Bong Joon-ho Retrospective/Ranking
25 years of one of the best directors of our generation.
When it comes to the world of South Korean Cinema and its most prominent filmmakers, extremely high chances are that Bong Joon-ho is one of the first names that comes to mind. Not only is he a master of his craft, but he is also one of the best directors in the film industry right now. He is one of a distinct style (one that is heavily influenced by Alfred Hitchcock) through his usage of experimentation with multiple tones & genres, sharply delivered dark humor, and exploration of both social & economical themes all throughout his career. You can easily tell that it’s him by looking at all three of these elements because of how unique his style is, one that works wonders when done right. And now to celebrate the legacy he is left on cinema as a whole (along with the release of his new film Mickey 17), I figured I would a retrospective AND a ranking of all of his films. Anyways, with all that out of the way, let’s get started!
8. Okja (2017)
This placement might surprise some of you, but this movie frustrates me more than it should. But firstly, as far as the positives go, it is a decently crafted film all things considered. The cinematography by Darius Khondji contains some very beautiful work through its color palette & shot compositions even if it’s not really his best shot movie. Plus, the CGI on all the animals is extremely impressive to a point where I wouldn’t have minded this movie getting nominated for Best Visual Effects that year. In fact, this film contains some solid production values all-around even if there is nothing all that crazy about most of the work on display here. There are also some good performances to be found here, particularly from Paul Dano. It’s not some of his best acting or anything, but he does bring as much solemnity to his character as he can even though he is mainly stuck with delivering nothing but exposition for the entirety of his performance.
Unfortunately, this is where all of my praise towards the film ends. The most infuriating aspect of this movie is that it is just a hollow, emotionally manipulative experience from start to finish. While I do appreciate this movie for trying to communicate a message tied into how big corporations utilize animals for their own personal gain, it constantly feels the need to shove that message down your throat as if we are knowing about these issues for the first time even though they all happen on a daily. It’s as if Bong Joon-ho was afraid that viewers might not fully get what the film is trying to communicate so he needs to aggressively jam its themes & ideas into your head non-stop without any of the nuance or wit present in his other films. This results in a story that is simultaneously pretentious and constantly feels the need to spoon feed you for its entire runtime, the latter of which is something that Bong Joon-ho never really does when directing & writing films. It also doesn’t help that the movie is completely tone deaf the entire way through, mixing a first half that has a lot juvenile potty humor with a dark, depressing second half that feels completely different from the first half. Bong is usually a master of playing with different tones, but it feels unnatural here compared to the rest of his filmography.
Rating: C- (4/10)
Available on: Netflix
7. Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000)
The first of the 8 films by Bong Joon-ho, Barking Dogs Never Bite gives us a good enough taste of what we could expect from him as a director moving forward. This film is filled with a ton of dark humor while also containing a story that tackles themes of animal cruelty mixed with good & evil and why the former is usually more needlessly frowned upon than the latter. It’s not an amazing film by any means though. Like a lot of directorial debuts, this film really serves as the appetizer for what would come from Bong’s career later on. Because of this, the story is decent if not remarkable (stretches of it are more interesting than others) and while the movie does have its fair share of funny moments (one jump the main character does while kidnapping a chihuahua really got me, in particular), it’s not quite on the same level of comedic brilliance as his later films. It’s also not the best from a filmmaking standpoint (though there were time where the cinematography was pretty good), but it’s not bad on this front either. The filmmakers definitely tried their best to make the most out of its small budget and it shows.
All things considered, this is not a bad film by any stretch of the imagination. It’s a decent, watchable movie that opens the door for what Bong Joon-ho would bring to the table as his career progresses.
Rating: C+ (6/10)
Available on: Prime Video
6. Mickey 17 (2025)
Having read the source material this film is based on along with the marathon that I did for this retrospective, I went into Mickey 17 with really high expectations and labeled it as one of my most anticipated of the year. With all that said, the final product is one that I found to be solid but not something that has a ton of rewatch value for me. I have a full review for this film on this page so check that out if you want to hear my full thoughts, but this film frustrates me in a few ways. While I do enjoy the film’s craft, sense of humor, and Robert Pattinson’s performance(s), Mickey 17 is bogged down by a lot of clunky writing & pacing that changes or cuts out aspects of the book in ways that really bothered me. I won’t really give them away since it would result in me getting into spoilers (plus I briefly talk about it in my review), but it essentially removes a good chunk of the intricate world building & character that book had going for it. Also, I was not too fond of Mark Ruffalo’s performance as Kenneth Marshall in this film, which is a shame given how perfect this casting sounded on paper. It just feels too much like an over-the-top cartoon to come off as a believable human being.
