‘Parasite’ Review

Parasite (기생충 in Korean) is one of those rare pieces of beautiful cinema that we’re lucky to get from time to time. It’s simply a marvel of genre mixing, having something from comedy, drama, thriller and horror, and blending all that into its own ”ram-don”. The film constantly keeps revealing another layer (imagine a multi-story house) about the story and surprises the viewer in plethora of ways. Personally, I was very lucky going in to it pretty much blind which is how I would recommend to others as well.

With a movie that is full of achievements in different aspects, you could write a whole essay on it. Here we can start with the script by Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won that seems to be absolutely bulletproof, yet a bit cheeky. Bong and Han have outdone themselves with this one. Lee Ha-jun’s production design is captivating, ranging from building the intricate Park family’s house to the suffocating basement condo of Kim’s. In scenes at the Park house, Bong’s directing levels up with some incredible shots in the driveway and in front of the basement’s entrance. There are no weak links in the cast when it comes to performances, however some praise shall go to Lee Jung-eun (housekeeper Moon-gwang) and especially her acting in the basement scenes.

This is often the point in reviews where you hear some of the dislikes. On this site, that won’t be the case every time. I believe that when you genuinely find a movie you love, you don’t need to point out something you found mediocre just for the sake of it. That’s how I feel about Parasite: there’s really nothing pushing back its impact. It’s a beautiful moment you need to cherish when a film works in total cohesion. I feel confident when I say that this is one of the best films this decade.

Smileys: Screenplay, production design, directing, whole cast’s performances, originality

Frowneys: Nothing

Bong Joon-ho has crafted a miracle with this one. Go see it yesterday.

5.0/5