As one of the best films of the 21st century, Parasite needs little introduction. The South Korean black comedy thriller grossed over $263 million (GBP £199.4 million) on a $15.5 million (GBP £11.7 million) budget and went on to win four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Needless to say, it’s well worth watching but the trouble is that it’s not available to stream everywhere. Indeed, you may need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access region-locked platforms showing Parasite.
Despite the availability of unlicensed streams, we’re only recommending official sources for watching Parasite online. Unauthorized streams come and go far too frequently as they’re taken offline for copyright infringement. Besides, they offer inferior resolution while you’ll likely have to put up with interruptions in the form of buffering, lag, and ads. With plenty of official sources for streaming Parasite, there’s just no need to use unlicensed sources.
Parasite is available to stream on region-locked platforms. To watch via your favorite streaming service from home while on vacation, you’ll need to connect to a VPN.
How to watch Parasite online from anywhere
A VPN service allows you to connect to a server in another country (such as one with a streaming service offering Parasite) and change your IP address. This makes it look as if you’re in another location so you can bypass geographic restrictions.
Here’s how to stream Parasite from abroad using a VPN:
- You can get started by signing up with a reputable VPN provider. We recommend NordVPN. However, Surfshark and ExpressVPN are also reliable for streaming.
- The next step is to download the VPN app that’s compatible with your streaming device. The installation shouldn’t take more than a minute.
- Now you can open the VPN app and connect to a server in your desired country. This changes your IP address and, if all goes well, unblocks the geo-blocked content.
- Visit the streaming platform in question. Its content should now be streamable in your location with no further geographic restrictions.
- Clearing your browser’s cookies may be necessary for changes to take effect. Failing this, it’s a good idea to try more than one server. Otherwise, your VPN’s customer support may be able to advise you further.
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How to watch Parasite online in the US
If you’re in the US, you’ll be able to watch Parasite on Hulu. This requires a subscription although plans do come with a 30-day free trial. There are a number of options available to suit all budgets. In particular, you can access the Hulu streaming library for $7.99 a month with ads or $17.99 a month without ads. There’s even a bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+ at $14.99 a month with ads, or $24.99 a month ad-free.
The trouble is that Hulu is only available in the US which is more than a little limiting if you’re traveling abroad for a vacation or business. Fortunately, you can stream Hulu (and titles such as Parasite) online by using a VPN to connect to a server in the US and get a US IP address. NordVPN is our top choice for use with Hulu and even comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, providing you the chance to try it risk-free.
Parasite is also available on Max. Plans start at $9.99 a month with ads, or $15.99 a month without. Again, if you leave the country, you’ll need to use a VPN to continue accessing the platform.
Where else can I watch Parasite online?
As you’ll see, there are plenty of other options for watching Parasite online:
Australia
Australians can watch Parasite via SBS On Demand without paying a cent. You’ll need to create an account first, but this doesn’t require you to enter an address or any payment details. To stream it from any location, connect to a server in Australia to get an Australian IP address.
Canada (and others)
Parasite is also available on Netflix, albeit only in the following countries: Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Thailand, and Turkey. Like Hulu, this requires a subscription although the key difference is that Netflix doesn’t offer the option of a free trial. Furthermore, prices vary by country. To watch Netflix overseas, be sure to use a VPN to change your IP address.
United Kingdom
There’s good news if you’re in the UK and have a Netflix subscription — you’ll be able to watch Parasite on Netflix at no added cost! If you’re not already a subscriber, the cheapest plans start at £4.99 — though you’ll have to be willing to sit through adverts. If not, you’ll need to pay £10.99 a month.
To watch Parasite while travelling abroad with a UK Netflix account, connect to a VPN server in the UK to get a UK IP address. Note that Parasite may also be available on select other country versions of Netflix.
Worldwide
Do none of the above options suit you? It’s well worth checking the likes of Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and YouTube which all offer movies to buy and rent. Availability varies by country, as do prices. Just as an example, it generally costs $3.99 (GBP £3.03) to rent on the above platforms in the US while it can be bought for $14.99 (GBP £11.37). Again, you may need to use a VPN to bypass any geographic restrictions you happen to encounter.
Who is in the cast of Parasite?
Parasite was directed and co-written by Bong Joon-ho, who went on to win the Academy Award for Best Director and a BAFTA for the Parasite screenplay. The cast of the film included Song Kang-ho as Kim Ki-taek. Song has previously appeared in films such as Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), and Snowpiercer (2013).
Choi Woo-shik — who you might recognise from Train to Busan (2016) — starred as Kim Ki-woo. Other cast members include Lee Sun-kyun as Park Dong-ik, Cho Yeo-jeong as Choi Yeon-gyo, and Park So-dam as Kim Ki-jung.
What should I know about Parasite?
Parasite follows a poor family who plot to become employed by a wealthy family, infiltrating their household by posing as unrelated, but highly qualified individuals. The South Korean black comedy thriller explores themes including class discrimination and wealth disparity.
Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the 2019 film grossed $263 million worldwide from a budget of just $15.5 million. It went on to receive critical acclaim with many citing it one of the best films of the 21st century. Parasite won four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film. A spin-off HBO limited series is in development.
