Cannes-winning black comedy film 'Parasite' garners unprecedented popularity in U.S. as foreign movie

By Park Sae-jin Posted : November 4, 2019, 16:02 Updated : November 4, 2019, 16:02

[Courtesy of CJ ENM]

SEOUL -- "Parasite", a black comedy film directed by Bong Jun-ho, has garnered unprecedented popularity in the American box office where it is rare for foreign films, especially from Asian countries, to gain attention from moviegoers.

Parasite, which drew big applause from fans and movie critics abroad, was awarded the "Palme d'Or", also known as the Golden Palm award, at Cannes in May. Since it opened in South Korea on May 30, the film has been viewed by more than 10 million people.

The film was praised for drawing viewers' sympathy by depicting a tragic story about a lower-class family meticulously planning its secretive entry into a high-class family like a parasite. Critics gave high scores for picturizing the contrast between the livelihood of the disrespected lower-class and that of the snobby high-class.

CJ ENM, the film's distributor, said in a statement on Monday that Parasite has recorded accumulated sales of $5.65 million in the U.S. box-office as of November 1. Parasite's ticket sales exceed that of Bong's 2013 science fiction film "Snow Piercer" which earned $4.56 million in the U.S.

After being screened first in three theaters on October 11, it is now being screened at 463 theaters. As of November 1, the film posted the year's best screen opening average with $125,421. The per-venue average sales were also the best-ever recorded by a foreign language film.

So far, Parasite has accumulated sales of $110 million worldwide.
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