Parasite's Bong Joon-ho wins the Best Director Oscar in a major upset
The 2020 Oscars finally have a big upset.
Bong Joon-ho on Sunday won the Oscar for Best Director for Parasite, beating out the heavy favorite, 1917's Sam Mendes. Previously, Parasite won Best International Feature Film, as well as Best Original Screenplay.
In his acceptance speech, Bong through a translator joked he "thought I was done for the day and was ready to relax" after winning Best International Feature Film. He also paid tribute to the fellow nominees including Martin Scorsese, who received a standing ovation.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
This win for Parasite was particularly surprising after 1917 dominated throughout awards season and Mendes took the top prize at the Directors Guild of America Awards, which usually lines up with the Oscars' Best Director winner.
"I will drink until next morning," Bong joked as he wrapped up, now with three Oscar wins under his belt.
A free daily email with the day’s biggest news and analysis – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.