Parasite invades SAG parade

Parasite shocked the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards on Sunday by landing the night’s top prize, a historic win which thrusts the South Korean black comedy into Oscars contention.

The critical smash hit film overcame the language barrier to win outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, the SAG equivalent of a best film Academy Award.

“I’m a little embarrassed feeling like we’re the parasites of Hollywood now,” joked actor Lee Sun-kyun.

Director Bong Joon-ho admitted that “it is true that the momentum is building” for the Oscars.

The film, which merges comedy, drama and horror genres, follows a poor family as it infiltrates a wealthier household, and tackles the widening class gulf.

“Although the title is Parasite, I think the film is about coexistence and how we can all live together,” said star Song Kang-ho, collecting the award.

The much-hyped movie had missed out on main prizes at the Golden Globes and Saturday’s Producers Guild Awards.

But Sunday’s win underlines the breakout movie’s extraordinary popularity in Hollywood.

It beat Bombshell, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit and Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood at the star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles.

In contrast to the stunning victory for Parasite, the four Oscars acting favourites all cemented their frontrunner statuses by piling on further trophies.

Joaquin Phoenix won best actor for Joker, a dark origin story of the Batman villain, adding to his Golden Globe win.

He said he was “standing here on the shoulders of my favourite actor Heath Ledger,” who posthumously won an Oscar playing the same character in 2008’s The Dark Knight.

Renee Zellweger compounded her relentless awards sweep playing Judy Garland in Judy, which recounts the showbiz legend’s difficult final days.

Oscar favourite Brad Pitt added another supporting actor gong for playing an ageing stuntman in Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood.

“Let’s be honest, it was a difficult part – a guy who gets high, takes his shirt off and doesn’t get along with his wife,” said Pitt.

– AFP