How to Stream Bong Joon Ho’s Films (Including ‘Parasite’)

How to Stream Bong Joon Ho’s Films (Including ‘Parasite’)


After Sunday night’s killing at the Oscars, Parasite and the name Bong Joon Ho are on the tip of everyone’s tongue. If you’re late to the Bong party, you can easily catch up. Read on to find out how you can stream all of his feature films plus a few of his shorts.

Bong’s Parasite bucked the odds and took home four Oscars at this year’s ceremony. The Korean-language class-divide thriller is the first foreign-language film to land Best Picture. Parasite’s other wins came for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film (FKA Foreign Language Film). Parasite also has the distinction of being the first South Korean film to win an Oscar, and it’s only the second feature to win both the Oscar for Best Picture and Cannes’ Palme D’Or. Delbert Mann’s Marty (1955) is the only other film to do so.

As for where you can watch Bong’s films, we’ve put together a list below. Following, we’ve also highlighted some key interviews and talks with the filmmaker.

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Parasite (2019)

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Parasite is still in theaters. Film at Lincoln Center, who recently hosted a retrospective of the filmmaker, is moving the film over to the Walter Reade Theater for select shows starting February 14th. The film is also playing in both color and B&W at Alamo Drafthouse, IFC Center, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. And, Syndicated in Brooklyn is showing the film daily. For other theaters, visit the film’s website. UPDATE 2/13: This just in, it’s BONG Day at IFC Center on Saturday, February 15. Tickets to the 6:45pm screening include free popcorn, a Parasite-themed sweet treat, and a chance to walk off with exclusive Parasite swag. For tickets and more details visit IFC Center’s website.

If you can’t make it to a cinema, Parasite is also streaming on Amazon. You can rent it for $.99 or buy it for $11.99 for a limited time.

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Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000)

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Bong’s first feature, Barking Dogs Never Bite, is genre-shifting black comedy centered on a dog that won’t keep quiet. The film is streaming on Monsters and Nightmares. The channel offers a 7-day free trial and after that, it’s $2.99/month. Barking Dogs Never Bite is also available to rent on Amazon for $.99. And, if your local library partakes of Hoopla, it’s also streaming on that service for free. You can find out what libraries participate here.

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Memories of Murder (2003)

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Memories of Murder (2003) is a comically twisted police procedural based on the true story of South Korea’s first serial killer. A 4K restoration of the film will be getting a theatrical run in the near future. Neon bought the distribution rights last year.

If you can’t wait, the film is streaming for free (with commercials) on Popcornflix.

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The Host (2006)

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The Host (2006) is a horror film about a mutant squid monster that attacks Seoul. It is currently free to rent on Amazon for a limited time. You can also watch it on Tubi for free (with commercials). And, like Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), it is streaming on Monsters and Nightmares and on Hoopla (see above).

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Mother (2009)

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Mother (2009) is a mystery with comedic elements that centers on a woman’s obsessive quest to clear her son’s name of murder. For a limited time, it is available to rent on Amazon for $.99. Or, you can stream it on Monsters and Nightmares (see above).

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Snowpiercer (2013)

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Snowpiercer (2013), Bong’s first foray into English-language films, is based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, and Jean-Marc Rochette. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the film follows the last survivors as they circle the planet on a high-speed train. Snowpiercer (2013) is available for rent on various platforms, including Amazon, where it’s $.99 for a limited time. You can also stream it on Netflix.

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Okja (2017)

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The story of a girl who raises a genetically modified pig, Okja (2017) is only available to stream on Netflix.

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Tokyo! (2008)

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Tokyo! is only partially a Bong film. It’s an anthology where three directors, Bong, Michel Gondry, and Leos Carax, were invited to make a film in the Japanese capital. Bong’s portion, Shaking Tokyo, is about a Hikikomori (Japanese shut-in) who ventures outside to experience love. The film is free to stream with an Amazon Prime membership. It is also currently free to rent on Amazon.

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Incoherence (1994)

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Incoherence (1994) is Bong’s graduate project from his days at the Korean Academy of Film Arts. It’s actually broken up into several short films about three men who make bad choices. Unfortunately, only two of the three episodes, plus the epilogue are available to watch on the Internet. Episode one is above. You can find episode two here and the epilogue here.

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Influenza (2004)

Influenza (2004) is a short film Bong created for Jeonju International Film Festival‘s annual digital project. Told exclusively from the perspective of surveillance cameras, the film tracks one man’s downward spiral. The 28-minute film is available to rent or purchase via Grasshopper Film.

For those that want to hear more from Bong Joon Ho on ‘Parasite’

Bong has spoken infinitum about Parasite. He’s done masterclasses, directors dialogues, interviews, Q&As, and intros. He even did a Reddit AMA. If you’re interested in hearing him (and, in some cases, the cast) talk about the film, below are some links to check out. We also included a golden oldie from his pre-Parasite days.

NYFF57 Directors Dialogue (October 2019)

Reddit AMA (November 4, 2019)

Academy Conversations: Parasite (October 12, 2019)

IFFR 2020 Masterclass: Bong Joon Ho (January 2020)

BFI Q&A with Bong Joon Ho, Song Kang-ho & Lee Jeong-eun

Meet the 2020 DGA Nominees for Theatrical Feature Film with Bong Joon Ho, Martin Scorsese, Sam Mendes, Quentin Tarantino, and Taika Waititi. (January 25, 2020)

Parasite Power: Director Bong Joon Ho on His Edgy Oscar Contender (Vanity Fair, January 27, 2020)

Bong Joon Ho DVD Picks – Criterion Collection (July 8, 2014)

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