Parasite (2019)

Better late than never, I say. Parasite has shocked the film world, in the best way possible. Against all odds, it defeated a crowded field for Best Picture at the Oscars. A field that included heavy hitters like Scorsese and Tarantino. Nobody should have ever counted Parasite out, but the Oscars don’t have a track record of awarding Best Picture to groundbreaking independent films, let alone a groundbreaking independent film from South Korea. It’s win was a watershed moment for filmmakers everywhere. It’s a shot in the arm for original storytellers in a time that seems dominated by Disney related properties and remakes. Garnering international acclaim, people have hailed Parasite as the best film of 2019, and the decade itself. Does it live up to the hype? The answer is an enthusiastic yes. 

Parasite is one of the best independent films I’ve ever seen. It’s a textbook example of how to take a small idea, and a modest script, with limited locations and launch them all into the stratosphere. Without giving too much away, it centers around two families on opposite sides of the Korean social class. The ultra rich, elite class and the poor. The poor family devises an elaborate scheme to work as servants for the rich family, in the hopes that they can take a taste of aristocratic life, and work their way up the ladder. All is well, until they discover something underneath the house. A third class of servitude is revealed. A class more destitute and subservient to the rich family than the poor family could ever dream of. Reminiscent of The Twilight Zone, Parasite serves as an allegory for income inequality and the ways in which the poorest classes of people are often exploited by the rich, with no thanks in return. 

The best horror films out there tell stories of larger meaning. They need to in order to be properly scary. Bong-Joon Ho allows his agenda to take shape throughout, but cleverly and gracefully, avoids being heavy-handed. For instance, there are no clear heroes and villains in his characters. To Ho, they are all victims of a larger societal struggle. In terms of its visual scope, Parasite is a masterclass in production design and framing. Instantly, the luxurious Park residence has become an iconic backdrop in film history. It’s spacious rooms and narrow hallways paint a chilling picture of the enormity of wealth. The large screen door leading to the front yard is reminiscent of large film screen, almost designed to showcase the importance of the Park family household. At 135 minutes, Parasite tells it’s story as fitfully as a best-selling novel. In the end, you don’t leave Parasite having missed the point of having watched it. It’s satisfying, minute to minute. That’s what makes this a great film. 5 Stars.