*SPOILER WARNING*: This article will contain spoilers for both Jordan Peele's "Us" and Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite"

It is without a doubt that both Jordan Peele's "Us" and Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" were two of the most intriguing, brilliant, and enduring films of 2019. Both of these movies hold special places in many people's minds and hearts because of both their thematic content as well as their cultural relevance. "Parasite" made literal film history in 2020, as it is the first foreign film to be named "Best Picture" at the prestigious Academy Awards. "Us" garnered a total of $255.1 million at the box office, as it was the long-awaited sophomore film from its director, Peele. In addition to the wide success that both these films obtained, they have many of the same themes and messages about class warfare for its audience to dwell on long after they finish viewing.

First of all, it is important to address the obvious theme of the "doppelgänger" that is present in both of these films. In "Us," the "Tethers" are literal twins of their counterparts, the not so simple part of the fragmented soul. They have risen from below ground in order to take over what they feel it is now their turn to take part in the real world. While "Parasite's" doppelgängers are not so literal, they are still obvious. Each member of the Kim family has a member of the Park family that they pair up with and match(i.e. Both families having a mother, a father, a brother, and a sister). The act of the poor "rising up" is present in this movie as well, seeing as the poor Kim family lives in a below street level apartment, causing them to ascend to the Park family mansion on a hill.

Speaking on both movies, once the less privileged counterparts make their appearance above ground, their goal is to have a chance at the life that the privileged have been partaking in their whole lives. The "Tethers" in "Us" achieve their goal simply by murdering their above-ground twins and uniting together. The Kim family in "Parasite" works a little more subtly than the "Tethers." The goal of the Kims is not to take over the Parks, but rather to have a shot at living lavishly as well. They achieve their goal by working for the Park family, who are wealthy enough to pay them all sizably so that they now have the money for a life that is slightly above poverty.

Another glaring stroke of genius that both films possess is the double meanings that their titles themselves hold. "Us" refers to a few moments of spork dialogue that occur in the film itself. Once the "Tethers" first make themselves known to the Wilson family, the son remarks, "They're us," in a bone-chilling tone of voice. Another interpretation of this title appears when Red, the "Tether" responsible for orchestrating their revolution simply whispers, "We're American," implying that the "Us" is more like the U.S. Once this phrase is spoken, it is undeniable that Peele is creating a commentary on the state of classism in America. This revelation is interesting when juxtaposed against Parasite, which is a South Korean film that contains commentary on its own country that is eerily similar to the observations that can be made about America. The "parasite" in "Parasite" is a multilayered idea, as you have the Kim family who is leeching off the Park family for work and money, however, you have the Park family who is leeching off the Kim family for their labor and services. Even past those two families, you have the man literally living in the Park's underground bunker, leeching off of them for food and shelter. Both of these films are brilliant from their titles alone.

The most compelling aspect of both of these films is that they highlight the flaws of enormous class divides from two different countries that do not seem so different at all. If "Parasite" was made by an American director, all of the same commentaries would apply and would not make anyone bat an eye. Thankfully, "Parasite" was made by an incredible South Korean director, Bong Joon-ho, who perfectly created a genre-bending work of art that is hilarious, tense, and profoundly thought-provoking. It is a movie that has rightfully made film history and will deservedly be discussed for the rest of forever. Though "Us" did not make the same global impact that "Parasite" did, it still is a high-thought allegory that begs the question, "What makes them different from us?" One of the most important themes in these movies in opportunity. Both go a long way to show that oftentimes, wealth and lack thereof are based on luck, chance, and opportunity. It is who was born into it, who married into it, or who was able to best capitalize on it. These films do an excellent job of making morality ambiguous. Who is right and who is wrong when some people are simply trying to make their lives livable?

Both of these movies deserve to be talked about for a long time. They force their characters to hold mirrors up to each other, which in turn, forces the audience to hold up a mirror to ourselves. These movies force their viewers to acknowledge the flaws in a society where wealth is so unequally distributed.