PARASITE REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where it was awarded the Palme d'Or award, Bong Joon-ho's latest film, Parasite, has received critical acclaim, with many praising its "brilliantly layered look at timely themes". Since then, Parasite has received positive reception from viewers of the film. Because of its impressive reception, it quickly became one of my most anticipated films of 2020, however, I was lucky enough to watch it at an early preview screening. My expectations were high for Parasite and, fortunately, it doesn't disappoint. It ends a year of great films on a high and is a must see.

The Park family are the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim family are rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kim family sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo (Woo-sik Choi), the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kim family provide "indispensable" luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kim's newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kim family and the Parks.

With a film like Parasite, I think it's best to view it without knowing much about the plot. By avoiding reviews and trailers, I knew little about what was going to happen and found Parasite to be an unpredictable watch for the majority of its 132 runtime. Prior to watching, I was worried about the language barrier and having to read subtitles for the entirety of the film, fortunately, this wasn't an issue. Parasite and Alfonso Cuarón's Roma have encouraged me to watch more foreign films as they provide a unique viewing experience. 

With Parasite, Bong has created a thought-provoking film. I can't imagine anyone seeing this film and not having an opinion of it. It's definitely a film that will divide audiences, especially the ending which takes a shocking twist. A lot of people will also have different opinions on the actions by the Kim family. In order to get jobs for the whole family, the Kim family lie and pose as sophisticated skilled workers, unrelated to each other, and integrate themselves into the lives of the Parks. It's easy to understand why the Kim family do this as they're desperate for money and aren't earning enough by folding pizza boxes. It would've been easy to portray the Park family as the antagonists simply because they're wealthy, however, Parasite portrays them as ordinary individuals who have a lot of money. In the beginning, they come across as friendly, unfortunately, towards the end, they make comments that reveal how blind they are to the real world. After a flood leaves the Kims family homeless, a member of the Park family comments on the nice weather due to all the rain from the previous evening. This small comment clearly shows how oblivious the Park family are to the real world as they're unaware of the suffering the Kim family are experiencing. 

Parasite effectively shows the divide between the rich and the poor and shows the contrast between the two lives. The Kim family live in a small semi-basement apartment, working low-paying temporary jobs and struggling to make ends meet. However, they are very close and grateful for what they have. When Ki-woo gets a job working for the Park family, we can instantly see how different their lives are. While the Kim family are down to earth and don't take anything for granted, the same can't be said for the Park family. At first, they come across as friendly and, unintentionally, hire the Kim family, however, it's clear how oblivious they are to the real world. I can imagine a lot of people empathising with the Kim family, however, they're far from perfect individuals as they lie in order to get themselves a job. Others will probably be able to see the story from the Park family's point of view and struggle to understand the Kim family's actions. This is why Parasite is one of this year's must see films as everyone will have a different opinion and it will provoke many interesting conversations from audiences.

Prior to watching Parasite, I did see a few comments regarding the ending and how shocking and violent it is. While Parasite is an engaging and compelling drama for most of its runtime, the story takes a surprising turn when a former employer of the Park family, who lost her job because of the Kim family, returns and threatens to reveal their secret. This leads to a violent outbreak that takes place at a birthday party. While I do recommend Parasite, those who struggle to watch violence may want to avoid it as it gets intense towards the end.

Parasite starts off as a gripping drama with the tension increasing. When the Kim family decide to live inside the Park family home whilst they're away camping, an intense sequence occurs when they return home early, with the Kim family hiding and struggling to leave the house without being discovered.

Parasite currently has a rating of 99% on the review aggregation website, Rotten Tomatoes, with over 300 critics giving it positive reviews. This is very impressive as most films divide critics and it's rare for a film to achieve this rating. It also won the Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival and became the first Korean film to ever win this award. It's also currently nominated for three Golden Globes including Best Director and Best Screenplay for Bong and Best Foreign Film. I can imagine a lot of people overlooking Parasite and not seeing it simply because it's a foreign film which is unfair. I see a lot of complaints about unoriginal films, such as superhero films, sequels and remakes, being successful at the box office yet those same people don't give unique films like Parasite a chance. The themes that feature within the narrative for Parasite couldn't be more relevant, including the contrasting lives between the wealthy and poor. 

With Parasite, a thought-provoking drama that features a narrative with relevant themes, Bong Joon-ho has created his most successful film yet.

8/10