Hulu Claps Back at Social Media Users Complaining About ‘Parasite’

Hulu is not staying silent with viewer complaints about Parasite.

The streaming service, which began exclusively streaming the 2020 best picture Oscar winner starting April 8, had some harsh words on Wednesday for users tweeting insults about the Korean film.

“if you don’t want to read subtitles, you can always learn Korean!” the official Twitter handle replied to one user who said, “No one wants to watch a movie that they literally have to read to understand what’s going on.”

To another, who called Parasite a “pathetic movie,” Hulu’s Twitter handle replied, “it won…. four oscars……”

Later on in the day, the handle posed a question to viewers: “Tell us the temperature in your town, and we’ll tell you what to watch. #LetHuluDecide” To nearly all of its 605 replies, Hulu suggested Parasite. The Twitter handle also hosted a watch party the first night of the film’s arrival on Hulu, where it live-tweeted the film.

While corporate Twitter accounts regularly adopt a breezy and irreverent tone (see: Netflix or KFC) in 2020, it’s rare for a streaming service to interact with individuals who simply don’t like a movie or are voicing an opinion, however unpopular. The gambit appeared to pay off on Wednesday, with Hulu garnering 23,600 likes on one of its posts and 15,300 on another.

During his time on the extensive campaign trail leading up to the 2020 Oscars, Parasite director Bong Joon Ho frequently joked about Americans’ reluctance to view subtitled movies. While accepting the Golden Globe for best foreign-language film earlier this year, Bong noted, “Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”

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