Movie Parasite That Won Academy Award (spoilers)

[pj.mask]

I didn’t like it. Just based on the name I put it on thinking it was a germ/biohazard movie. Boy was I wrong there.

But I don’t like the kind of movies where things are too ridiculous - too many bad things happen constantly. Just doesn’t reflect the reality I know. (Maybe a couple things happen at once but Sometimes the movies seem to exaggerate it. Kind of like Chevy Chase vacation movies)

[tmm99]

Haven't watched it yet but now I feel like I should after reading this thread! But then, maybe not, as I dont like movies with just awful people in it. That would be annoying.

Academy seems to always pick the most educational films for Best Pictures and Golden Globe picks the most entertaining IMO.

[Aerides]

A lot of films I think are fabulous get no attention. A lot that do I think "huh?"

Fortunately, DH and I have an overlap of about 75% similar tastes, and when we really dislike something we're usually 100% on the same page. There are things he loves I find stupid. Same goes for some I love, but I know that he will find them stupid.

Tastes differ!

[KarlH]

DW and I saw this when it began streaming and thought it was great. I thought that the critically acclaimed "Uncut Gems" was two hours of wasted time (although I can't say I have ever liked an Adam Sandler movie). I think that we can all look at movies that receive good reviews and see them differently.

[Rianne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Tightwad Hulu has it in the comedy/drama category, no mention of horror.

Thanks, now I don't have to click through Netflix, Prime, HBO to find it. I can't wait to see it based on the reviews here. It's interesting @ 7000 filmmakers, actors, professionals vote for the Oscar's. I wonder if they actually watch every nominated film in every category or just treat the process as a multiple choice test without studying.

[Sojourner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsmeow I loved this movie. ... The movie is a social commentary. If you think of the 3 families in the movie each one is reacting to their circumstances. The huge difference between the wealthy family and the two families who work for them is very stark. They live in different worlds. I think this movie deserved every award that it won.

+1
I watched it with virtually zero expectations and really enjoyed it. I would consider it much more in the "black comedy" category than horror or thriller, etc. Clearly, we all have different tastes, but IMHO it was one of more inventive, riveting, and thoroughly entertaining movies I've seen in the past few years. Certainly much better than 98% of the bland, mindless, uninspired fare that Hollywood tends to churn out on a regular basis (Batman v Superman, anyone?).

[Amethyst]

But it does have parasites! So the title isn't really deceptive

Quote:

Originally Posted by pj.mask I didn’t like it. Just based on the name I put it on thinking it was a germ/biohazard movie. Boy was I wrong there.

[harllee]

I would be interested to know why people liked it. To me it was a story about people in different classes--rich and poor-- and all of them treat each other awful. There is a lot of lying, cheating, violence, meanness, disrespect, etc. Usually in a movie there is some good person that saves the day--not here--there are no good people. There is not a single character that I liked. No one I would like to get to know in real life. There is a young kid and usually I like young kids in movies but this one is awful. The move is not really funny and I did not really think it was scary like a horror movie should be. One other thing I hated--there is quite a bit of gratuitous foul language which somehow even seems worse when it is in captions.

[Toocold]

I enjoyed parasite. The director has a history of making films that shows society in a skewed way. Similarly, snowpiercer and okja (both on netflix) were interesting as well. If you like formulaic plots, I can understand why these wouldn't be enjoyable.

Along the same lines, I also enjoyed Joker, which was also praised and got many awards.

[Dtail]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee I would be interested to know why people liked it. To me it was a story about people in different classes--rich and poor-- and all of them treat each other awful. There is a lot of lying, cheating, violence, meanness, disrespect, etc. Usually in a movie there is some good person that saves the day--not here--there are no good people. There is not a single character that I liked. No one I would like to get to know in real life. There is a young kid and usually I like young kids in movies but this one is awful. The move is not really funny and I did not really think it was scary like a horror movie should be. One other thing I hated--there is quite a bit of gratuitous foul language which somehow even seems worse when it is in captions.

As differences in class structures here become wider and there is less middle class, who knows if this type of situation can become more common?

