YES, ‘PARASITE’ LIVES UP TO ALL THE HYPE
It’s amazing what winning best picture at the Academy Awards can do for a film. For one thing, Parasite’s victory at the recent Oscars prompted me to finally stop saying, “I should really see that movie”, and actually watch it. For months, I’ve had it on my to-see list – it did come out in mid-June 2019, after all – but I only just got around to it. I guess I’m not alone since Parasite has recently expanded onto more cinema screens nationally even though it is already out digitally and on DVD. After eight months of being a word-of-mouth sensation, it has now received the greatest recommendation there is courtesy of the Academy Awards voters.
The good news for those of you who still haven’t seen the South Korean film is that it deserves all the praise. And I was worried that the buzz and hype around Parasite would raise my expectations too high. My advice: don’t read too much about it – just go see it. I went in more or less ignorant about what to expect, and was rewarded with a genreblurring thrill ride.
At times darkly funny, at others intensely thrilling, you really don’t know what is coming next as the story unfolds. Without giving too much away, I will preview that it is about a struggling family of four, who live in squalid conditions and take on low-paying jobs to make ends meet. They come into contact with a much wealthier family and … that’s all I’ll say.
It’s gratifying that a movie like Parasite has been so well received – both critically and at the box office. Not because it is a foreign language film, although the fact it is the first to win the best picture Oscar is a major milestone. More because it’s a sign that audiences yearn for the unexpected; for great stories that will entertain them and get them talking. At a time when reboots and neverending sequels have worn out their welcome, Parasite is a sign that there are still original ideas to make going to the movies a thrill. •