The Greatest Best Picture Winner of the 21st Century Parasite Is Losing Its Leaving Netflix Soon

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A critically acclaimed film will be removed from Netflix on February 1, 2026.

The 2019 movie was a groundbreaking achievement, becoming the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. It also won awards for Best International Film and Best Director, recognizing the work of Bong Joon Ho.

Parasite is a South Korean film that blends dark humor with thrilling suspense. It tells the story of the Kim family, who are struggling financially and cleverly begin to insert themselves into the lives of the wealthy Park family. The movie offers a strong commentary on the social and political issues within South Korea, particularly focusing on class differences.

The movie starts out lighthearted and comedic, but takes a dark turn halfway through. It begins to focus heavily on class differences, and the tension escalates dramatically towards the end when the Parks’ housekeeper’s husband unexpectedly appears at a birthday party and violently attacks the family.

While the film’s themes resonate with everyone, director Bong Joon Ho drew inspiration from personal experiences when creating it. Specifically, the movie’s opening scenes are based on a time when his wife worked as an English tutor for a wealthy family in Seoul. She suggested Bong as a math tutor for them, a connection made through personal introduction rather than a formal job search. However, the rest of the film’s plot is fictional and not based on his life.

Beyond winning critical praise, Parasite was also a huge box office success. It made history at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival as the first Korean film to win the Palme d’Or, and when released in theaters on May 30, 2019, it earned an impressive $258 million worldwide despite being made with a relatively small $11.4 million budget.

Critics and audiences overwhelmingly love this dark comedy-drama. It boasts a 99% approval rating from critics based on 485 reviews, and a 90% audience score. Rotten Tomatoes has also designated it as “Certified Fresh” and “Verified Hot.”

After the 2019 film proved popular, HBO announced a limited series adaptation in January 2020. The series would consist of six episodes. Bong Joon-ho and Adam McKay signed on as executive producers, and Mark Ruffalo and Tilda Swinton were initially involved. While Swinton’s participation was confirmed in February 2020, she later left the project in October 2022. There hadn’t been any updates since then, but Bong confirmed in February 2025 that the project was still in development.

Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite Follow-up Wasn’t a Hit

Despite winning the Academy Award for Best Director, audiences didn’t immediately flock to see the filmmaker’s next movie. Released in 2025, it starred Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame. The film centered on a mission to colonize a frozen planet, where the main character was essentially a test subject – considered disposable to assess the planet’s habitability.

Despite offering a critical look at society and even poking fun at Mickey Mouse, the movie didn’t receive overwhelmingly positive reviews. Critics gave it a 78% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (based on 361 reviews), earning it a ‘Certified Fresh’ label, while audiences rated it at 73%. Financially, the movie wasn’t a success, earning $133.3 million globally on a budget of $118 million.

Parasite is available to stream on Netflix until Feb. 1.

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2026-01-11 01:14