This is Bong Joon ho's 7th feature film, released in 2019. It's a black comedy family drama from South Korea that deals with the meeting of two families from different social classes.
"I didn't mean to cause harm."
The Kim family, led by Ki-taek (played by Song Kang-ho), is struggling as unemployed individuals but maintains a close bond. When Ki-woo (played by Choi Woo-sik) gets a high-paying tutoring job through his friend Min-hyuk (played by Park Seo-joon), it's a glimmer of hope for a steady income for the family. With the help and expectations of the whole family, Ki-woo heads to the house of Mr. Park (played by Lee Sun-kyun), a CEO of a global IT company. Upon arriving at Mr. Park's mansion, Ki-woo is greeted by the young and beautiful Mrs. Yeon-gyo (played by Cho Yeo-jeong).
However, behind the meeting of these two families lies an unforeseeable series of events, as is characteristic of Bong Joon ho's previous works. Despite having a production budget of over 10 billion won, which typically results in films with heavy-handed directorial styles due to the auteurist nature of the director, "Parasite" receives high praise from audiences. While the film emphasizes mise-en-scène and messages, it manages to avoid being overly complex or slow-paced, making it accessible even to audiences unfamiliar with film analysis. The film offers elements that appeal to the masses, such as black comedy, a fast-paced plot, twists, thrilling direction, compelling characters, and a tidy conclusion, ensuring entertainment without the need for deep analysis.
Due to its detailed portrayal of polarization, it evoked feelings of sadness and wounds among those who have experienced living under the line of poverty. While movies with themes of polarization often fall into the trap of depicting a simplistic narrative of "virtuous but poor citizens versus corrupt upper class," "Parasite" cleverly avoids such criticism by constructing nuanced characterizations that do not clearly delineate good and evil. Instead of directly presenting political elements, it uses indirect settings and complex plot structures to address issues related to socioeconomic disparity and the conflicts that arise from it. Thus, it manages to avoid direct political controversy by focusing on the dramatic tensions inherent in the disparity between social classes.
Bong Joon-ho stated that "only Koreans will understand it 100%," but the film's universal theme of economic disparity, combined with the director's ability to depict mundane yet suddenly visible aspects of daily life, garnered praise from foreigners as well. Most foreign audiences who watched "Parasite" at the Cannes Film Festival said that the film's content was identical to their country's situation. An English audience member commented that even if the movie were remade with a London backdrop, there would be no need to change the script. Vietnamese audiences, too, found elements like tutoring, chauffeuring, and housekeeping relatable, especially empathizing with the scene where the poor are turned into flood refugees. American viewers said the film could be remade tomorrow in LA or Washington. Italian and Hong Kong audiences also felt that the movie reflected their own country's situation. The Washington Post published an article titled "Parasite portrays South Korea's inequality as a nightmare. Reality in the U.S. is much worse" on February 14, 2020. Alejandro González Iñárritu, the president of the Cannes Film Festival jury, praised "Parasite" as "a very local (Korean) yet universal film." The immense response to this film reveals that issues of economic disparity and polarization, as well as the resulting powerlessness and hypocrisy, are not only Korean but global concerns shared by all.
"Parasite" maintained a perfect 100% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes until about 150 critics had evaluated it. As of September 2023, with around 483 critics' reviews, it holds a score of 99% freshness and a rating of 9.40. It has consistently held the top spot among Korean films on IMDb since October 19th. It was also named the Best Movie of 2019 by Metacritic, with a score of 434.5 as of January 11th, surpassing the second-place film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" by 142 points, making it the top film of the 2010s.
Even after its run in Korea ended and into 2021 in North America, its IMDb rating continued to climb. As of April 5th, 2022, it sits at 35th place on the IMDb TOP 250, ranking third among Asian films and second among films released in the 2010s.
Currently, it ranks 20th in the all-time movie rankings on RYM and holds the top spot among films released in the 2010s.
Critics have hailed "Parasite" as a significant leap forward in Bong Joonho's cinematic world. While previous works like "Okja" expanded his universe, "Parasite" represents a leap forward. The film's portrayal of a family living in the heart of capitalism is depicted with directness and density. It offers rapid-paced comedy in the first half and seamlessly transitions to genre twists in the latter half, providing both entertainment and a poignant message.
Bong Joonho's films traverse horizontally and vertically, offering the perspective of the lower class within the binary structure of neoliberal society. "Parasite" intersects the dreams of a typical family striving to ascend from the bottom with the humiliation they face. It echoes the aspirations of Kim Ki-young's "The Housemaid," the cruel reality of "Mother," and the social absurdity of "Memories of Murder," ultimately heading toward a chaotic world. The film's blend of humor, sorrow, and bitterness leaves a lasting impression. "Parasite" not only showcases Bong Joon-ho's growth as a filmmaker but also serves as a refined portfolio of his past endeavors, reflecting his struggles and achievements.