Bong Joon-Ho's dramatic thriller Parasite has been named 2019's largest-grossing U.S. foreign film. From the director of the sci-fi action piece Snowpiercer and the colorful and ambigious Okja, Joon-ho's dramatic thriller is a film which many have refused to put in one box, as it has also been described as a dark comedy which possesses a piercing social satire tone. From moment to moment, the film jumps from disturbing to heartbreaking to funny to thought-provoking, and seems to be a film which has somehow managed to tick off every emotion on the list.
Taking place in South Korea, the movie tells the story of the Kim family, played by Song Kang-ho, Jang Hye-jin, Park So-dam, and Choi Woo-shik, a struggling unit living together in a basement apartment just trying to make ends meet. After being recommended by a friend, the son in the family, Ki-woo, scores a job as an English tutor for the wealthy Park family's daughter, Da-hye (Jung Ji-so). From there, Ki-woo is able to talk Mrs. Park (Cho Yeo-jeong) into hiring his sister as an art therapist for her young son. Little by little, the families become more intertwined and the lies and schemes surrounding them begin to compound, making it hard to see just where exactly these two families will end up.
According to Cinemablend, Joon-Ho's dramatic black comedy Parasite has just nabbed the title of the highest-grossing U.S. foreign film of 2019. As of this weekend, the Korean film has now made over $11 million in North America, which is quite a feat considering it's not always the case that films which are not in English will do well in the North American markets. The film has now hit over $106 million worldwide, which takes it past Mexico's No Machas Friday 2 which currently sits at $9.2 million gross.
Those numbers are quite impressive, especially when it's noted the film only had a limited theatrical release in North America. Earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival, Joon-ho's film took home the coveted Palme d'Or award — the highest prize awarded at the festival, which helped to boost the anticipation levels prior to its theatrical release. Cinemablend also notes just how vital word of mouth was in making Parasite's release a success as even though on the surface it doesn't appear to be your typical crowd pleaser; it's the layers and "ominous and off-beat" tone which has ultimately gotten people talking.
It will be interesting to watch and see what happens with a film like Parasite throughout the upcoming awards season. Joon-ho's previous films, particularly in the Korean markets, have been revered for many years throughout his long career, and with all of the buzz surrounding the film as well as the critical acclaim, not to mention everything that's been said about Parasite across social media platforms, not to mention Joon-ho's depictions of capitalism, classism and the current state of the world, this is most likely a film people will be talking about for quite some time.
Source: Cinemablend