PARASITE (2019)
Parasite made film history this year by becoming the first South Korean film to win an Oscar. But it didn’t just win one statuette—it took home four, including best picture. The dark comedy thriller was inspired by director Bong Joon‑ho’s experience tutoring wealthy families while he was in college and follows the story of the poor Kim family, who cons their way into working for a rich Korean family.
The film set off a noodle trend known as the ram‑don, a dish made by housekeeper Mrs Kim in the film. In Korea, the meal is popular with cash‑strapped students and is made by mixing two popular Nongshim noodle products: Jjapaghetti ramen and Neoguri spicy seafood‑flavoured udon. The internet has since exploded with food and news sites offering a step‑by‑step recipe for fans to make the dish at home, while high‑ end Korean restaurants in New York—such as the Michelin‑starred Cote in the Flatiron District— have begun serving up their own interpretations of the dish.
As a result of the film’s success, Bong has released the film’s storyboards as a 304‑page graphic novel and is now rumoured to be in discussions with HBO to turn the film into a TV series. Tilda Swinton and Mark Ruffalo are said to be in the running for the lead roles.