THERE is no doubt that Parasite is the most talked-about movie right now with four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature, and many other plums from other award-giving bodies.
The historic Oscar triumphs made headlines in South Korea, where the movie originated, and everywhere else.
Filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, who directed Parasite, is the second director of a foreign language film to win the best director Oscar at the 92nd Academy Awards. He follows Alfonso Cuarón, who won for Roma in 2018. Bong’s movie about a lower-income family who infiltrates a wealthy household has led the awards season. The cast was awarded the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) prize for Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture.
For the Oscar Best Picture, Parasite won over Joker, Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman, Marriage Story, Little Women, 1917, Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood and Jojo Rabbit.
Before Parasite, only 11 other non-English language movies were previously nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. These include Roma, Amour, Babel and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Bong’s black comedy film about two families of different social classes also wowed the jury at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Palme d’Or with a unanimous vote.
Parasite had been considered as one of the best films of 2019 by many critics.
In his winning speech, Bong honored fellow nominees Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. He also referenced a Scorsese quote, “the most personal is the most creative,” that serves as his inspiration as a director. Translating for Bong was aspiring director Sharon Choi.
On its road toward the Oscars with six nominations, Parasite had been gathering awards left and right from film award-giving organizations from around the world, including Golden Globe Awards, SAG Awards, and British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards.
Parasite was shown in local cinemas last October, and is being shown again in selected cinemas. Viu is also bringing Parasite to its premium subscribers beginning today, February 15.
Viu is the go-to streaming platform for the latest Korean and Asian dramas, and variety shows. The Viu app is available on the Google Play and App Store. You can also access it on your browser at www.viu.com. If you prefer watching on something bigger than your phone or computer, Viu is also available on select Smart TVs.
You can get your Viu Premium subscription for as low as P29 for three days. Upgrade to Premium through in-app purchase or credit card. If you prefer charging your subscription to your mobile load, you can upgrade via Globe. For online shoppers, subscriptions are also available on Lazada and Shopee. To stay updated with Parasite, and the latest Korean dramas and movies, follow Viu Philippines on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
I have not watched Parasite and as a fan of Korean entertainment, I am ashamed. I really am. So this weekend, if I can’t make it to a cinema, then I will catch it on Viu. That’s a promise.