As far as foreign language directors go, there are few quite as popular, and indeed talented, as Bong Joon-ho. After dominating the Oscars with Parasite in 2020, he’s back with Mickey 17, and we decided now would be the perfect time to crown the best Bong Joon-ho movie of them all. And, we’ll even tell you where to watch them.
He may be cute and charming when he’s talking about movies, but when making them, director Bong goes to some pretty dark places. Be it strange aquatic monsters, brutal and bloody murder cases, or dystopian train rides, the Korean filmmaker has given us ample opportunity over the years to dissect and decipher our place in society through his work.
A word of warning, we haven’t included two films in this list – Tokyo and Digital Short Films by Three Filmmakers 2004 – even though they’re included in Bong Joon-ho’s filmography. He directed segments of these two anthology films, and as such, we’re not going to count them in this ranking.
So, here are all eight Bong Joon-ho movies ranked, and details on where to watch them.
8. Barking Dogs Never Bite
Debut feature films are hard. Very few filmmakers get them right, and sadly, not even the great Bong Joon-ho could do much with his first effort. In fact, the most interesting thing about Barking Dogs Never Bite is its creative title, which says all you need to know about the quality of this one.
It’s not necessarily a bad film, but Barking Dogs Never Bite is painfully raw and rough around the edges. It’s also guilty of the worst crime you can commit in film, which is that it’s immediately forgettable, and not all that engaging.
7. Mickey 17
There were high hopes for Bong Joon-ho’s long awaited follow-up to Parasite, especially when it was announced that Robert Pattinson would lead the cast, playing multiple versions of himself in this twisted sci-fi thriller. But, sadly, Mickey 17 struggles tonally, and feels, dare we say it, generic – not something you’d expect of Bong at all.
Mickey 17 doesn’t lean in hard enough to either the comedy or the tension it tries to generate, and while it looks great and everyone seems to be having fun on screen, there’s a predictability to the story that seriously drains any of the excitement out of the experience of watching the movie.
6. The Host
If you think a monster movie from Bong Joon-ho sounds like fun, you’d be absolutely right. The Host is ambitious, bombastic, and a brilliant take on a tried-and-tested subgenre. It’s by no means perfect, but you simply have to admire the absurdity and the technical creativity on show to bring this sci-fi semi-horror to life.
In many ways, this is Bong at his playful best. The film itself has its lulls and weaknesses, but diving into this disaster movie is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its dark moments, though, but that grey area between glee and gloom is where Bong has always thrived.
5. Mother
In the early to mid-2000s, Bong Joon-ho was crafting far more bleak and brutal work in his native tongue, and Mother is a fine example of this. Bong puts his audience in detective mode to unravel his deliciously dark mystery, and there’s a real no holds barred approach to depictions of violence that cuts razor sharp on screen.
It says a lot that this isn’t even his most sadistic and disturbing picture, but there’s something about Bong’s level of attention to detail here that gets under your skin as a viewer.
4. Okja
If you prefer Bong’s more fun side, Okja is the perfect hit. In truth, this Netflix-produced dark comedy is everything Mickey 17 wanted to be, but ended up being far less intriguing than. Between Jake Gyllenhaal hamming it up and the adorable titular creature at the heart of the story, you’ve got a bit of everything in this one; chaos and cuteness combine for a treat for all the senses.
Okja is also incredibly emotional and may well bring a tear to your eye. It’s a poignant inspection of mankind’s role in the world, and the way we treat other living beings.
3. Snowpiercer
Remember when we said Mother wasn’t the most bleak Bong movie? Well, here it is. Snowpiercer is grim, but it’s absolutely fascinating, too, and is certainly Bong’s finest work in the English language.
From the stunning snowy backdrops outside, to the shadowy, grimy train carriages within, every inch of Snowpiercer is designed to make you feel a sense of claustrophobia and uneasiness, which fuels the harrowing central story; a story of class hierarchy, but more importantly, the fight for survival.
If you love Chris Evans as Captain America, get ready for that poster boy image to be tarnished forever – but it’s so worth it.
2. Memories of Murder
Not many filmmakers could claim that their sophomore feature film is near-perfect, but Bong Joon-ho definitely can. Memories of Murder is a captivating and gritty detective thriller story steeped in gruesome, grisly crimes and a cat-and-mouse chase for the ages.
It’s incredible to think that this effort came just three years after that sub-par debut in Barking Dogs Never Bite. In that short space of time, Bong refined every aspect of his filmmaking repertoire, expertly guiding the lens, drawing mesmerising performances out of his cast, and threading a narrative so complex and compelling you’ll be absolutely hooked from the very first minute to the last.
1. Parasite
Sometimes, it can be a bit annoying to go for the obvious answer. But, then again, if something is so obvious, it’s for a good reason, and the love that Parasite has received since its release in 2019 is more than justified. Simply put, there is no way anything else could have taken top spot in this ranking of Bong Joon-ho’s movies.
Parasite is rip roaringly funny, beautifully dark, and so unpredictable that the first time you watch this movie, you’re likely to end up with your jaw on the floor. This film deserved every award it won, and then some, and it’s genuinely one of the best movies of the modern era.
Where to watch all of Bong Joon-ho’s movies streaming online
Check out the list below on where to watch all these Bong Joon-ho movies streaming on services like Netflix, Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video and more.
