- Parasite , the Best Picture winner from the 2020 Academy Awards, is now streaming on Hulu.
- Hulu and independent film distributor Neon signed a multiyear output deal back in 2017.
- In addition to Parasite , three other movies directed by Bong Joon Ho were added to Hulu as well: Barking Dogs Never Bite , The Host , and Mother .
Every year, I tell myself I’m going to catch up on all the Academy Award-winning movies I missed the first time around, and every year, I fail to follow through with this plan. 2020 has been no different. Of the nine Best Picture nominees at the 2020 Oscars, I’ve only seen one, but it happened to be the one that took the trophy. I am, of course, talking about Parasite — the suspenseful, surprising film directed by Bong Joon Ho that took the world by storm.
If you were one of the many people who were confused that a relatively unknown South Korean director managed to beat the likes of Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and Greta Gerwig, you have now been given the opportunity to clear that confusion up, as Parasite began streaming on Hulu. There are plenty of places to buy or rent a digital copy of Parasite, but Hulu is your only option if you want to stream the best movie of 2019.
For those of you who are still reluctant to set aside two hours to watch a subtitled movie with a mysterious plot, let me assure you that this masterful thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat for the entirety of its running time. I forced my roommate to go to the theater with me to see it (long before theaters were off-limits), and the first thing he said to me when we got out of our seats was that it might have been the best movie he’d ever seen in theaters. It is unlike anything else you’ve ever seen, and should be at the top of your list if you missed it.
But the good news doesn’t stop there! In addition to Parasite, Hulu has also added three other Bong Joon Ho films to its streaming library: Barking Dogs Never Bite, The Host, and Mother. All three are worth watching, but The Host may be the perfect double-feature to go along with Parasite. While Parasite’s title is a metaphor, The Host’s is much more literal (at least in terms of the movie’s plot), as a giant monster rises from the sea and kidnaps a man’s daughter.
Kang-ho Song, who plays the poor father in Parasite, stars in The Host as well, and it’s interesting to compare the two roles, as there are notable similarities and differences between the characters Bong created.
With an HBO series adapting Parasite for the United States currently on the way, there’s no better time to catch up on the source material and find out why a foreign-language film finally broke through to win Best Picture.