Again, read my full review for this film if you want to know how I feel about it in more detail, but that’s pretty much the bottom line for me when it comes to Mickey 17. It’s a good, enjoyable little film that unfortunately doesn’t work as an adaptation of the source material it is adapting and is something that I will not rewatch again anytime soon.
Rating: B (7/10)
Out in theaters now!
5. The Host (2006)
Unlike Barking Dogs Never Bite & Memories Of Murder, The Host feels a lot more like Bong Joon-ho diving more into genre territory through how he tells this story of a family trying to rescue the main character’s daughter from a monster that comes to life with toxic waste. I do not consider this to be a bad thing though since I found this to be just as good as I remembered it to be on this second viewing (I first saw this back in 2020). It’s blockbuster filmmaking that not only contains quite a few great action set pieces, but also serves as a commentary on how inept society can be through showcasing their ignorance in various ways throughout the film, particularly in how they treat the environment and how people treat a situation as alarming & dangerous as a pandemic. However, the movie still manages to inject a ton of humanity into its story and characters even if the latter’s decisions are not the best. The main character, Gang-hu (played terrifically by Song Kang-ho), in particular, goes through a massive arc throughout the film in which he learns to accept life for how it is as we see him going as far as he can to help rescue his daughter because of how much she means to him. In general, this film knows how to provide fun popcorn entertainment through its thrilling action scenes while also pouring a ton of thought into its story & characters through it’s careful writing & direction mixed with the excellent performances (shoutouts to Byung Hee-bong as Park Hie-bong).
There are really only a couple of flaws I had with the film, with the first being that the visual effects were a bit all over the place in terms of quality. They constantly kept fluctuating between looking good to poor throughout the runtime and it kind of bugged me a bit while I was trying to admire some of the more tense, action-packed moments present in the film. My only other flaw is that the movie did start to lose some steam during the climax. It is still a really good climax, but I felt like the movie should it ended around that time and it made me a little impatient (although I feel like that’s mainly a me thing). Having said that though, The Host is a strong enough start for Bong Joon-ho’s first time directing a more action-packed genre piece than what he normally makes, even if there is a certain other action movie that came out seven years later that I think is a bit more well-rounded.
Rating: B+ (8.5/10)
Available on: HBO MAX
4. Memories Of Murder (2003)
Memories Of Murder is a massive step up for Bong Joon-ho in every way imaginable (which is quite insane given how this was only his SECOND film). There is much more confidence to be found in his direction & the film looks, sounds, and feels more refined than Barking Dogs Never Bite did. Plus, it has much more to say from a messaging perspective through its deeply sinister story. While the first half of the film is a bit more lighter and contains quite a bit of the signature Bong Joon-Ho that we know & love, the second half is where it really starts to get under your skin & morphs into something even more dark & twisted. The most direct comparison I can make for this film is Bong’s equivalent to Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cure: a bleak murder mystery crime film that does not shy away from showcasing how cruel & inhuman the world could be not just through its disturbing imagery, but also through how it explores its austere themes & subject matter. All of this is brought to life masterfully through Bong’s superb writing & direction, the incredible performances (shoutouts to Kim Sang-kyung, in particular), stunning cinematography by Kim Hyung-koo, excellent music by Taro Iwashiro, and phenomenal editing by Kim Sun-min.
The only real nitpick I have with the film is that the pacing does have its inconsistencies every now & then. This problem mainly lies in the first half, which is where I felt that it could have been trimmed a bit to make the screenplay feel a bit more tighter (though thankfully the movie picks up more during the second half). Aside from that though, I still think Memories Of Murder is a fantastic movie that I feel is essential for ANYBODY who loves South Korean cinema, murder mysteries, and film in general.
