What To Watch After ‘Parasite’: A Primer For The Incredible World Of South Korean Cinema
Bong Joon-Ho’sParasitedestroyed the awards circuit this season, and for good reason. The dark comedy and thriller about a family of con artists strategically inserting themselves into a rich family’s lives is a masterwork of filmmaking. The less you know aboutParasitebefore viewing, the better, so stop reading now and go watch it.So…have you watched it? Would you like to know where to find other South Korean cinema to scratch a newfound itch for unusual and compelling human dramas? Great news – here’s a handy, quick guide to other South Korean films that you might enjoy.
The Host (2006) – Bong Joon-Ho
If you enjoyedParasite, you would also probably enjoy the rest of director Bong Joon-Ho’s filmography. While his filmsSnowpiercer,Okja,Mother,Memories of Murder, andBarking Dogs Never Biteare all fantastic, his most accessible film is 2006’sThe Host. The Hostis a genre-busting monster movie. It’s funny, scary, and full of action, but what centersThe Hostis its human protagonists. Like other South Korean films, the relatable human drama at the center of absurd situations drives the story.
As we saw withParasite, Bong is a master at telling stories about damaged families. The family at the center ofThe Hostis no exception, though they must face an actual tentacle monster in addition to their poverty. Bong’s greatest strength as a storyteller is his use of humor to inspire empathy. WhileThe Hostis a horror film, it is also wonderfully funny. Overall,The Hostuses its genre trappings to great effect, hiding a drama about class relations and the importance of family beneath its' flashy, monster-filled exterior.
Train to Busan (2016) – Yeon Sang-ho
Much likeThe Host,Train to Busanis hiding a relatable human drama within extraordinary circumstances. Halfway through a high-speed train ride to Busan, the apocalypse happens. Everyone is forced to deal with this knowledge and one another as zombies invade the speeding train. Family problems, class struggles, and more are brought to an excruciating head as even the most benign concerns become life or death.Train to Busanforces the audience to confront how they might behave in an emergency. In addition to basic zombie scares,Train to Busanis full of existential dread. It’s a look at how humans can be just as monstrous as the undead. LikeParasite,Train to Busanalso features a fantastic ensemble cast bringing their A-game performances.
A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) – Kim Jee-woon
One of the most unique things about South Korean cinema is its unique aesthetic. Many South Korean films, includingParasite, have a dreamy atmosphere that makes everything seem slightly more fantastic. This surreal quality is best illustrated inA Tale of Two Sisters, an unusual ghost story from writer/director Kim Jee-woon.A Tale of Two Sistersis a gothic fairy tale with detached, spotless style. Even the ugliest of things are visually beautiful, something rarely seen in Western cinema.
Like many of the other films on this list,A Tale of Two Sistersis full of surprises and twists that change the entire meaning of the film. South Korean cinema keeps viewers on their toes, because what’s being shown onscreen isn’t always what’s really happening. While western viewers are used to unreliable narrators, its often the omniscient third-person viewpoint that’s unreliable in South Korean cinema, which can be both unsettling and refreshing.A Tale of Two Sistersillustrates this beautifully, on top of being a truly spooky ghost movie.
The Handmaiden (2016) – Park Chan-wook
Writer/director Park Chan-wook is the master of playing with audience expectations and unreliable narration. His breakout hit,Oldboy, is one of the most internationally acclaimed South Korean films of all time. However, fans ofParasitemight find more to like in his 2016 romantic thriller,The Handmaiden.
The Handmaidenis told by two separate narrators – Japanese heiress Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) and con artist and maid Sook-Hee (Kim Tae-ri). Each has a completely different version of what they’ve experienced, and only when their stories are brought together can we see the truth.The Handmaidenis its own kind of fairy tale, with two flawed and fascinating heroines at its center.Set in 1930s Korea during Japanese occupation,The Handmaidenis a steamy historical romance between two women traumatized by surviving in a man’s world. It’s aesthetically gorgeous, extremely sexy, and occasionally quite funny.The Handmaidenis some of what’s best about both Park’s filmography and South Korean cinema, wrapped up in a pretty silk bow.
Burning (2018) – Lee Chang-dong
Lee Chang-dong’sBurningmay not have elaborate costumes, jaw-dropping sets, or supernatural elements, but it’s a prime stripped-down example of the unique tone and themes of South Korean cinema.Burningfollows Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in), a lost young man who runs into his old crush from high school and falls in love with her all over again. It’s a drama about expectations, class division, misogyny, and the lies we tell about ourselves. Jong-su is a completely unreliable narrator, and the film’s tagline is even “The truth is all in your head.”
WhileBurninglacks many of the truly fantastical elements of its peers, it’s shot with a haunting, mythic aesthetic all the same. Lee allows his shots to breathe, lingering on faces and locations long after other directors might have cut away. DespiteBurning’s deliberately relaxed pacing, it always feels tense and claustrophobic.
I Saw the Devil (2010) – Kim Jee-woon
South Korean cinema finds beauty in the grotesque, but no film comes close to Kim Jee-woon’sI Saw the Devil. IfBurningis claustrophobic,I Saw the Devilis suffocating. Lacking the humor of Park or Bong’s filmography, Kim’s revenge thriller is one of the most emotionally wringing experiences ever committed to film. It would be easy for this film about a police officer going renegade to track down the serial killer who killed his wife and child to become a self-parodying mess. Many films that deal in the extreme subject matter ofI Saw the Devilend up being little more than trauma for titillation. Kim’s assured direction keeps the film grounded, however, and centered on the human drama at its center.
This attention to the humanity at the core of the film is what makesI Saw the Devilso effective and heart-wrenching. It’s a similar attention paid to the characters inParasite,though to a much more brutal effect.
Thirst (2009) – Park Chan-wook
Thirstis so much more than a vampire movie. It’s a story about romance, faith, and self-doubt. When a Catholic priest (Song Kang-ho) becomes a vampire through a failed experiment and falls in love with his friend’s wife, he must reconcile his “monstrous” urges with his personal morality.Thirsthas all the great trademarks of South Korean cinema: it’s darkly funny, beautifully shot, edited deftly but with room to breathe, and it’s about the human condition while pretending to be something else entirely.Thirstis haunting and gorgeous while still being heartbreakingly relatable.The thread of brilliance throughout these films is a willingness to examine the human condition through a different lens. These unflinching portraits of humanity are as stunning to look at as they are emotionally uncomfortable, making for a cinematic experience that feels truly fresh.
