Bong Joon-ho (b. 1969, Daegu, South Korea) is one of the great auteurs of the century. Parasite (2019) became the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture at the Oscars — Bong took home four himself: Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, International Feature.
His films blend genre play with social critique. The Host is a monster movie about environmental neglect. Snowpiercer is sci-fi class warfare. Okja is a corporate satire with a giant pig. Through all of it, there’s a sympathy for the underclass and a precision of staging that’s unmatched.
Next film: Mickey 17 (2025) starring Robert Pattinson.
