From 'Snowpiercer' to 'Mickey 17': How Bong Joon-ho Crafts Unique Sci-Fi Worlds

Director Bong Joon-ho is one of the most accomplished filmmakers in all of Hollywood. His work from The Host to Snowpiercer, to Parasite is so provocative. But how does Director Bong create these unique science-fiction worlds? Today, I want to look at a few techniques I've seen in his movies and talk about how you can tailor them to your own work. Let's dive in. - YouTube www.youtube.com Genre and Social Commentary Bong Joon-ho has never shied away from political commentary. His latest film, Mickey 17, is literally all about how killing fascist leaders makes the world a better place. His masterpiece, Parasite, is an upstairs-downstairs allegory where we learn about the divide between the haves and have=bot with horror movie consequences. When these social themes come up, they're mixed with genre so the storytelling stays subtle and we have some subtext. Using Visuals to Tell The StoryAnother thing I greatly admire about the movies of Bong Joon-ho is that whether he's making a movie in English or in Korean, the visual language he uses to tell the stories is universal. The claustrophobic confines of the Snowpiercer train let each cargo car tell a story of people struggling against oppression and the ongoing winter. The icy landscapes of Mickey 17's Niflheim create environments that feel both unforgiving and otherworldly.The visuals go along with that feeling of all is lost, until spring hits in both of those movies. You don't need words, you just need to watch how people deal with these terms and you need great production designers to bring imagination to life. Playing with Tone Much like genre, Director Bong has a lot of fun playing with the tone of a movie. He can fluctuate from the horrific to the hilarious at the drop of a hat. So you have to hold on tight. And you have to be willing to accept seismic shifting. The tones of the worldbuilding all vary between movies. In Parasite, things seem straightforward but often dive into slapstick comedy juxtaposed with suspense. When you look at movies like Stoker, you can follow traditional horror tones as well as erotic thrillers. These shifts make you hold on tight and actually allow the story to unfold in unexpected ways. SymbolismFinally, Director Bong makes movies that are never short of symbolism. I often think about The Host, which is basically a monster devouring a city and its residents due to their neglect of environmental matters. And with a movie like Okja, we have a critique on the factory farming techniques and even all meat eating, with an adorable animal escaping at its center. We have a whole post on the symbolism in Parasite, which can be unpacked over and over while finding something new. These symbols should come to you when you rewrite, and if you add visuals for them, you're going to have a pretty good story. Summing Up How Bong Joon-ho Crafts Unique WorldsThe worlds of Bong Joon-ho are all so inventive and wondrous that they're kind of easy to pick up lessons from them. There's a plethora of creativity to be studied and lots of visual elements to unpack. I'm sure I missed some lessons, and I want to hear your opinions on them. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Mar 11, 2025 - 00:28

From 'Snowpiercer' to 'Mickey 17': How Bong Joon-ho Crafts Unique Sci-Fi Worlds

Director Bong Joon-ho is one of the most accomplished filmmakers in all of Hollywood. His work from The Host to Snowpiercer, to Parasite is so provocative.

But how does Director Bong create these unique science-fiction worlds?

Today, I want to look at a few techniques I've seen in his movies and talk about how you can tailor them to your own work.

Let's dive in.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Genre and Social Commentary

Bong Joon-ho has never shied away from political commentary. His latest film, Mickey 17, is literally all about how killing fascist leaders makes the world a better place.

His masterpiece, Parasite, is an upstairs-downstairs allegory where we learn about the divide between the haves and have=bot with horror movie consequences.

When these social themes come up, they're mixed with genre so the storytelling stays subtle and we have some subtext.

Using Visuals to Tell The Story

Another thing I greatly admire about the movies of Bong Joon-ho is that whether he's making a movie in English or in Korean, the visual language he uses to tell the stories is universal.

The claustrophobic confines of the Snowpiercer train let each cargo car tell a story of people struggling against oppression and the ongoing winter.

The icy landscapes of Mickey 17's Niflheim create environments that feel both unforgiving and otherworldly.

The visuals go along with that feeling of all is lost, until spring hits in both of those movies.

You don't need words, you just need to watch how people deal with these terms and you need great production designers to bring imagination to life.

Playing with Tone

Much like genre, Director Bong has a lot of fun playing with the tone of a movie. He can fluctuate from the horrific to the hilarious at the drop of a hat. So you have to hold on tight. And you have to be willing to accept seismic shifting.

The tones of the worldbuilding all vary between movies. In Parasite, things seem straightforward but often dive into slapstick comedy juxtaposed with suspense.

When you look at movies like Stoker, you can follow traditional horror tones as well as erotic thrillers.

These shifts make you hold on tight and actually allow the story to unfold in unexpected ways.

Symbolism

Finally, Director Bong makes movies that are never short of symbolism. I often think about The Host, which is basically a monster devouring a city and its residents due to their neglect of environmental matters.

And with a movie like Okja, we have a critique on the factory farming techniques and even all meat eating, with an adorable animal escaping at its center.

We have a whole post on the symbolism in Parasite, which can be unpacked over and over while finding something new.

These symbols should come to you when you rewrite, and if you add visuals for them, you're going to have a pretty good story.

Summing Up How Bong Joon-ho Crafts Unique Worlds

The worlds of Bong Joon-ho are all so inventive and wondrous that they're kind of easy to pick up lessons from them.

There's a plethora of creativity to be studied and lots of visual elements to unpack.

I'm sure I missed some lessons, and I want to hear your opinions on them.

Let me know what you think in the comments.