since parasite won 4 awards today at the oscars, here's a thread of bong joon-ho films and other asian films you should watch because asian cinema is amazing

The Host (dir. bong joon-ho, 2006)
- story of a family trying to stay together while a monster terrorizes south korea
- also has social commentary (no to american bases!)
- stars song kang-ho (parasite) and bae doona (sense 8)
- i've watched this film 10+ times already

snowpiercer (dir. bong joon-ho, 2013)
- world is covered in snow & the only survivors are in a train that never stops travelling around the earth
- they are segregated by class & one day those at the back of the train decide that they've had enough
- it's on netflix (+ the host)

Okja (dir. bong joon-ho, 2017)
- a little girl & his grandpa were tasked to take care of a "super-pig" they named okja & the day comes when they have to say goodbye
- great commentary about consumerism & capitalism
- i considered going vegan after watching this
- it's on netflix

the farewell (dir. lulu wang, 2019)
- a family struggles to hide a secret from their grandmother who doesn't know she's dying of cancer
- based on lulu wang's actual family (even the lie)
- depicts the struggles of being an immigrant & feeling like a foreigner in your own country

Burning (dir. lee chang-dong, 2018)
- psychological drama mystery film based on Murakami's "Barn Burning"
- recurring concept of absence versus presence in the film was amazingly executed
- underlying critique of class differences in south korea
- one of 2018's best films

the handmaiden (dir. park chan-wook, 2016)
- erotic psychological thriller film
- a maid is hired to deceive a young heiress to steal her inheritance but the plan goes awry due to,,,,,, reasons
- this was my best film for 2016
- please also watch other park chan-wook films

battle royale (dir. kinji fukasaku, 2000)
- 42 students are sent to a deserted island and were given a mission to kill each other until only one is standing
- battle royale walked so the hunger games could run
- director said he wanted to show the real meaning of friendship

himala (dir. ishmael bernal, 1982)
- one of my most favorite filipino films
- a woman claims to be able to heal miraculously because she was visited by the virgin mary
- very good critique about religious fanaticism and violence against women
- a remastered version was released

oda sa wala (dir. dwein baltazar, 2018)
- pokwang plays an old maid struggling to keep her family-owned funeral home afloat
- pokwang got nominated for gawad urian best actress for this film she was THAT good
- this film really makes you think about what it means to be alone

insiang (dir. lino brocka, 1976)
- a teenager is raped by her mother's boyfriend and sets out to exact revenge on everyone who has hurt her
- accurate depiction of how women struggle both as a result of gender and social class
- it's a classic but is still very relevant

the vengeance trilogy (dir. park chan-wook)
- sympathy for mr. vengeance (2002)
- oldeuboi (2003)
- lady vengeance (2005)
- all three films talk about one person's desire for revenge
- will make you question ethics and morals (is their revenge justified? how do we know if it is?)

swing kids (dir. kang hyeong-cheol, 2018)
- a north korean soldier, an american army officer, a man searching for his wife, a chinese man with heart problems, and a girl who makes money through dancing form a dance group
- the story is set in a prison camp during the korean war

capernaum (nadine labaki, 2018)
- a 12 year-old lebanese boy decides to sue his parents in protest of the life they have given him
- realitisic depiction of the struggle of children born into poverty & why they commit crimes at an early age
- sad but hopeful at the same time

nobody knows (dir. hirokazu koreeda, 2004)
- four siblings are abandoned by their mother so she can live with her lover
- the film shows how the four kids struggle to survive with almost no money and no parents to care for them
- also watch shoplifters (2018) by koreeda please

confessions (dir. tetsuya nakashima, 2010)
- japanese psychological thriller
- a teacher accuses two of her students of murdering her daughter and announces her plot for revenge
- the film explores the perspectives of all those involved in the murder
- great story progression

kakabakaba ka ba (dir. mike de leon, 1980)
- comedy musical, i honestly have not seen any other filipino film like this one
- story of a group of friends who unfortunately get involved with a religious syndicate's illegal drug operations
- super funny and still socially relevant

shirkers (dir. sandi tan, 2018)
- a documentary about filmmaker and novelist sandi tan's search for her american mentor, years after he ran away with the footage for singapore's first road movie
- this has 100% on rotten tomatoes
- it's on netflix!!!

honor thy father (dir. erik matti, 2015)
- a father struggles to keep his family safe after things go south in their networking scheme and his wife's father runs away with the money
- john lloyd's performance was AMAZING
- talks about greed and religious institutions

in the mood for love (dir. wong kar-wai, 2000)
- a journalist & a secretary are neighbors & they both suspect their spouses are cheating on them with each other
- they develop a platonic friendship but eventually catch feelings for each other
- wong kar-wai films are so beautiful

tropical malady (dir. apitchatpong weerasethakul, 2004)
- has 2 narratives played by the same 2 actors
1st: a soldier needs to investigate the death of cattle in a small town & develops romance with a local man
2nd: a soldier encounters a spirit in the woods who means him harm

metamorphosis (dir. j.e. tiglao, 2019)
- a 2019 cinema 1 originals entry
- adam discovers he was born intersex after being raised like a boy by his conservative family
- talks about finding your own sexual identity and being at peace with who you are
- kinda cried at the end

raise the red lantern (dir. zhang yimou, 1991)
- three concubines fight for the attention of the master of the house who chooses who gets his favors on a daily basis
- the youngest, songlian, slowly gets disillusioned with her life as a concubine competing with other women

patay na si hesus (dir. victor villanueva, 2016)
- a family goes on a roadtrip from cebu to dumaguete attend their estranged father's funeral
- i laughed so much while watching this bisaya humor remains unmatched
- pulled on my heartstrings a bit since my dad is estranged too lol

pk (dir. rajkumar hirani, 2014)
- indian satirical comedy-drama
- an alien comes to earth for research but gets his remote stolen so he befriends a journalist to help him get it back
- questions religion and superstitions
- if u have indian film sugestions please tell me

omar (dir. hany abu-assad, 2013)
- story of omar, a palestinian who gets caught crossing the west bank barrier to visit his lover nadia
- depicts the hardships and suffering of people due to the conflict between israel and palestine