easy to point at other Bong films and proclaim them as his most Hitchcockian, but — thanks to the heaps of dread and suspense in Mother — I think the honour goes to this mortifying, nuanced thriller.
2. Memories of Murder
It only took two films for Bong to experience his breakthrough with Memories of Murder: one of the great crime thrillers of the twenty-first century. Based on the real tragedies known as the Hwaseong murders, Memories of Murder was made when the serial killer at the centre of these crimes was yet to be found. Bong’s film focused on the deteriorating psyches of the detectives chasing after a ghost in a futile case (with one detective played via a career-best performance by actor Song Kang-ho, who has starred in numerous Bong features). The best David Fincher film not made by the iconic mainstay, Memories of Murder dials in on the fragility of the human mind amidst hardship, trauma, and hysteria. The extra cherry-on-top that Bong couldn’t have accounted for is the eventual solving of this case in real life: it’s the kind of comfort that helps sweeten a once harrowing final shot (all of this searching was not in vain).
1. Parasite
It is rare in cinematic history for a film to gain instant-classic status, but it’s hard to argue against Parasite’s universal accolades; from winning both the Palme d’Or at Cannes and Best Picture at the Academy Awards (which has only ever happened four times in total), to being the most successful international feature film in an awards season. This mashup between vicious satire and calculated mystery-thriller is a tale of two halves: a darkly comedic buildup of a destitute family’s efforts to assimilate themselves in a wealthy household leads to a descent of bloody, harrowing, desperate proportions. Bong’s masterpiece is brilliantly crafted, full of wit, and never dull. His take on class struggles and an imbalanced society is one of the most singular experiences in twenty-first century film. It is Bong’s best film because it spotlights all of the Korean great’s strengths as he is firing on all cylinders. Bong has never been funnier, more clever, and as effective as he is with Parasite: one of the best motion pictures of the new millennium.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.