[harllee]

Of all the movies I watched last year (didn't see many but I saw a few) I liked A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood with Tom Hanks the best (love Tom Hanks movies). A Beautiful Day was the polar opposite of Parasite.

[Sojourner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee Of all the movies I watched last year (didn't see many but I saw a few) I liked A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood with Tom Hanks the best (love Tom Hanks movies). A Beautiful Day was the polar opposite of Parasite.

That's interesting, because I found A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood kind of disappointing. I was one of those kids growing up in the 70s who loved Mr. Rogers and watched his show every day after school, without fail. But the movie just didn't do much for me. I thought it was a bit boring and focused too much on the stories and lives of people other than Fred Rogers. Tom Hanks was brilliant in it, though, as usual.

[timbervest]

I thought Parasite was particularly appropriate for today's situation and the desperation that people are facing and the steps they will take to fight against what are probably insurmountable odds. Each character, both in either of the three families, as well as the three family units themselves face challenges and disappointments that they deal with in different ways. The story was compelling, kept my interest, and although perhaps somewhat gratuitously bloody at the end, I thought was very well made and the characters captured their individual struggles. I don't think there needs to be a sympathetic character to make a film good. Cinematography-wise, I thought the direction and filming was excellent. This is art as much as it is entertainment that challenges the viewer. But to each his own.

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sojourner Tom Hanks was brilliant in it, though, as usual.

DW's favorite observation of this is to imagine you were in a time machine in 1981 (during the Bosom Buddies years), and jumped to today. "Tom Hanks brilliant as usual?" What??

[bluelight]

DH and I have very different tastes in movies, but we both thought it was very well done. I considered watching it a 2nd time to catch any nuances that I missed the first time, I know people who watched it multiple times, but didn't.

[Mr. Tightwad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee I would be interested to know why people liked it. To me it was a story about people in different classes--rich and poor-- and all of them treat each other awful. There is a lot of lying, cheating, violence, meanness, disrespect, etc. Usually in a movie there is some good person that saves the day--not here--there are no good people. There is not a single character that I liked. No one I would like to get to know in real life. There is a young kid and usually I like young kids in movies but this one is awful. The move is not really funny and I did not really think it was scary like a horror movie should be. One other thing I hated--there is quite a bit of gratuitous foul language which somehow even seems worse when it is in captions.

Not every film is a Mr. Rodgers type film. Not every movie has good people only in it. I saw some resourceful people use devious tactics and got a chuckle from it.

You like movies where a good person saves the day. That's not what this movie is about.

And it isn't scary because it's not a horror movie.

[John Galt III]

Harll, I liked the movie because 1. I saw it in a movie theater 2. it had good cinematography, imo 3. interesting sub-plots (although somewhat unbelievable) 4. filmed in a foreign country, and it was interesting to see all the Korean ways of doing things 5. some other thing I can never define that makes me like a movie. ' I just like it'. And yes, you are right, too many movies and tv series are too full of awful people, I agree. I tried to get into 'Killing Eve' the tv series that was hyped so much, but it was awful, imo, just a bunch of awful people running around, not interesting at all, imo.

[harllee]

I did like the fact that Parasite was filmed in foreign county and I did not mind the captions. I have never been to S. Korea but I had assumed it was a modern country with a good economy so I was surprised that people who seem educated and appeared to me to be qualified for jobs had to live in such a horrible basement apartment. For those you who know more about S. Korea, is there such a housing shortage that people cannot find a decent place to live? And why could the 4 main characters (who seemed to be smart, educated and in good physical shape) not find a real job?

[MichaelB]

Here’s a criticism of the critics by Alex Tabarrok (economist at GMU). He thinks the “conventional wisdom” missed the point entirely. https://marginalrevolution.com/margi...-parasite.html

The blog post has spoilers.

[harllee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB Here’s a criticism of the critics by Alex Tabarrok (economist at GMU). He thinks the “conventional wisdom” missed the point entirely. https://marginalrevolution.com/margi...-parasite.html The blog post has spoilers.

I agree with Alex Tabarrok--the movie story line makes no sense at all.