The 50 best films of 2019 in the US: No 1 – Parasite
Bong Joon-Ho’s breathlessly entertaining magnum opus mixed Hitchcockian suspense with deft social commentary, sparking heated debate worldwide
It may be the most prestigious award in world cinema, but Cannes Palme d’Or winners do not always inspire universal agreement among film critics, much less between critics and the general public: often even jury selections that are rapturously received in elevated festival environs (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, say, or Winter Sleep) cause barely a ripple once they hit cinemas.
Bong Joon-ho’s scorching class-war comedy Parasite, however, has been a little different: the film landed in the last days of Cannes with an echoing bang, scoring breathless reviews and becoming a frontrunner for the Palme, which Alejandro González Iñárritu’s jury unanimously gave it. Then something unusual happened: the festival noise didn’t let up, instead transferring to the internet and escalating to a rambunctious roar. Young fans on Twitter christened themselves the #BongHive, while the film generated as many playful memes as it did brow-furrowed think pieces. So far, the film has grossed $117m (£87m) worldwide, and counting – a remarkable sum for a South Korean auteur piece that’s as dark and pungent as squid ink, with lashings of violence outdone only by its social commentary for sheer severity.