When Bong Joon Ho took the stage of the 92nd Academy Awards to accept the Best Director Oscar for “Parasite,” his speech — about the power of foreign cinema, and how “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films” — instantly became iconic. And the Korean director’s call also felt very fitting considering his own career trajectory: After making several English-language films like “Snowpiercer” and “Okja,” his breakout moment in the broader culture came not from a Hollywood production but from “Parasite,” a lean, mean dark thriller intended very specifically to reflect Korean social issues.

Maybe it’s that as a filmmaker, Bong has a language all his own. A true auteur whose work has a singular dryly dark bent, Bong’s sensibility is obvious whether you’re finding it in his homegrown Korean films or his ventures into Hollywood.