Rating: A (9.5/10)
Available on: Tubi
3. Snowpiercer (2013)
Snowpiercer is Bong Joon-ho taking everything that he learned from The Host in terms of blockbuster filmmaking and improving upon it even more. In terms of craft, the visual effects are a huge upgrade compared to The Host and the action scenes have much more weight & precision to them presentation-wise. Other than some occasional moments of unnecessary shaky cam (my only nitpick with this film), the action in this film contains a ton of brilliant choreography, cinematography, sound design, & editing that make for a highly visceral film that does not pull any punches whatsoever in the action department. But not only is the action in this film excellent, but the story is just as strong and provides a compelling, scathing exploration of capitalism being inflicted towards lower-class society. The use of an entire train as part of the film’s framework adds layers of social & economical hierarchy to the story and reveals a lot about all the characters (even the antagonistic ones) as the film progresses.
Lastly, there is not a single performance in this movie that I would consider bad in the slightest. Everybody is memorable in their own ways and gives it their all in their respective roles. Song Kang-ho is as great as he always is, Tilda Swinton shines in a darkly comedic antagonistic role that she eats up like cake, John Hurt adds a much needed sense of gravitas to the film through his performance, but the main MVP here is definitely Chris Evans as Curtis. This is a role where he gets to showcase his range as an actor by playing a much darker character than someone like Captain America that he 100% succeeds at and it is definitely one of my favorite performances of his. The one monologue he has about knowing what people taste like, in particular, is some of the best acting he has ever given and it is a scene that makes your skin crawl in all the right ways.
Overall, Snowpiercer is such a fantastic movie that contains every positive aspect of The Host in terms of mixing popcorn entertainment & thought-provoking storytelling together while also containing stronger pacing, a plot that constantly keeps you invested the whole way through, and having better characters including a hero that you root for from start to finish.
Rating: A (9.5/10)
Available on: Tubi
2. Mother (2009)
Mother is one of those that, much like Memories Of Murder, gets more & more under your skin as it keeps going. It is a staggeringly masterful film that takes certain story aspects of Memories Of Murders & The Host and perfects them from an execution standpoint. Both of those films are still great, but this is the one that completely gets everything about this story about a mother trying to defend & protect her innocent son perfectly. I bought the relationship between the mother (played by Kim Hye-ja) and Yoon Do-joon (played by Won Bin) a bit more than I did in The Host & it results in a much bigger impact once certain twists are revealed throughout the runtime. On the whole, this is one of those films that I feel you have to watch multiple times to gather the perfect understanding towards specific plot points that it throws at you, but that is what makes it so amazing. It is a deeply tense, unsettling experience, but one that will reward you with a sensational exploration of how far a mother will go to protect their child at all costs through how brilliantly & carefully constructed the screenplay, editing, and directing are. Plus, Kim Hye-ja tops it all off with a towering powerhouse performance that sticks with you forever through how much conviction, emotional turmoil, and warmth she brings to her character all in one.
With all that said, I strongly recommend for everybody to check out Mother. It may be one of his less popular films, but it is one that will have you floored from beginning to end through being an engaging, shocking, and exquisite murder mystery thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat in the most unconventional ways possible.
Rating: A+ (10/10)
Available on: VOD/Rent
1. Parasite (2019)
I would go into detail about why this movie is my #1 Bong Joon-ho film, but honestly… what else is there to say? It is considered one of the best films of the 20th century for a reason. This is a movie that captures everything that Bong Joon-ho knows how to do best as both a filmmaker & storyteller to absolute perfection: the amount of attention to detail through every single frame & edit present in this film, his dark humor & satire being at its most bitingly sharp, the performances being as wonderful as they are (with a particular shoutout to Song Kang-ho), how the movie explores its story of a poor family’s rise to wealth only for everything to quickly start crashing down for them and what it says about the clash between upper & lower class society (much like in Snowpiercer). This film is just perfect all across the board and it is extremely clear to see why it was the first Foreign Language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. It is a work of art from a director who is at the top of their game here and if you haven’t seen it yet, please check it out as soon as you can! You will not regret sitting through its entire darkly comedic, intense, stunningly made, and all-around perfect glory!
Rating: A+ (10/10)
Available on: Hulu, Netflix
And that is it! Those are my thoughts on all of Bong Joon-ho’s films! If there’s anything to take away from it, it’s that even though he may have one bad movie under his belt (at least in my personal opinion), Bong Joon-ho continues to be one of the best & most interesting directors working today and I am instantly excited for everything else that he has coming up next in his career!
That is it for today’s post! Hope you all enjoyed reading and please let me know what is your ranking of Bong Joon-ho’s works in the comments section below! See you all next time!