Parasite

This film not only won Best International Feature Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Achievement in Directing but it also won Best Motion Picture of the Year at last year’s Oscars. Clearly this is one to watch.

Parasite is a South Korean black comedy thriller that’s been on my must-watch list for some time. And going into it I didn’t look at any trailers or read any reviews. I only knew a few things. The film explores the lives of two families from different societal classes. It’s directed by Bong Joon Ho who also made Snowpiercer, a film that also explores class divide – so I was curious to see how he tells a similar story set in his native country.

The film opens with the camera panning down to below street level to present our lead protagonists, the Kim clan, who are living in a cramped basement and struggling financially. They’re stealing their neighbour’s Wi-Fi to check their WhatsApp messages, letting poisonous exterminator fumes from the street fill their home to solve their bug problem because it’s free, and they’re paid to fold as many recycled pizza boxes as they can to stay financially afloat. Watching the scene unfold you initially feel inclined to sympathise with these characters.

But sympathy quickly turns to mistrust and dislike once they’re revealed as con artists. When the Kim’s son is offered to take over the role of tutor for the rich Park family – the Kim’s seize their chance and one by one infiltrate the Park household, with the Park family blissfully unaware that their new employees are all related. And with each former employee forced out in dark and shocking ways.

The film explores the extreme lengths of what this family will do to gain a more prosperous life. Playing with our perception of both families, but particularly of the Kim’s, as the film drops hints at their run of bad luck that has led them to this point. But with their obvious skills as con-artists the film questions whether has society forced them into this lifestyle or is this naturally who they are? Are they actually very talented individuals who because of where they’ve been born in society have never been given the opportunities to develop their talents in a more ethical and prosperous way? That the extremes of their living situation have in turn resulted in a drastic outcome.

The Kim’s are desperate to achieve a wealthier life for themselves and escape the lower class divide of society. And it’s in this societal divide that Bong Joon Ho so carefully tells his story. The film plays with our perception of both families and makes us question societal ideologies. The lower class want what the upper has and will resort to the most desperate measures to obtain it and abuse it. But the upper class has become so dependent on the services of the lower doing everything for them, from home schooling to housekeeping, cooking and driving that they’re oblivious to the chaos around them.

Once our desperate protagonists manage to make themselves at home the story goes through so many twists and turns. Revealing itself to be so much more than first meets the eye. It becomes is this masterpiece of cinema that still feels confidently contained within the many layers of the story it’s telling. Because where it has the potential to really ham it up and go over the top, there’s a plan, a method to the madness. And while this may feel like a cop-out by not telling you how the story unfolds past this point – I promise you, it’s worth seeing first-hand.

5/5

Now I know some of you will be hesitant to watch this. A subtitled South Korean thriller. But believe me, it’s worth your time. There’s a reason why something which could be considered niche won 4 Oscars. Parasite is currently available on Amazon Prime.