Parasite — Review
This review was originally published on Cinemusings on September 8, 2019.
Source: NEON
The less you know about Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, the better. It’s a film that subverts expectations, defies genre constraints, and is bound to make jaws drop. There has never been a movie quite like this one.
Despite how unique Parasite is, it’s easy to draw comparisons to Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters. Both films won the Palme d’Or, focus on families, and provide social commentary on the issues of poverty and class differences. Initially, Parasite feels like it’s headed in a direction similar to Kore-eda’s film. But then it shifts into a wildly unexpected and shocking direction. The movie is twisted, daring and full of surprises. It’s an unparalleled cinematic thrill-ride.
One of the film’s greatest strengths is its audacious and clever screenplay, penned Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won. The script alone makes for a fantastic movie, but the addition of captivating performances and haunting visuals amplify the story even more. Hong Kyung-pyo’s cinematography is breathtaking. Every shot is meticulously composed, ensuring that Parasite truly gets under your skin. Even during the film’s quieter moments, the visuals create a subtle, ominous tone.
Source: NEON
Song Kang-ho stars as Kim Ki-taek, who works as a driver but is currently unemployed. He and his wife Chung-sook (Jang Hye-jin) live with their son Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik) and their daughter Ki-jung (So-dam Park). The Kim family lives in a rundown apartment that’s partially underground. They work odd jobs, like folding pizza boxes for a delivery company, to try and make ends meet. But things change once Ki-woo’s friend Min-hyuk (Park Seo-joon) comes to visit. Min-hyuk worked as an English tutor for a wealthy family, but he’s leaving to study abroad. Thus, he suggests Ki-woo take over his tutoring gig. The only problem is that Ki-woo doesn’t have a degree. Luckily, his sister uses her Photoshop skills to forge a document.
Source: NEON
Now going by the name Kevin, Ki-woo starts goes to the Park family’s lavish mansion for his interview. There, he meets Park Yeon-kyo (Yeo-jeong Jo). She hires “Kevin” to tutor her daughter, Da-hye (Ji-so Jung). Upon hearing that Mrs. Park is struggling to find an art teacher for her son, Da-song (Hyun-jun Jung), Ki-woo suggests his friend “Jessica.” Little does Mrs. Park know, “Jessica” is actually his sister. If the setup sounds interesting, just wait until you see the climax.
Revealing any other details would spoil the fun. This is definitely a film worth seeing in a theater, and will surely make for a memorable movie-going experience. It’s dark, funny, and an absolute blast. Parasite is Bong Joon-ho at his best, and it is unquestionably one of the best films of the year.
Parasite will receive a limited release in the United States on October 11, 2019.
