From Reel to Real: The Shocking Similarities Between the Dismemberment of Abby Choi and the Movie Parasite
Warning: The following blog post contains details of a graphic nature.
Note: This article is solely an opinion article, facts are taken from news sites, but here we will explore the similarities between these two stories.
The recent murder of Hong Kong model and socialite Abby Choi has sent shockwaves through the city and the world. The gruesome details of her death at the hands of her ex-husband’s family have horrified people everywhere. As the investigation continues, it’s impossible not to draw parallels between this real-life tragedy and the acclaimed Korean movie Parasite. Both stories reveal the dark and unsettling realities of wealth, class, and power in modern society.
The movie Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho, is a thriller that explores themes of class division, greed, and desperation. To summarize, the plot follows the impoverished Kim family, who scheme their way into the wealthy Park family’s home to secure employment and a steady income. Ki-woo, the son of the impoverished Kim family, plots to enter the household first as an English tutor, keeping on terms with the whole family, and also seduces the young teenager of the wealthy Park family. The Kims’ mother, daughter, and father also join in to become literal ‘parasites’ of the Park household, fending off the Park’s house’s entire resources. The father also becomes the chauffeur of the family.
However, the story takes a dark turn when the Kims become embroiled in a deadly struggle for survival, ultimately resulting in the gruesome death of several characters. The ending of “Parasite” is a poignant and thought-provoking scene that leaves many viewers with questions and interpretations — many interpret this ending as a symbolic representation of the violence and class struggle that permeates throughout the movie. The death of the wealthy Park son can be seen as a metaphor for the inevitable consequences of the social inequality and class division that exists in society. Overall, Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite is a movie that delves into themes of social inequality, class division, and morality, and emphasizes the struggle of the lower class to climb up the social ladder, the destructive nature of greed, and the dangers of complacency.
In real life, the recent tragic murder of Abby Choi bears striking similarities to the themes portrayed in Parasite. Her life has been taken away from her unjustly. She was a 28-year-old socialite, new Paris Fashion Week model and influencer from Hong Kong, who had just begun to make a name for herself in the fashion industry: working with fashion brands such as Dior and Chanel, globetrotting as a style icon on Instagram, sharing couture looks and snaps with celebrities of every field such as rapper Pharrell Williams, South Korean model Lee Soo-hyuk and Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad. She is remarried to the son of a famous noodle franchise corporation TamJai Mixian, and was living a happy and luxurious life with the new family, also with her four kids.
However, her life took a dark turn after her ex-husband, Alex Kwong (Damon), whom she had her first two children with, plotted her death with his family. Kwong had a criminal history after their marriage, including the theft of millions in gold and creating fraud organizations, and was wanted by the authorities.
Like the Kims in Parasite, Kwong’s family appeared to be parasites who fed off Choi’s wealth. The family’s patriarch, Kwong Kau, was a former police officer who had been fired after being charged with rape. He rented the flat where Choi was killed. Choi was brutally murdered and dismembered in a suburban flat in Tai Po, Hong Kong in February 2023. Her ex-husband and former in-laws were arrested and charged with her murder. Police discovered a pair of female legs believed to be Choi’s in a refrigerator, along with an electric saw, a hammer, face shields, black raincoats, two different chopping blades, two pots of soup with human tissue inside, and a meat grinder, which had been used on human flesh.
Choi’s former brother-in-law, Anthony Kwong, had even been hired as her chauffeur. The Kwong family had appeared to be friendly and supportive of Choi until her decision to sell a property worth millions of Hong Kong dollars she had bought for her ex-husband, even though she promised to relocate them, however, it resulted in a significant backlash from Kwong Kau. Police believe that Kwong Kau orchestrated Choi’s murder, and the investigation found that Choi had not registered her new marriage, meaning that her assets would go to Kwong and their children in the event of her death.
The Instagram photo from Kwong “Damon” Instagram@da_monkkk celebrated Choi’s 26th birthday with the caption “Happi bday to you, dear sis” — making netizens wonder how long have they been planning this plot.
“I haven’t imagined a person who’s so good, so full of love, so innocent, a person who doesn’t do anything bad will be killed like this,” — Bernard Cheng, Choi’s friend, to the Associated Press.
The tragic death of Abby Choi is a stark reminder of the themes explored in Parasite. However the chilling death, in reality, could not comprehend the depth of the evil. The movie’s portrayal of class division, greed, and desperation is not just a work of fiction but a reflection of the harsh realities of our world. May her soul rest in peace as she watches from above, it serves as a warning to all of us to be aware of the dangers of greed and the lengths some inhumane people will go to satisfy it.
Note: This article is solely an opinion article, facts are taken from news sites, updated on 2nd March 2023 and updated news of the incident can be found online.