Joey Magidson
It goes without saying that Bong Joon Ho is a master filmmaker. Director Bong has crafted some all-timers, including Parasite, which obviously became a Best Picture winner at the Oscars. With his newest film, Mickey 17, in theaters now, it does lead to a fairly obvious Awards Radar Community Question. When it comes to Bong, which of his movies is your favorite?
In my review of Mickey 17 (here), I had the following to say about Bong’s work on his latest:
Bong Joon Ho writes and directs, adapting the Edward Ashton novel Mickey7. More is not necessarily better, though he’s at his best when he’s having fun with offing Mickey. Still, you wish more of it was there, as things quickly give way into a Snowpiercer riff, before becoming a repeat of Okja, at least partially thematically. The cinematography from Darius Khondji is solid, though there’s not a ton creative about the visuals here. That’s the thing overall, as whatever works does so in a minor key. Nothing stands out in a way that we know Bong is capable of.
For comparison, this is how I would rank his films to date:
1. Parasite
2. Memories of Murder
3. Mother
4. The Host
5. Snowpiercer
6. Okja
7. Barking Dogs Never Bite
8. Mickey 17
Now, the choice is yours. Are you putting Parasite up top like I am? Are you a bigger fan of Snowpiercer? That’s totally cool, if so. What about The Host, Memories of Murder, and Mother? Maybe you’re about to see Mickey 17 and are hopeful that one will do it for you more than it did for me? Wherever you fall, we’re just eager to find out. So, be sure to chime in now…
What is your favorite Bong Joon Ho film? Let us know!
The conundrum here is that Parasite is not only going to be the overwhelming consensus #1, but I would be an idiot if I even pretended to push back against that consensus. It’s just one of those obvious Great Movies™, so I wouldn’t count on too much of a “debate” in the comment section over the precise ranking of your top pick.
So instead, I’ll just say that any readers who haven’t seen Mother or Memories of Murder should definitely make time for both films. The former might be his most emotionally complex in terms of character writing (and boasts an Oscar nomination-worthy performance from Kim Hye-ja) and the latter sits comfortably in my “Holy Trinity” of true crime serial killer thrillers that are actually worth watching.
Completely agree!