One of the most important results about Parasite's historic Oscar success is a wider audience for international cinema. For example, there have been plenty of good films produced by South Korea (many from director Bong himself), but Parasite remains, not just the country's first win, but its first nomination. The universal popularity of the film has inspired many to go through South Korea's back catalog, and the wider world on international cinema more generally.
Of course, there has been an Academy Award for international cinema every year since 1947, however, none have hit quite as big as Parasite.
Son of Saul (2015): 7.5
There are very few films that could be said to be more harrowing than Son of Saul. Often when tackling the horror of the Holocaust, filmmakers try to express the shocking depth and extent of the genocide. Director László Nemes opts for a smaller story. His camera is almost always trained on Saul, a Jewish man forced to work at Auschwitz, in a small, boxy frame. Horrific scenes happen in the background, but the camera focuses on Saul and the work he has to do. It is a claustrophobic film about one man's survival in a world that is too horrible to accurately depict on screen.
Roma (2018): 7.7
Roma came very close to becoming the first international film to win the Best Picture Oscar. It's hard to believe that it lost, especially given that its story seemed so favorable to Oscar voters; a nanny lives through the mundanity of life in '70s Mexico, occasionally thrown into moments of chaos.
The film is truly beautiful, every shot is a masterwork of composition. Its release of Netflix is also worth noting as, given the subject matter, it seems appropriate to release world-class cinema on a platform where all can see it.
All About My Mother (1999): 7.8
From Pedro Almodóvar comes this groundbreaking family drama. A young son is tragically killed and his heart given to another for a transplant. Devastated and lost his mother goes to find the boy's father, a transgender woman called Lola. The film gave voice to subjects that were not often discussed (and in many ways still aren't), it offers complex, but realistic stories of love, while still managing to elude to themes of spirituality and transhumanism. It's Almodóvar at his best, wrapped up with his style and wit.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000): 7.8
One of the first Chinese martial arts films to be taken seriously as a piece of art. Ang Lee (who has now won numerous Academy Awards for directing) blended traditional Chinese martial arts with folktale and history.
The action remains impressive to this day, but perhaps even more so, while characters leap impossible distances and balance themselves on a single leaf, the performances, and the drama keeps the story grounded.
Amour (2012): 7.9
Michael Haneke is a director who is known for bringing dark subject matters to screen. Amour (meaning love) follows an elderly French couple and how they must live after the wife (Emmanuelle Riva) suffers a catastrophic stroke. Virtually left alone, her husband must now care for her every need, in a situation which, more than a few, times begins to feel like a horror movie. It is heartbreaking and beautiful and raises deep questions about what is the 'right' or 'wrong' thing to do in that situation.
8 1/2 (1963): 8.0
Federico Fellini is often considered a film genius, and it is this meta and mindbending biographical exploration that first awarded him the title. Having made 8 (and a half) films that were critically and culturally loved, Fellini found himself nearly crushed by the pressure of his next movie. So instead of making his next film, he made a film about making his next film. It is a director trying very hard to break their style and reinvent themselves. It is both funny and surreal and so well made it is infinitely rewatchable.
The Secret in Their Eyes (2015) - 8.2
Thrillers and crime stories are popular the world over, and this Academy Award winner is a truly blood-curdling thriller. Set in Argentina, the focuses on a character in two separate timelines. In the present where he remains haunted by an unresolved murder, and the past where the events took place.
The film keeps the audience guessing until the very end, new layers of meaning and mystery constantly being revealed. It is a meditation on human obsession, turning real-life into a ghost story.
The Lives of Others (2006) - 8.4
This German historical thriller is a slow burn, but very powerful. Set in the final years of East Berlin it follows a member of the secret police as he spies on a playwright who may, or may not, be a traitor to the Soviet Union. At once an exploration of the bullying and terrifying nature of a totalitarian state, and a study on the power of human compassion. It is an incredibly well-written film, and the power of the story speaks volumes.
Life is Beautiful (1997) - 8.6
Not just a lauded International win, Life is Beautiful is often found very high on the lists of the best films of all time (it's 2ist on IMDb's Top 250). Actor Roberto Benigni writes, directs, and stars in this deeply personal WWII drama. Benigni plays a Jewish Italian father who, through his over-active imagination, manages to shield his young son from the horrors that surround him in a Nazi concentration camp. The film has as many laughs as it does tears, and is a masterclass of well balanced, bittersweet storytelling.
Parasite (2019) - 8.6
Few films are as universally loved as Parasite. Not only does the film touch on a subject that clearly speaks to a huge number of people, it tells its story in one of the most entertaining ways. Very few films manage successful pull off, comedy, tragedy, horror, and drama in a single film. Full of well-realized and sympathetic characters, the film leaves the audience with some big questions about morality. This is even more impressive when the characters themselves are directly involved in murder, theft, and various other crimes. The film finds shades of grey everywhere; it takes modern life and presents it to the audience in a way they recognize, but in a way they never previously understood.