South Korean director Bong Joon-ho, known for his groundbreaking 2019 film Parasite, believes he understands why his Oscar-winning movie and Netflix’s Squid Game became global hits.
Despite the language barrier, the two South Korean projects have captivated international audiences.
Parasite grossed over $260 million worldwide and became the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Squid Game, on the other hand, was the first Korean drama to become the most-watched show in the U.S.
As Bong prepares for the release of his latest movie, Mickey 17, starring Robert Pattinson, he reveals how these two productions manage to resonate deeply all over the world.
"A Universal Language"
In a recent interview with The New York Times, the Oscar-winning director talked about the global success of Squid Game and Parasite.
The South Korean filmmaker admitted that getting the attention of American audiences wasn’t part of his plan while making his award-winning movie. In fact, Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk had the same sentiments when he was doing his show.
However, the unexpected happened, and both of their projects made history, with Bong believing it had something to do with its themes of "hierarchy of society" and "capitalism."
"[While making Parasite], I never had the thought of 'This will translate well globally.' But I talked with Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director who made Squid Game, and he told me he never intended it, either. He just made it, and it's on Netflix, so it spread all over the world," he said.
"But it wasn't surprising, because Parasite and Squid Game were about the hierarchy of society. Simply speaking, they're about capitalism. And except for one or two countries, everyone's living under capitalism — it’s a universal language."
The Success of Parasite
In addition to winning the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2020, Parasite also won Oscars for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature.
Its over $260 million earnings globally proved it was both a critical and commercial success, having only a modest $11 million budget.
A dark satirical exploration of class inequality, greed, and deception, these universal themes visibly struck a chord with audiences worldwide.
It told a real story rooted in South Korean society, with Bong explaining that he explored the idea of whether someone could truly belong in a world far different from where they were born into.
One striking example of this contrast was the completely opposite lives of the driver, Ki-woo (Song Kang-ho), and his boss, Yeon-kyo (Cho Yeo-jeong). While Yeon-kyo thanked God for the rain, Ki-woo suffered from it as his apartment was flooded.
As Bong believed, Parasite’s success had something to do with the authenticity of life it featured.
The Phenomenon of Squid Game
Like Parasite, Squid Game became a global sensation when it was released in September 2021.
It was the first Korean series to top Netflix’s streaming charts in the U.S. and eventually became the streaming giant’s most-watched show of all time with over 904.7 million hours of views within just 15 days.
It examines the struggles of working-class families, critiquing capitalism and social inequality. Although the cash-strapped participants engaging in deadly games on an isolated island for a huge cash prize is fictional, Hwang previously revealed real-life labor strikes inspired it.
The show also addressed universal struggles such as debt, economic disparity, and societal pressure to succeed.
With its characters’ backgrounds paralleling real-life situations, it’s easy to see why many viewers have related to it.
Meanwhile, Bong returns to the director’s seat with his first Hollywood film, Mickey 17. Though it’s a sci-fi movie, it explores the familiar concept of an employee being replaced—this time by a new version of himself each time he dies.
Mickey 17 is set to be released on March 7, while Squid Game is slated to premiere on June 27.