It would be hard not to take notice of Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite”. The film exploded out of this year’s festival circuit starting with its historic Palme d’Or win at Cannes. Now it sits as one of the best reviewed films of 2019 and Academy Award chatter has already begun. How could you miss that much buzz?
It’s exciting to say that “Parasite” deserves the adulation. The South Korean co-screenwriter and director has put together a stinging class warfare satire that has plenty to say about how ugly and callous people from all social statuses can be. With a delicious black comedy edge, some surprising jolts of heartfelt emotion, and a violent throat punch when you’re least expecting it, “Parasite” is a movie that keeps you engaged and guessing.
© 2019 Neon Pictures All Rights Reserved
The film is set in Seoul and follows the Kim family who reside in a cramped street-level apartment/basement at the end of an alley. Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho) lives with his snarky wife Chung-sook (Jang Hye-jin), their crafty son Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik), and their artist/top-notch forger daughter Ki-jung (Park So-dam). Both parents are unemployed and forced to do menial pay-nothing jobs such as folding carry-out pizza boxes just to get by.
A friend convinces Ki-woo to take his place tutoring the teen daughter from the extremely wealthy (and gullible) Park family. It pays well and his family needs the money. As for Ki-woo’s concerns that he’s not qualified, his friend confidently advises him to just fake it. The Parks will never know the difference he says. So Ki-woo cooks up a fake identity, gets some documents forged by his sister, and lands the job with the upper-crusters.
The Park family seem nice enough. The stealthily condescending Mr. Park (Lee Sun Kyun) makes his money as the CEO of a big tech company. His friendly and slightly neurotic wife (a really good Cho Yeo-jeong) stays home tending to their social calendar and minding their disaffected daughter and rambunctious son with the help of their reliable housekeeper (Lee Jung Eun).
© 2019 Neon Pictures All Rights Reserved
They all fall for Ki-woo’s scam but he doesn’t stop there. Upon hearing the Park’s are looking for an art teacher, he recommends Ki-jung who assumes her own fake identity and also gets hired. Soon every member of the Kim clan has conned their way into employment by the Parks while keeping their family ties secret. For a while everyone seems happy, the Parks and their oblivious blue-blooded living, and the Kims who are making good money leeching off their employers.
The script from Bong and his co-writer Han Jin-won weaves a fascinating web. The first half plays out like dual family dramas bound together by threads of sharp dark humor. But the moment you think you’ve figured it out, Bong has you exactly where he wants you. The wildly unpredictable second half broadsides us with one twist after another, spinning the story into a darker and unabashedly violent direction. There are moments where you would swear it was all about to fall apart. But Bong has an impeccable control of his material and amazingly keeps it together with the craftsmanship of a true auteur.
Bong is no stranger to dealing with the issue of class. Each of his previous two films “Snowpiercer” and “Okja” addressed it in their own ways. “Parasite” does a great job of rousing our senses to the subject without burying us in it. There are a couple of instances where the dialogue is too pointed, but overall the movie speaks to more than just a single topic. And it doesn’t treat things solely as black or white. You could say the entire movie plays out in the ugly gray areas in between right and wrong, guilty and innocent, heroes and villains.
By the end of it all we find ourselves asking who are the real parasites? Is it the Kims and their shameless willingness to connive and deceive for their piece of the proverbial pie? Is it the Parks and their snobbish expectation of being served by the lower class? Maybe the movie is making the case that we’re all parasites. Maybe we all are out for ourselves and willing to exploit anyone to get ahead. And as the film’s brilliant yet bleak final act shows, those attitudes have some pretty nasty consequences.
VERDICT – 4.5 STARS
Keith & the Movies 
Sounds intriguing!
I know it sounds cliché, but it really is unlike anything else you’ll see this year.
I really want to see this as I’m a fan of Bong Joon-Ho’s films though I haven’t seen his last film Okja while I was hoping this film would stay another week at my local multiplex but tonight’s the last showing and I’m too tired to go anywhere. I hope I’ll catch it soon. Maybe for next year’s Cannes marathon if I’m up for it.
I wasn’t high on Okja but Parasite is a fantastic film. It definitely earns the high praise it has received.
I’ve heard so much about this movie. My husband and I have been wanting to see it for a long time. One of these days we will finally make it to the theater again! A great write up and review.
