Parasite (Gisangcheung): Movie Review

"Parasite" is a very deep film no doubt. It has layers upon layers of deep and thought-provoking conflicts and ideas. From the obvious class distinctions and stereotypes to subtle topics like climate change, it is all wrapped up in a neat yet crazy narrative that had us in an emotional and psychological whirlwind.

The Kim family lives in a sub-basement apartment in a low income area of Seoul. But when a friend presents an opportunity for Ki-Woo, the Kims’ eldest son, to become an English tutor to the wealthy Park family's daughter, Ki-woo realizes that he can insert his other family members to leech off the Park's generosity and naivety. Ki-Jung, the Kim's eldest daughter, fakes her way into becoming the art and psychiatrist of the Park's youngest son. Soon the remaining members of the Kim family devise their way into other jobs within the Park family - at the expense of other people around them.

"Parasite" was a doozy. Bong Joon-Ho proves once again why he is a master at his craft. The premise is simple and nothing new but how the narrative develops its characters and key twists kept us on our toes. The film actually reminded us of "Breaking Bad" and how audiences rooted for the bad guy and this is the same case for the film's main protagonists, the Kim family. They are dirt-poor, desperate, and ultimately bad people but their resourcefulness and cunning plans also made us cheer for them. As for the Park family, they are all glitz and glamour and without any fault initially but everything unravels eventually. They also have their own faults and stereotypes that affect how we view them. It's this grey-ish mid point where good and bad are not so clear that really hooked us and impressed us. As for the narrative, it's simple but had a lot of craziness in between. We don't want any spoilers here but do expect the unexpected. Overall, "Parasite" is a film with a lot to say about our world. Its impressive on how easily it fits its social commentary in a well-developed and cohesive family drama.

Rating: 5 reels





Why you should watch it:
- thought-provoking and significant social commentaries abound
- well-acted especially the Kim family

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- there's really no clear happy ending for viewers who want a typical ending