Cannes-winning "Parasite," directed by Bong Joon-ho, took off with unstoppable momentum and topped the local box office on the first day of its release.
The family satire attracted some 568,000 viewers on Thursday, sharply outnumbering the runner-up, Disney's live-action film "Aladdin," with 74,000, according to data from the Korean Film Council. It showed on 1,783 local screens, with 8,263 viewings on the day.
The film, starring Song Kang-ho, is expected to hit a cumulative total of 1 million on Friday as it posted more than 520,000 pre-sold tickets as of 8:30 a.m. The number accounts for 69.5 percent of all tickets reserved.
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(Yonhap) |
Along with the prestigious title of being the first South Korean movie to clinch the Cannes' highest award, the Palme d'Or, "Parasite" seems to appeal to Korean viewers with its unexpected plot and a mixture of suspense, horror and humor.
"Parasite," Bong's seventh feature film, revolves around the poor family of Ki-taek who live in a squalid, grubby basement. They become involved in a string of mishaps after the sly son gets a job as a tutor for a moneyed family residing in an opulent, gaudy mansion. (Yonhap)
