Parasite is a black comedy thriller about a family of four that are living in poverty who get the opportunity to work for a wealthy upper class family. A series of events begin to unfold and things quickly get out of control.
Parasite was a hugely successful film and gained worldwide attention in 2019. Its satirical take on class issues in South Korea is presented in a humorous, dark, and unsettling way that really sticks with you. Despite many tonal shifts, the mixture of genres was presented seamlessly.
There’s a distinct tension that runs throughout the entire movie that never quite allows you to relax. We watch as this unemployed family sort of infiltrate a rich family’s home in humorous fashion. But all is not as it seems, and things go from bad to worse for this struggling family.
There is so much social commentary in this story concerning the differences between the wealthy and the poor. Despite living so close together, they live in completely different worlds. The symbolism is rich here with many layers to unpack.
Everything about this movie was done so intentionally with expert direction, concept, tone, and delivery. It is filled with talented actors including Song Kang Ho, Choi Woo Shik, Park So Dam, Lee Seon Kyun, Jo Yeo Jung, and Jang Hye Jin.
This is the kind of show that will make you think. It starts off intriguing and then unfolds in a crazy way that makes you not want to look away. I was so curious to see exactly what was going to happen to these people, and I completely did not predict the direction it went!
I would have enjoyed some of the plot elements and characters being fleshed out a bit more, but there’s only so much you can do in two hours. Everything else was so well done that it mostly made up for that though. It also takes some serious skill to leave me feeling completely unsettled yet glued to my screen the whole way through.
Despite any minor shortcomings, Parasite is an excellent and thought-provoking film. It is best enjoyed knowing as little about the plot as possible and just watch everything play out in all its disturbing glory.
My Rating: 8.5/10
Check out more Reviews.
Leave a Reply