The Korean film magazine FILO recently published their 'best of 2021' and covered director Bong Joon-Ho's favorite films of 2021. Known for such films as Snowpiercer and the Oscar-winning Parasite, Director Bong has become one of the most revered and well-respected directors working in the world, so his opinion is highly valued. Director Bong's list features a wide array of films, some of which are heavily favored in the current Oscar season but some of which you may not have heard of.

Starting Director Bong's list are the heavy-hitters Drive My Car and Don't Look Up. From Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car is considered by many to be the best film of 2021, having won "Best Screenplay" at Cannes and "Best Foreign Language Film" at the Golden Globes. While it is currently shortlisted for "Best International Feature" at the Oscars, a category it will likely win, Drive My Car could also be in contention for bigger awards such as "Best Picture" or "Best Screenplay," following in the footsteps of Director Bong's Parasite as an international entry in the categories.

Where Drive My Car is a drama about grief, Adam McKay's Don't Look Up is tonally the opposite. The dark comedy about the end of the world boasts a massive line-up of stars, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, and Timothée Chamalet. Don't Look Up proved to be a hit amongst critics and viewers alike and is one of the more mainstream films favored to be nominated for "Best Picture."

Meryl Streep in Don't Look Up

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On the other end of the spectrum, Director Bong's favorites of 2021 also feature some films that may not be familiar to a US audience. His list has two animated films, Flee, and The Mitchells vs. the Machines, which have both received positive reviews but have ultimately been overshadowed in the mainstream by the Disney hit films Luca and Encanto. Director Bong notably includes Audrey Diwan's Happening, the winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival last year, where he presided as President of the Venice jury.

Rounding out his list are the drama Sundown, the documentary Sewing Sisters, and 2019's Sorry We Missed You. Sorry We Missed You competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where legendary British director Ken Loach announced it would be his last film to compete for the prize. Ironically, he lost to Director Bong's Parasite.

While there's not too much in common between these eight films, they all now have the distinction of being one of Director Bong's favorite films of 2021. This diverse list highlights multiple genres and aesthetics of cinema and will undoubtedly make an enthralling movie marathon. See if you can watch all the films on Director Bong's list:

  • Don't Look Up
  • Drive My Car
  • Flee
  • Sundown
  • Sorry We Missed You (2019)
  • The Mitchells vs. the Machines
  • Happening (L'événement)
  • Sewing Sisters