Check out the full summary, technical details and records of the South Korean masterpiece that made history at the Oscars
International cinema has always had a place in the Academy, but few works have broken barriers like Parasite (2019). Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the feature film not only won over critics, but became a cultural milestone by being the first non-English language film to win the main category of Best Film.
Although Italy and France historically top the list of countries with the most international film Oscarsit was South Korea that redefined the prestige of the category with this production. With a unique mix of suspense, acid humor and social criticism, Parasite accumulated four statuettes in a single night, equaling the record for wins for a foreign production, previously held by classics such as Fanny e Alexander e The Tiger and the Dragon.
Plot
The plot follows the Kim family, who live in a dirty and cramped basement in Seoul, struggling to survive with temporary jobs and stealing Wi-Fi from neighbors. Their luck changes when their son, Ki-woo, receives the opportunity to work as an English tutor for the daughter of the wealthy Park family, following a recommendation from a friend.
Realizing the Parks’ naivety and wealth, Ki-woo devises a meticulous plan to infiltrate all of his own family members into the mansion. One by one, they take on different roles — art tutor, driver and housekeeper — without their employers knowing they are related. However, the parasitic symbiosis they create is threatened by a shocking discovery in the mansion’s basement, triggering a sequence of chaotic and violent events that expose the chasm of social classes.
Cast and characters
The strength of Parasite lies in the performances of its ensemble cast, which won the top prize at the SAG Awards (Actors Guild).
- Song Kang-ho as Kim Ki-taek: The patriarch of the Kim family. Optimistic but passive, he tries to navigate life without much of a plan until he is pushed to the limit.
- Choi Woo-shik as Kim Ki-woo: The intelligent son who starts the infiltration scheme, dreaming of rising socially.
- Park So-dam as Kim Ki-jung: The cynical and talented forgery daughter, who assumes the identity of an art therapist named “Jessica”.
- Jang Hye-jin as Kim Chung-sook: The mother of the Kim family, a former shot put athlete, who takes on the role of housekeeper.
- Lee Sun-kyun as Park Dong-ik: The wealthy patriarch of the Park family, a technology CEO who values the “line” that his employees must not cross.
- Cho Yeo-jeong as Choi Yeon-gyo: Mr. Park’s naive and influenceable wife, whose simplicity makes it easy for the Kims to enter the house.
Curiosities and records
In addition to the technical quality, the numbers and facts behind the film are impressive and help to understand its legacy.
Award record holder
Parasite won four Oscars at the 2020 ceremony: Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Film. It shares the record for “foreign film with the most statuettes” with Fanny e Alexander (Sweden), The Tiger and the Dragon (Taiwan) e Nothing New on the Front (Germany, version 2022). However, Parasite is the only one to have won the main prize of the night (Best Picture).
Countries with the most international film Oscars
Although South Korea has the most prestigious film, the history of the category is dominated by Europe. For those looking to understand the geopolitics of the award, these are the countries with the most international film Oscars:
- Italy: Absolute leader with 14 wins (highlighting the films by Federico Fellini and Vittorio De Sica).
- France: Right behind, with 12 winsbeing the country with the highest number of nominations in history.
- Japan: Soma 5 winsrecently driven by Drive My Car.
- Spain and Denmark: Both with 4 wins each.
Production details
The famous Park family home doesn’t exist in real life. It was a set built from scratch for the film, meticulously designed so that the lighting and camera angles reinforced the idea of “high and low”, essential to the script’s class critique.
Where to watch
At the moment, Parasite is available for streaming on the platform Max (formerly HBO Max). The film can also be found for digital rental or purchase on services such as Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video and Google Play Filmes.
Bong Joon-ho’s work remains an essential study of inequality, packaged in an impeccably entertaining thriller. Their historic victory proved that subtitles are not a barrier, but a bridge to universal stories, opening doors for productions from other countries to gain more prominence on the global stage in the following years.
