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submitted 14 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) by animemann80@feddit.online to c/nostupidquestions@lemmy.world

Parasite (2019) is a Korean movie which got international success and was rated highly due to sharp social commentary on class inequality with a thrilling, genre-bending plot combined together, but the dynamic of the movie is expressed from a SK point of view about economic pressures and modern class divides.

There are also cultural contexts to keep in mind that won't translate into American culture such as:

  • Banjiha housing: The Kim family reside in a semi-basement apartment, which is a distinct urban housing type in Seoul born from historical 1970s civil defense laws.
  • Jjapaguri: The upper-class Mrs. Park orders jjapaguri (a mix of two instant noodles, Chapagetti and Neoguri) topped with expensive Korean beef Hanwoo, a specific local comfort food combo.
  • National health exams: There are specific plot points relying on South Korea's public health system and annual medical checkup schedules.
  • Suseok: The gift of a decorative viewing stone satirizes traditional Korean middle-class aspirations for wealth and prestige.

Even if they could recreate an English-language remake of Parasite, would there have to be adjustments in order to suit American subculture? As in, Suseok isn't a thing in America and Westerners don't eat Jjapaguri, so they may replace that with something entirely different or swap Jjapaguri for another noodle dish or pasta.

Will a US remake really carry the same impact as the original if it were to be created? Would it be good or turn out terrible as it’s hard to capture what makes the original special for audiences?

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[-] SingularEye 3 points 13 hours ago

I'm sure the Hollywood version will not be good, but it won't be because of those cultural factors. It's not hard to find equivalents to certain cultural artifacts, and rearrange plot points to fit a different setting. What the American film will fail to do is to be as biting in its satire of class differences, because Hollywood executives think it won't sell well.

[-] TheFogan@programming.dev 3 points 13 hours ago

I’m sure the Hollywood version will not be good, but it won’t be because of those cultural factors. It’s not hard to find equivalents to certain cultural artifacts, and rearrange plot points to fit a different setting. What the American film will fail to do is to be as biting in its satire of class differences, because Hollywood executives think it won’t sell well.

I agree there, I don't think it's impossible or even difficult to make the movie that hits the same themes the same way, there's absolutely zero thought in my head that it's not possible to make something purely with American culture, systems, housing and foods that conveys 100% of the same message, in some ways possibly even better

However, there is a very high chance that somewhere in the production line decisions are made by someone who either determines that the things that made the movie popular, aren't compatible with American audiences, and will intentionally dumb them down or change the actual themes.

[-] SingularEye 1 points 12 hours ago
this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2026
13 points (100.0% liked)

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