A Glean movie guide
Beyond Parasite
Genre-bending tales of social tension
Masterful thrillers and biting satires that explore the friction of class and power.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Handmaiden
A visually stunning, twist-filled masterpiece of deception and shifting power dynamics.
1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl, Sook-hee, is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, Hideko, who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle Kouzuki. But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to steal her fortune.
- 02
Burning
A slow-burn psychological thriller that masterfully captures the quiet rage of class disparity.
Deliveryman Jong-su is out on a job when he runs into Hae-mi, a girl who once lived in his neighborhood. She asks if he'd mind looking after her cat while she's away on a trip to Africa. On her return, she introduces to Jong-su an enigmatic young man named Ben, who she met during her trip. One day Ben tells Jong-su about his most unusual hobby.
- 03
Snowpiercer
Bong Joon-ho’s high-stakes vision of a class-divided society trapped on a perpetual train.
In a future where a failed global-warming experiment kills off most life on the planet, a class system evolves aboard the Snowpiercer; a train that travels around the globe via a perpetual-motion engine.
- 04
The Menu
A sharp, darkly comedic satire that serves up a lethal critique of the wealthy elite.
A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.
- 05
Triangle of Sadness
A chaotic, satirical voyage that gleefully flips the social hierarchy upside down.
A celebrity model couple are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged, alcoholic captain. What first appears Instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island in a struggle of hierarchy.
- 06
Shoplifters
A deeply humanistic look at a marginalized family surviving on the fringes of society.
In the outskirts of Tokyo, a poor but close-knit group living on the fringes of society survives through shoplifting and odd jobs. When Osamu and his son take in a neglected young girl, their already fragile existence begins to unravel. As the family grows attached to her, buried secrets surface, forcing them to confront the true meaning of love, belonging, and what makes a family.
- 07
Sorry to Bother You
A surreal, genre-bending critique of capitalism that spirals into a macabre nightmare.
In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, black telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success – which propels him into a macabre universe.
- 08
High and Low
Akira Kurosawa’s classic procedural that remains a gold standard for suspense and class tension.
A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.