In 2019, the film-world was taken by storm. You could almost hear the crunching of keys as film-lovers rushed to release their review of Parasite on Letterboxd. I would not consider myself a film-boffin of any sort, but even I was excited to watch the movie that everyone seemed to be raving about. The film follows a poor family in South Korea and perfectly shows how the class divide can cause a lack of morals when it comes down to survival.
Since then, movies and TV shows, with a similar theme, have been popping up everywhere. This is what social media refers to as ‘eat-the-rich’. Knives out: Glass Onion, The Menu, shows like The White Lotus and even the most recent season of You have incorporated wealthy people in an unflattering light. This has been done with the hopes of achieving what Parasite did. Although many of these films became almost as popular, none of them seem to have become as universally beloved as Parasite.
The ‘eat-the-rich’ theme in media is not a new concept, but it has gained lots of traction in recent years. The has been media releasing statements about how the wealthy cause the most pollution or how nepotism babies seem to get jobs over those with talent. This makes it easy for society to hold at least a little resentment to those who thrive even when the economy is declining. Film does, after all, remain a reflection of society at its core.
That’s where all the western films have gotten it wrong. Instead of showing a genuine class divide, where people have to struggle to make ends meet; instead of contrasting this with unnecessary amounts of wealth, these films have simply portrayed the wealthy as the villains and those less wealthy as saints. It is completely black and white. Instead of highlighting struggle, it has been boiled down to only entertainment. The wealthy are portrayed as out-of-touch and unintelligent to make the majority feel superior. It takes the stereotype of every ignorant rich person and makes them suffer for the whole. This is quite ironic considering the wealthy people these films are targeting are often the ones making the films.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying these films— I mean, there is a reason that they keep getting made. Knives Out (2019) is immensely popular, Triangle of Sadness has won a myriad of awards; these aren’t bad movies by any means. But once the credits roll and we finish up our popcorn with that feeling of satisfaction in our chests, we need to remember that these caricatures seen in film are often not what we’re faced with in reality.
It seems like ‘eat-the-rich’ as a film genre is far from over. We can only hope that in the future, Hollywood decides to use a little less money and a little more nuance.