IndieWire's Bong Joon Ho’s Favorite Movies: 30 Films the Director Wants You to See
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The "Parasite" filmmaker's favorite movies include works from some of the best American, Japanese, and South Korean directors who ever lived.
Bong Joon Ho has long been one of South Korea’s best filmmakers thanks to acclaimed movies such as “Memories of Murder,” “Mother,” and “The Host,” but it wasn’t until 2019 that Bong become a worldwide cinema superstar to the general public. With “Parasite,” Bong vaulted himself into the topmost echelon of the world’s best directors working today. “Parasite” world premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it made history by becoming the first South Korean film to win the prestigious Palme d’Or. The months that followed brought Bong to nearly all of awards season’s biggest festivals (Telluride, Toronto, NYFF) and ceremonies (Golden Globes, SAG Awards, DGA Awards, Critic’s Choice, etc.). Bong’s incredible journey with “Parasite” culminated in six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. The drama is the first South Korean film to compete for Academy Awards in the Oscars’ 92-year history.
With Bong now a household name across the world, it might be of interest to watch some of the films the South Korean auteur considers to be his personal favorites. Bong is a great director, but he’s also an avid cinephile who loves talking about films and raising awareness of some of the best Asian filmmakers who came before him, including Kim Ki-young, Shohei Imamura, and Keisuke Kinoshita.
Below is a list of 30 films Bong Joon Ho loves. The films are presented in alphabetical order.
Zack Sharf
Feb 6, 2020 11:00 am
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1 new
Les quatre cents coups
1959 — a.k.a. The 400 Blows, in 26 top lists Check -
2 new
Narayama bushikô
1958 — a.k.a. The Ballad of Narayama, in 6 top lists Check -
3 new
Being John Malkovich
1999, in 14 top lists Check -
4 new
Bei qing cheng shi
1989 — a.k.a. A City of Sadness, in 10 top lists Check -
5 new
Cure
1997 — a.k.a. The Cure, in 7 top lists Check -
6 new
Fanny och Alexander
1982 — a.k.a. Fanny and Alexander, in 25 top lists Check -
7 new
Deliverance
1972, in 15 top lists Check -
8 new
Fargo
1996, in 27 top lists Check -
9 new
The Great Escape
1963, in 14 top lists Check -
10 new
Hanyo
1960 — a.k.a. The Housemaid, in 8 top lists Check -
11 new
Akai satsui
1964 — a.k.a. Intentions of Murder, in 3 top lists Check -
12 new
Iodo
1977 — a.k.a. Io Island, in 3 top lists Check -
13 new
Life Is Sweet
1990, in 4 top lists Check -
14 new
Lola Montès
1955, in 12 top lists Check -
15 new
Mad Max: Fury Road
2015, in 23 top lists Check -
16 new
The Man Who Fell to Earth
1976, in 8 top lists Check -
17 new
Midsommar
2019, in 4 top lists -
18 new
Nashville
1975, in 21 top lists Check -
19 new
Psycho
1960, in 39 top lists Check -
20 new
Raging Bull
1980, in 34 top lists Check -
21 new
Rushmore
1998, in 11 top lists Check -
22 new
Seconds
1966, in 10 top lists Check -
23 new
The Thing
1982, in 20 top lists Check -
24 new
Things to Come
1936, in 8 top lists Check -
25 new
Touch of Evil
1958, in 31 top lists Check -
26 new
Uncut Gems
2019, in 4 top lists -
27 new
Fukushû suru wa ware ni ari
1979 — a.k.a. Vengeance Is Mine, in 10 top lists Check -
28 new
Le salaire de la peur
1953 — a.k.a. The Wages of Fear, in 29 top lists Check -
29 new
Wendy and Lucy
2008, in 5 top lists Check -
30 new
Zodiac
2007, in 14 top lists Check
Last updated on Jul 8, 2020; source