Walking out from the 92nd Academy Awards, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite secured four Oscars and solidification in history. The film received awards for Best Original Screenplay, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director, and, finally, Best Picture Award. 

  What was so surprising about Parasite’s dominating performance was the lack of media attention prior to the Oscars. To the average moviegoer, the picture was off the radar, with films like Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood and Joker commanding the news. 

  However, the lack of coverage that Parasite received ultimately helped the film succeed because so many viewers were able to go into the film blind, make their own conclusions, and see the beauty that made the movie so spectacular. 

  Set in South Korea, the social satire follows the extremely poor Kim family, who are desperately trying to get by. They attempt to make money with many jobs, including folding pizza boxes, but are unsuccessful until Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik) is presented with the opportunity to tutor Da-hye Park (Jeong Ji-so) while his friend is away on a trip. Without any experience, Ki-woo begins working with the very wealthy Park family, and slowly finds ways to get the rest of his family jobs within the Park household. 

  The story is a breath of fresh air. Its ability, akin to fluidity, to mix genres only furthers this. There are moments of hilarious humor, nail-biting drama, and pounding thrills. What also separates the film from others is its rewatchability. There are so many symbols and hidden meanings that at first glance are easy to miss; multiple viewings can reveal different interpretations. 

  Although he is relatively unknown to the American audience, Bong Joon-ho is one of the most acclaimed directors in South Korea. In movies like The Host, Memories of Murder, Okja, and now Parasite, he has shown his directing prowess. In Parasite, he is able to capture emotion, suspense, and beauty with simple movements the camera and colorful backdrops of the surrounding area. 

  Parasite has won so many awards for a reason. It is a sublime movie that stands out for its originality, intricacy, and stellar directing choices. It should be seen by anyone who wants to be taken away on a thrilling cinematic rollercoaster or is curious why a foreign film has received such high praise from the academy. For anyone who is new to foreign films, Parasite has the ability to open up an array of new movies to you. 

   Bong Joon-ho said: “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”