Thank you! I was starting to think it wasn’t going to make it to a theater in my area. It kind of surprised me when it popped up all of a sudden. It’s definitely worth making a trip to see it if you get a chance.
Wasn’t as high on this as say, Snowpiecer, a movie I felt did it better with similar themes and more realized/compelling characters. Still, I did like, has wonderful direction, and it is different than most of the stuff that came out this year.
I actually like this a little better than Snowpiercer mainly because I found the characters to be more complex. And where I thought Snowpiercer pretty much spelled out how we should feel, Parasite painted a much murkier picture. For me it essentially offered more to wrestle with.
Great write-up on one of my favourite films this year! It’s not just a strong social commentary, but a rare display of originality too. I personally think it’s Bong Joon-ho’s best work to date.
I’m thinking it’s his best work too. I really like (as I wrote) how it plays out in the gray area between good and bad. No one is really innocent. Loved how it plays with all of that.
I loved it too.
*Spoilers ahead!*
1) GEUN-SAE sends an S.O.S. message in morse code. DA-SONG sees it from his tent in the garden and writes it down… but that never comes into play. What was the point?
2) KI-TAEK stabs MR. PARK because he covered his nose. Before, KI-TAEK noticed the PARKS reacting that way to him. Like there was a “poor people” smell. They’re both fathers who have to help their children, yet MR. PARK still thinks something as shallow as the smell is something to be concerned about during an emergency. Also, early on, DA-SONG was sniffing the KIMS and said “They have the same smell.” The KIMS took him as him noticing that they eat the same food or that they use the same detergent. However, in retrospective, it could be a hint that DA-SONG is somehow learning from his parents to tell rich and poor people apart. Is my interpretation correct?
I think you’re spot on. As if it’s saying upper-class bigotry is learned and passed down. A very accurate observation in many cases.
Korean film at its best – unpredictable and entertaining, but all cultures can relate to the story – your review is great as well.
Thanks so much. I rewatched this over the weekend and it still packs the same kick as my first viewing. Love it.
Pingback: Parasite: Movie Review
FINALLY saw this last night and I must say it’s incredible material. I wasn’t a fan of Okja and haven’t seen Snowpiercer, but Joon-ho has won me over. What a master! The actors are all fantastic too. I’m still processing it all, but I personally think this is the strongest contender for Best Pic. It’s definitely deserving of all the praise/awards coming its way.
So glad to hear you checked it out. Personally I think it’s his best film by a mile. I wasn’t a fan of Okja either but did like Snowpiercer. This is on another level though and I think it has a lot of momentum going into Oscar night.
4.5 stars? In my opinion (which doesn’t have to be yours, of course), this film deserves a full 5. But that’s just me.
Lots of people agree with you. I loved it. Easily made my Top 10.
Yeah, I did too, obviously. But what I find interesting about your rating is the fact that your review doesn’t mention any issues you may have had with the film (if you even had any) whatsoever. In fact, if somebody showed your review to me and had me guess what rating you gave the film based on it, I’d go with that full 5/5. I’m not trying to imply that you’re wrong for not giving it the rating that you did, just that your review doesn’t really seem to match up with it.
I guess where we differ is in what we find essential to a review. For me it isn’t necessary to find and list something negative for any movie that falls below 5 stars. I mainly write about the film and what resonated the most. Naturally the higher the rating the less negative there is to say. I think I do actually make a reference in the review about its messaging being a little too pointed in spots, but I had much more good to say and was enthusiastic to share that.
On my site I rarely give 5 star reviews. They are essentially held for movies that not only are great but that also leave lasting impressions personally. And to be honest, I tend to put more effort into expressing my feelings for a film within the review itself rather than through a simple star rating.
All right, I get that. Still an instant 5 for me, but your opinion is your opinion, and I’m perfectly fine with that. My apologies for missing that comment about the messaging (something that I didn’t even notice, to be honest).
Crap, I meant to add that comment to the above thread. My mistake.
Oh it’s no problem at all. I know a lot of people who write and have different ways of doing their ratings. Some are really unique.
Nice movie..
Definitely. Even better a second time through.
Yeah is great but weird, but have you seen the film Oldboy?
I have seen Oldboy but it’s been a while. It’s in my ‘must watch again soon’ stack.