[Filling the Space is a flexible column where our writers could vent, deconstruct, and work their way around the emotions brought on by TV, films, books, music, and key moments in pop culture. This isn’t meant to be analytical, but instead, a way for us to explore our feelings.]
Earlier this week, the New York Times proposed a ranking of the Top 100 Best Movies of the Century, and we all flocked to create our own lists as well. Now, there’s a definitive best, and the majority of us seem to agree on it as Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite is crowned as number one.
I love nothing more than when I come out of a movie and think: I genuinely have no words. Perfect, that’s it. And that’s largely true because no matter how many times I tried to write my review for the 2020 Oscar Winner, words escaped me. I still can’t do it. Nothing feels right. No word seems to fully capture the brilliance of what we watch unfold. From beginning to end, Parasite is an absolute masterpiece — an unforgettable beat of storytelling that has forever changed cinema and how we view it. I’d say move over, Citizen Kane, but I can hear a bunch of cinephiles readying their pitchforks at me.
Still, at least we all seem to agree on the fact that it’s certainly the best of the century. It was thrilling to watch the majority of my fellow critics and friends rank it in their top three, if not in their number one spot. Seldom do we all agree on most things in the industry, so it always feels comforting and maybe even a little right when we do find something we can all cheer for and celebrate.
The majority of us are trying to carve out a space in this industry to celebrate and appreciate filmmaking, so the fact that a film with as much profound influence as Parasite is celebrated amongst us all is a beautifully comforting thing. We may not all share the same tastes, and the film is certainly unique in what it accomplishes, but it proves that when something is extraordinary, it can resonate with a diverse range of people. To have an international feature film win Best Picture and become such a cultural phenomenon feels like proof that good things can happen.
Hollywood isn’t nearly as diverse as it pretends to be. We still have a long, long way to go, especially today, when people of color are still facing discrimination in every way, shape, or form in the industry. However, when a movie like Parasite is as beloved as it is, it feels like maybe one day we can actually get to that place where higher-ups understand the true value of diversity and genuine equality.
What are your thoughts on Parasite? Tell us in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©NEON