‘Parasite’ tops New York Times list of best films of the 21st century

Director Bong Joon-ho’s film "Parasite" ranks No. 1 on the New York Times’ list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century." Courtesy of CJ ENM

Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning film Parasite (2019) has been ranked No. 1 on the New York Times’ list of the 21st Century’s Best Films. Another of Bong’s works, “Memories of Murder (2003),” was ranked No. 99.

Released on Friday, the Times’ list of the 100 best films since Jan. 1, 2000, includes three Korean movies: “Parasite,” “Memories of Murder” and “Oldboy” by director Park Chan-wook.

The Times described “Parasite” as a delightful yet grotesque film that delivers a fierce indictment of neoliberalism through its story of the haves and have-nots. It praised Bong as a genre master unbound by convention, noting that the film glides between broad comedy and biting social satire before erupting in a blaze of shocking, tragic violence.

“Parasite” received widespread international acclaim, sweeping four Oscars in 2020 including Best Picture, and collecting nearly 200 awards at film festivals and ceremonies around the world.

A scene from the film "Parasite" / Courtesy of CJ ENM.

“Memories of Murder,” Bong’s earlier work, earned the No. 99 spot. The Times noted that from its very first scene, this Korean procedural lets you know it’s not tethered to Hollywood genre conventions. It added that Bong has strong ideas about the limits of humanity when facing unspeakable evil, and he explores them with unexpected humor and razor-sharp insight.

A scene from the film "Oldboy" / Courtesy of ShowEast

Director Park Chan-wook’s 2003 film “Oldboy” landed at No. 43. The paper highlighted the iconic scene in which actor Choi Min-sik’s character Oh Dae-su fights his way down a blood-soaked hallway with a hammer. The Times said the famous action sequence encapsulates the film’s strange and twisted violence while also pushing its emotions to a dramatic peak, calling “Oldboy” a film that provokes and unsettles right up to its final frame.

Also drawing attention was Korean-Canadian filmmaker Celine Song’s “Past Lives (2023),” a semi-autobiographical film that came in at No. 86.

The rankings were determined by surveying 500 film industry professionals —including directors, actors and producers — on movies released since Jan. 1, 2000. The New York Times had gradually unveiled the rankings, releasing entries from No. 100 to No. 1 over several days, with the top 20 revealed Friday.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.