10 Brilliant Movies That Surprised Everyone
3. Parasite
Those who have followed the career of Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer, The Host) will likely have expected 2019’s Parasite to be a quality piece of work, and those who caught it on release will have seen its potential as a highly accessible foreign language film for those who don’t tend to indulge, as well as a potential awards favourite.
Few can have predicted that it would scoop so many Oscars, though, making history in the process. At the 2020 ceremony, Parasite became the first non-English language film to win best picture (and the first South Korean film to be nominated) , and the first to win the original screenplay gong in over a decade.
It was also a triumph at the box office, impressive for a film of its genre. While Parasite is an easy watch, funny and hugely entertaining, it doesn’t pull its punches when it comes to its social commentary and message.
Whether this will be a turning point for western audiences’ relationship en masse with subtitles remains to be seen, but it was a fantastic surprise to see a this film being rewarded accordingly.