It was late May 2019, almost turning June. I was still in Seoul, Korea, enjoying my first summer break after graduating from high school. A new Korean film was just released, and I couldn’t get away from it. My friends posted about it on their Instagram stories, talking about how amazing this new movie is. I personally do not watch a lot of Korean films in theatres, as my Korean is not completely proficient. I often missed important parts of films without English subtitles. I dismissed the movie casually, thinking it was probably a cool, trendy, drama movie that everyone will probably stop talking about in a few weeks. Fast forward to October, I see the same movie playing in the AMC theatres in Boston. NOW PLAYING: Parasite (기생충). I was completely shocked; I never in my eight years of living in the United States, saw a Korean film playing in an American theater. In January 2020, the film received six Academy Award nominations, including “Best Picture.”

The film revolves around the Kim family, who struggle to make ends meet, plotting to get hired by the wealthier Park family by posing as experienced and qualified individuals. The film takes a major turn as the family discovers a dark secret about the previous maid that worked for the family. These surprises in the storyline are often used by directors to excite the audience, but Director Bong Joon-Ho’s strategy has a different meaning entirely. Bong incorporates various motifs that symbolize differences in class and the unchangeable rules of society. For example, there are many symbols regarding class, such as the Kim family living in a poor semi-basement home, versus the Park family who lives in a hilltop mansion. There is also a rock that is given to the Kim family by one of their friends, representing false hope and fortune. The film takes an unexpected turn halfway, and all the families are never the same again. Parasite received critical acclaim from film critics and the general public, winning both a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Parasite infiltrating the American film industry is a huge step for South Korean filmmakers, and it developed out of a movement years in the making. Parasite is one of the biggest landmarks in the “Korean New Wave of Cinema,” a 1990s film movement in South Korea that that received wide recognition, both nationally and globally. South Korea implemented a quota that restricted the amount of time foreign films could be screened in the country in order to motivate domestic filmmakers and build the foundations of the Korean film industry. These “new wave” films often discuss political agendas, classism, and other social issues that are prominent in the country. Bong Joon-Ho is one of the highly acclaimed Korean filmmakers that is part of this new wave, creating films such as Memories of Murder and The Host. The lead actor of Parasite, Song Kang-Ho, also starred in those two films; he is considered one of the most accredited actors in the country.

“Because we are living in such dramatic times and have such a tumultuous history, we can’t help but be emotionally impacted by our realities. This is why [Korean films] can’t help but be different from western European films.” –Bong Joon-Ho

Parasite is noted as one of the best films of the entire decade, and it leaves a bright future ahead for the Korean film industry. This not only will leave an impact on the Korean film industry forever, but also the perspective on film around the world. It opens doors for indie films and films from other countries to be recognized globally. All in all, Parasite is not a movie to be forgotten just in a matter of a few years.

Parasite: Breaking Barriers and Setting The Standards