Why Parasite’s Director Calls Spielberg’s War of the Worlds His Top Film of the Century

Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds gets a surprising shoutout from Bong Joon Ho, the director behind Parasite, as his pick for the best Spielberg movie of the 21st century. This choice might raise some eyebrows, but there’s plenty to unpack about why this alien invasion thriller deserves more love alongside Spielberg classics like Jaws and Jurassic Park.

– Bong Joon Ho’s top Spielberg pick is War of the Worlds (2005) starring Tom Cruise
– The film blends large-scale disaster with intimate family drama
– It offers a darker, post-9/11 take on the sci-fi disaster genre
– War of the Worlds uses a family’s perspective to explore chaos and survival
– The movie is streaming now on Paramount Plus

Why Bong Joon Ho Chose War of the Worlds

In a recent New York Times poll listing the 100 best movies of the 21st century, Bong Joon Ho voted for his own film Parasite as number one, but he also included War of the Worlds in his personal top 10. For him, this 2005 Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise collaboration stands out as Spielberg’s best work in the last 25 years.

This might seem surprising, especially since Minority Report, another Tom Cruise sci-fi movie by Spielberg, actually made the overall top 100 list at number 94. Yet War of the Worlds, which marked its 20th anniversary recently, is a film that mixes *intimate storytelling* with *epic disaster*. It’s not just about alien invasions and destruction; it’s about a broken family struggling to survive.

A Family Drama Amidst Alien Chaos

The story zooms in on Ray (Tom Cruise), a divorced dock worker, and his kids Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin). Their journey through the alien-ravaged world is personal and intense. This focus on a family unit gives the movie a unique angle compared to typical disaster flicks. The dynamic between these characters echoes the sibling and trio relationships seen in Jaws and Jurassic Park, making War of the Worlds feel like the third part of Spielberg’s creature feature trilogy.

Post-9/11 Anxiety and Realism

Unlike many blockbuster disasters that lean into spectacle, War of the Worlds carries a darker, more grounded tone. The film channels post-9/11 fears with unsettling realism—dust-covered survivors, frantic questions about terrorism, and chaotic crowds reacting unpredictably. Spielberg’s direction brings a *nightmarish immediacy* to the action, making the horror feel close and personal rather than distant spectacle.

This darker vibe contrasts with the often fun and genre-bending style of Bong’s own films, but it’s exactly why he respects the movie. War of the Worlds blends classic sci-fi elements, like the alien tripods from H.G. Wells’ novel, with a modern disaster movie framework that feels raw and urgent.

More Than Just an Alien Invasion

The film’s aliens aren’t just symbols; they’re brutal and merciless, wiping out humanity with chilling efficiency. Unlike the neatly framed destruction in other disaster movies, here the violence feels random and merciless. It’s a world where survival is mostly luck, not heroics, and Tom Cruise’s character is a far cry from the typical all-American hero.

From a business perspective, the film took the summer blockbuster spot usually held by movies like Independence Day. However, its tone and approach make it feel more like a *deconstruction* of that genre. Even scenes of desperate mobs stealing a car show how unpredictable and dangerous human behavior can be in crises.