At long last, Academy Award-winner Bong Joon-ho returns to the big screen after cleaning up at the 92nd Academy Awards. Known for his abrupt tonal shifts, Bong Joon-ho is a director that cannot be boxed in by a genre. He’s touched everything from dark comedy, crime thriller, monster movie, etc, while infusing his works with topical and timely themes. Also, in my personal opinion, he doesn’t have one bad film.
To celebrate Director Bong’s newest release, Mickey 17 (2025), I present my ranking of his filmography.
8. Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000)
A disgruntled tenant (Lee Sung-jae) kidnapping and killing his neighbors’ loud dogs may not sound enjoyable, but Director Bong’s debut feature film boasts his signature dark humor. When stacked up against the rest of his filmography, Barking Dogs pales in comparison. However, it’s a great showcase of a distinct filmmaker honing in on his style as he plays with techniques that would soon become signature moves.
7. Mother (2009)
When a widow’s (Kim Hye-ja) adult son (Won Bin) is accused of murdering a girl, she sets out to prove his innocence by any means necessary. Mother feels like an intricate spider web with Director Bong handling each thread with the utmost precision. Hye-ja’s work as the titular Mother is intense and obsessive; her love for her son starts as admirable before descending into something uncomfortable and sinister. Director Bong built the role for Hye-ja who became “a symbolic mother figure” in her storied screen career. The collaboration delivers a unique portrait of motherhood through a neo-noir lens that will embed itself beneath your skin.
6. Okja (2017)
Never did I think I’d cry over a genetically enhanced super pig, but Okja did just that. The film follows Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun), a young girl on a journey to save her beloved Okja from being turned into meat at the hands of a mega corporation. At times, the environmental themes teeter into heavy-handed territory, but that doesn’t negate how impactful the film ultimately is. While it features some zany performances from Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal, Seo-hyun’s performance at the center is nothing short of a lovely miracle.
5. Mickey 17 (2025)
Bong Joon-ho’s latest is a beautifully absurd story that feels perfectly suited for this particular moment in our political climate. The film takes all of Director Bong’s favorite themes and throws them into this crazy sci-fi blender. We follow Mickey Barnes, an expendable on an expedition to colonize an ice planet. Because he is an expendable, Mickey is tasked with dangerous jobs because, when he dies, his body is reprinted with his memories intact.
Robert Pattinson is at his zaniest and most committed, showcasing why he is one of the most exciting actors of his generation. Mark Ruffalo channels a certain President while Toni Collette devours every moment she is dangling on his arm. Naomi Ackie continues her hot streak and fully taps into her star power. Director Bong assembles an incredibly committed cast to dissect religious fanaticism, colonization, and how capitalistic government values product and “progress” over its people. While it’s not his tightest script, it is certainly his most fun and rewards you for patiently taking the ride.
4. The Host (2006)
Bong Joon-ho’s take on the monster film satirizes the United States government with acerbic wit and devastating visuals. Inspired by the very real McFarland incident, The Host depicts a community under the attack of an amphibious creature born from the US dumping over one hundred bottles of formaldehyde down a drain into the Han River. The Host bites into uncaring governments who leave their ill-equipped citizens to deal with the aftermath of their messes, a theme that’s only grown in relevance since its initial release.
3. Snowpiercer (2013)
In his English-language debut, Director Bong dives into climate crisis and classism via a high-speed, globe-encircling train containing the last of the human race. The passengers aboard Snowpiercer train are segregated by class with the wealthy residing at the front of the train and the poor contained to overcrowded and poorly-maintained cars in the back of the train. Curtis Everett (Chris Evans in one of his best performances) leads a revolt and takes his fellow passengers to the front of the train.
Snowpiercer packs a visceral punch with its expertly staged action sequences; despite being contained to a train car, they are electric and explosive. Director Bong assembles an all-star cast—Evans, Swinton Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Song Kang-ho, Ed Harris—to deliver the emotional plight of these characters with tremendous success.
2. Memories of Murder (2003)
For the longest time, Director Bong’s detective thriller was a bit tricky to find stateside. However, thanks to NEON acquiring the film in 2020, the film has found a wave of appreciation as new audiences can finally watch.
Memories of Murder follows two detectives, Park Doo-man (Kang-ho) and Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung), who investigate a string of murders in the late 80s. The film is based on the play Come and See Me (1996) which, in turn, is based on South Korea’s first confirmed serial murders. The film marks Director Bong’s first collaboration with Kang-ho as well. The film is a tight and deliberate thriller twisting the audience into knots as we, much like our detectives, try to get to the bottom of this case. The film absorbs you in dread and drowns you in the characters’ desperation as they navigate their own fallibility.
1. Parasite (2019)
It may seem cliche to put Parasite on top, but it truly deserves this placement. An intelligent and detailed examination of class conflict and economic inequality, Parasite displays a capitalist hellscape as we watch these families cannibalize each other. The visuals are dynamic and intricate, the performances are remarkable (SAG Best Ensemble Winners for a reason), and the tone expertly shifts gears without ever taking you out of the story. It’s an engrossing film that, after watching for the first time, made me mad because I knew I could never create something this brilliant and unique.
List Courtesy of Adam Patla
Image Courtesy of Amy Sussman/Getty Images via Slate Magazine