Parasite Movie Review

The following is a movie review “Parasite” by Marc Primo.

Release date: 21 May 2019 (Cannes)

Director: Bong Joon-ho

Language: Korean

Production companies: Barunson E&A Corp.

Producers: Kwak Sin-ae, Moon Yang-kwon, Jang Young-hwan

Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite gives us an up close peek into the lives of a conniving family’s attempt to drain whatever they can from a wealthy young couple and their children. The film invites viewers to study their own characters by allowing them to empathize with the destitute Kim family, who somehow is able to constantly one up life’s challenges for survival. In this film, sadly, those dubious antics are mainly directed at the expense of the Park family.

The spectacular Song Kang-ho who portrays the head of the Kim family, is joined by an equally talented roster of actors in Lee Sun Kyun, Cho-Yeong jeong, So-dam Park, Woo-sik Choi and Sun-kyun Lee among an impressive cast that fits their respective roles perfectly. Bong’s storytelling is impeccable in blending humor with dark overtones that border on the disturbing side of human psychology.

Parasite is an introspective on where we belong in class differences as the film opens our eyes to the world of the Kim family and how they take what is given to them and drain what advantages they can get from each one. A talented daughter-artist uses Photoshop to produce mock diplomas and certificates, a street smart son who can sweet talk anyone into submitting to his demands, a father who will stand to inhale mosquito fogging just as long as its free, and a mother/ex-shotput champ who goes along with all the family’s ruses make up the Kim team. With their son’s opportunity to work for a wealthy family, the Kims devise a scheme that will place them within the Park household as employees and do what they do best—be leeches.

The film slowly mounts from a snicker to a laugh, and ultimately as the minutes go by, to something unforgivable. All throughout, however, there is never a dull moment onscreen. Bong finally manages to unleash his more intriguing side as a director after helming screen gems The Host and Snowpiercer. His vision in this one is only made more vivid by Lee Ha-jun’s production design, Hong Kyung-po’s cinematography, and Han Jin-won and Bong’s script that all bring out the drama from a mix of blithe and tense moments.

While poverty porn on film is an already exhausted genre, Bong presents a set of characters who, one way or another, remind us of someone we know, or even ourselves. How the film juggles its tones and moods draws out a variety of feelings that constantly shock the audience and make them wonder which family they should be rooting for: the smart impoverished Kims or the gullible yet condescending Parks.

Parasite offers its viewers an intimate look at today’s social discrimination that’s beautifully sculpted into artistic tragedy. In the end, we’ll find that violence is not exclusive to the poor, and that hate and selfishness are integral parts of humanity. Even though Parasite can often give you a hard time swallowing the truth, you’d want to experience the slice of life it presents and thank the heavens that at least you can still feel that lump in your throat as you take in its shocking turn of events.

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