(Or haven't seen)
The world of media outside of Western media that we are so accustomed to is home to some of the most underrated works that too many people have no idea about. Korean media, in particular, has been on the uprise with some of the most popular music today coming from countries such as South Korea, as shown by the incredible surge of popularity of K-pop (short for Korean pop.) Korean movies, however, are among my favorite. Director Bong Joon-ho who released his masterpiece Parasite in 2019 has been on my radar ever since I stumbled upon his 2016 movie The Host as a young teenager. Looking up at the screen while reading the subtitles intrigued me as no other movie had before. The cinematography and story progression, as well as the horror aspect in contrast to Western media, totally blew me away back then. So when I saw the preview for Parasite for the first time and read, "A film by Bong Joon-ho," I could hardly keep myself in my own chair. (It was obvious my girlfriend was a little freaked out by my excitement.) Needless to say, I booked advanced tickets to go see it in theaters when it came out and even made a second trip only a few days later. My only frustration with Parasite isn't anything about the story or the movie itself - it's the harmful beliefs associated with racism and xenophobia. It is incredibly annoying that people not only dismiss it simply because they are "forced to read subtitles," and thus, miss out on a fantastic film, but also having to hear the harmful and xenophobic comments that come from the older and lesser educated members of our society. For example, this week the President of the United States attacked the Oscars after awarding Parasite with the Best Picture, despite not even having seen it himself. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/trump-takes-aim-at-parasite-oscars-win-brad-pitt-colorado-rally-rant-1280306\
"How bad were the Academy Awards this year?"
So lame.
Despite this, the vast majority of people who have actually gone out to see Parasite have nothing but incredible reviews on it. It continues to be not only the most talked-about movie this year but also one of the most talked-about things period. and I urge anyone who hasn't seen it yet to do yourself a favor and do so while it is still in theaters.
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