Title: Parasite
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Year: 2019
Country: South Korea
Parasite gets its own post because, hell, some film had to get their own post and why not give it to my favourite film from 2019 as well as a Top 10 from the 2010s. I cannot believe that I managed to see this as an inflight movie many months before it got a release in the UK. It was worth the resulting jet lag in order to get an advanced look at this masterpiece.
I cannot remember the last time a film was able to give me such an emotional roller coaster and was able to excel at all aspects. When this was funny, it was hilarious, when it was tense, you were in knots. It’s the ultimate home invasion film that is somehow not a horror film, even though it does engage in horror tropes at times.
In the end, what made this the film of the year for me was how I was unable to predict what was going to happen. Just when I thought I had this film pegged, they were able to pull the rug from underneath me. It provides social commentary without being preachy and even makes you examine whose side you are actually on. In every way, this is a film that managed to out-Tarantino Tarantino and then some.
Will this be the first foreign language film to win the Oscar? Honestly, after Roma was denied last year in favour of Green Book it’s hard to say that the Academy doesn’t owe us. Thing is, I just cannot see the U.S. based Academy giving their main award away to a non-English language film. Sure, they’ve given it to British films, but sadly a Korean film feels like a bridge too far.
There’s no doubt where this film ends up in my current rankings, but here they are nonetheless:
1) Parasite
2) Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
3) Joker
Before I Kick 