Mother

One of Bong Joon-ho’s most underrated masterpieces, and a thriller on a par with Hitchcock’s best films.

In a small town in South Korea, Do-joon lives with his widowed mother. One evening, Do-joon follows a young girl into an abandoned house. The next morning, the girl’s body is found on the roof, and all the evidence points to Do-joon. Convinced that he is innocent and willing to do anything to prove it, his mother sets out to investigate the case herself. Hya-ja Kim, one of South Korea’s great national treasures, gives the performance of a lifetime in the title role.

The monster film The Host took the world by storm and put Bong Joon-ho firmly on the map when it was released in 2006. With his next film, Mother, he moves in a very different direction. Hitchcock’s thrillers are a clear inspiration, underpinned by Bong’s distinctive pitch-black humour.