Korean director Bong Joon-ho has a long-running interest in films about family, one that’s mirrored in two of his best-known films: His international breakout THE HOST and his new film PARASITE, both of which star Song Kang-ho as a father trying to keep things together on his kids’ behalf, and both of which are about the sense of duty among protagonists who have to improv their way through unexpected situations. In this half of our pairing, we revisit Bong’s monster movie THE HOST with a focus on its human cast and their family dynamic, and consider how the film’s political and emotional elements square with Bong’s insistence that there is “realism” at the heart of this movie about a rampaging fish-monster. Plus, we continue to wade through the sea of feedback we’ve received on our episodes on THE DARK KNIGHT and JOKER.

Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about THE HOST, PARASITE, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.  

Show Notes:

Works Cited:

“Bong Joon-ho’s Dystopia Is Already Here,” by E. Alex Jung (vulture.com)

Outro music: Kacey Musgraves, “Family Is Family”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/join/NextPictureShow

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.