The race for Best Director at this year’s Oscars® is one that’s shaping up to be an exciting prospect to track. With Sam Mendes being the current front-runner, for his film, 1917 — the supposed lead in the Best Picture race — there has been talk of who could upset his chances.
While it was previously tipped that Quentin Tarantino would be a spoiler for Mendes’ potential victory, a new challenger seems to be rising through the ranks as of late: director Bong Joon-ho, the man who brought the world a sleeper hit with his film PARASITE.
With his twisted tale of class disparity, deception and dark comedy, Joon-ho has made quite an impression on various awards boards on the 2020 circuit. As it stands, outside of some regional awards and the Critics' Choice Award for Best Director, the largest honor PARASITE has received is for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
But perhaps the most telling sign of Joon-ho's Oscar® chances — since the awards are voted upon by peers of the various branches — is the result of the Directors Guild Awards from last weekend. With Sam Mendes' star continuing to rise, thanks to the DGA recognizing 1917 as the Best Theatrical Feature Film, Joon-ho's chances for an upset might not be as great as some might hope.
Should he not win the trophy for Best Director at this year’s Academy Awards®, there are a couple of other ways that Bong Joon-ho could score an upset on Oscar night. Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture are two of the larger categories where Joon-ho could secure a surprising victory.
Of course, this leads us to the ultimate shoo-in when it comes to PARASITE’s chances at the Oscars, as Bong Joon-ho is almost assuredly going to be taking home the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. And much like ROMA’s Alfonso Cuarón, there’s a chance that Joon-ho could not only bring that trophy home, but also sneak the Best Director trophy into his basket by time the night is through.
We’ll have to wait until February 9 to find out, but you don’t have to wait that long to see PARASITE, as the film is currently in theatres and will be part of the AMC Best Picture Showcase.
