How is it possible that a Korean movie without international stars could have achieved such an impact? It has grossed almost $ 127 million and could become the third highest-grossing foreign-language film in history after 'Tiger and Dragon' ($ 213 million) and 'Life is Beautiful' ($ 230 million). Why is 'Parasites' a boom?

1. The Palme d'Or effect and the unanimity of critics
Winning the Palme d'Or does not assure you will achieve glory beyond the prestige that the award carries. However, it does serve to put a film into orbit, especially when it is accompanied by the applause of all the critics, who soon described it as a masterpiece. It was the first time that Korean

Features of MovieRulz 

had won at the Cannes Film Festival after the impact that this cinematography has achieved in recent decades thanks to some of the directors who have contributed to renewing genre conventions through an author's label, such as the own Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook or Lee Chang-dong. In the atmosphere, there was absolute unanimity and that was the first accolade for its international sale to more than 20 markets. From that moment on, we witnessed a snowball effect that did not stop growing and growing until it led to an authentic avalanche.

2. Fable about inequality
Most of Bong Joon-ho's filmography has focused on the critique of the established system and power, on the vindication of marginal and disinherited characters, and on the updating of the postulates of class struggle cinema. However, the moment of social tension in which we find ourselves and the increase in inequalities and discrimination have caused viewers to feel closer to all these issues, establishing a direct identification with that family that tries to survive in the film how he can and that he uses the picaresque to enter the mansion of a rich family and, at one point, after suffering all kinds of humiliations, rebel against his servile position. It is no coincidence that another cruel metaphor of the world in which we live, with a similar substratum of dissatisfaction and with an anti-system criticism like the one proposed by 'Joker', won in another of the great festivals, that of Venice, in the same year.

3. Author's cinema, but popular
Bong Joon-ho is a director with very defined style traits, but the truth is that his films have always been characterized by being accessible to the general public. Perhaps that is why, early in his career, he was given the nickname "the Korean Spielberg." The director achieved recognition thanks to the 'thriller' 'Memories of Murder' ('Chronicle of a serial killer') and later to the 'monster movie' 'The Host', which already had great blockbuster claims. With 'Snowbreaker' and 'Okja' he opened up to stellar casts and worked with actors from the Hollywood 'star system' such as Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Ed Harris, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano and his ever-faithful Tilda Swinton, muse of all genius 'outsiders'. There are several characteristics that make his cinema especially attractive: the use of metaphors to talk about the problems of the world in which we live, the ingenious and heterodox mix of genres (in which black comedy and the element of surprise triumph) and that his characters always be good people who fight against adversity.

4. Connect with all kinds of generations
At first we could have assured that the audience of 'Parasites' was going to be essentially adult, but the truth is that it has connected with the new generations to the point of becoming viral content thanks to the constant dialogue with social networks. Through twitter, the 'hashtag' #BongHive began to become popular to praise the film and use a whole battery of 'memes' from some of the most shocking scenes. Even the actress Park So Dam explained in a video how to make the "Jessica Jingle", while Bong Joon-ho asked please that the 'twists' of the plot not be revealed or' spoilers' made, contributing even more to the ' hype '. through your accounts. In a talk hosted by Cannes director Thierry Frémaux, participants concluded that "it was too good not to be a success." However, the director himself acknowledged that when he was making it he thought that no one was going to like it because he was very freaky.
5. The autochthonous becomes universal
There are many directors (including Almodóvar) who use the local element to not only take full advantage of the picturesque, but also to show that the problems of a certain place are the same as those of any other. The director talks about the injustices that persist in Korean society, of that 'Hell Joseon' generation that feels crushed by the lack of opportunities, unemployment and the social gap between rich and poor, "the golden spoons" and " the dirty spoons ", as they are called in the indigenous slang. The film has even opened a political debate on the distribution of wealth, the privilege, the economic corruption and the frustration of the average citizen and the working class. Isn't that exactly the same feeling of boredom that beats most of the world?

'Parasites', like 'Burning', by Lee Chang-dong, or 'Extreme Job', by Lee Byeong-heon, is part of a stream of explicit denunciation, but in the case of Bong Joon-ho's film there is also a willingness to entertain through narrative elements and cinematic language, script twists and caricatures. And for this it uses highly recognizable elements that are accessible to all viewers, from looking for free Wi-Fi around the corners to watching YouTube tutorials to learn how to do anything.