Parasite is a curious hybrid, a comedy-drama-thriller that tells the story of the class system, not just in South Korea, but the world at large. It’s the age-old struggle that Dickens wrote about in his novels, and it’s alive and kicking today—a conflict that never resolves despite our advancements. This tale exposes the darker side of human nature, allowing us to laugh at it and be horrified by it at the same time.
I didn’t know what to make of Parasite when I first saw it. I was stunned and confounded, due to several unexpected twists in the narrative. I also wasn’t sure who to root for, if anyone. All of the main characters are likable to a degree but despicable as well, which left me fascinated yet ultimately detached. I’m not as shellshocked this time around, so the brilliance of the film shines through. I’m still not rooting for anyone, however.
Parasite is about two families: the lower-class Kims and the upper-class Parks, who are brought together out of circumstance and necessity. We begin with the Kim family in their cramped, semi-basement apartment, searching for free Wi-Fi so they can communicate by using WhatsApp, also for free. We observe them scavenging off of other people living above them while they flick away at roaches that live off of their crumbs, establishing a visual pecking order. The father (Song Kang-ho), the mother (Jang Hye-jin), the son (Choi Woo-shik) soon to be known as “Kevin,” and the daughter (Park So-dam) soon to be known as “Jessica” are all unemployed at the moment but find temp work folding pizza boxes for a local restaurant to bring in money. What’s clear right away is that the Kims survive by their wits. The atmosphere is one of biting humor and sarcasm, which is another basic survival tool, given their bleak circumstances, and it keeps the dire proceedings entertaining.
The Kims’ son meets up with his friend Min (Park Seo-joon), who is a university student leaving soon to study abroad. Min has been tutoring the pretty young daughter of a wealthy family, giving her English lessons, and he hopes to date her after she finishes high school. He suggests that his pal take the job in his place and call himself “Kevin.” Min would prefer to have an undercover friend keep an eye on her, so others don’t move in during his absence. He convinces “Kevin” to fake it, as far as his educational experience goes, and apply for the job.
There is a lot of symbolism in Parasite early on, including Min’s gift to Kevin and his family in the form of a scholar’s stone, a traditional rock shaped like a landscape, meant to ensure prosperity. It’s fascinating where the stone ends up and how it’s used and abused by various characters in this story. Kevin’s sister is handy with Photoshop, and she forges the necessary documents for her brother to pose as a university student. With Min’s endorsement, Kevin arrives on the Parks’ doorstep for an interview. The congenial housekeeper Moon-gwang (Lee Jung-eun) gives him a casual tour of this lavish residence before he interviews with the sophisticated Mrs. Park (Cho Yeo-jeong) and lands the job as tutor for their quiet daughter (Jung Ji-so). When Kevin discovers the Parks are having trouble hiring a suitable art teacher for their somewhat disturbed little boy (Jung Hyeon-jun), he recommends “Jessica,” an acquaintance who happens to be a highly qualified art-therapy student. The Kims’ daughter rises to the occasion as an impostor by Googling “art therapy” and lands the job as “Jessica.”
We learn several things about the upper-class Parks during these early scenes, played mostly for amusement. Their housekeeper Moon-gwang has been with the family since they first moved in, but she was housekeeper to the famous architect who designed this place prior to that. She knows every brick, every room, and every corner of the opulent residence as a result. The Parks’ young boy Da-song is obsessed with stereotypical Native Americans and collects feathered headdresses, tomahawks, and teepees. Later, we find out he suffered serious emotional trauma when he was six and is prone to periodic convulsions. He is convinced the house is haunted.
The Parks’ chauffeur flirts with Jessica while driving her to a transit stop, hoping she’ll let him take her all the way home instead. She refuses his advancements but sees it as an opportunity to play a prank on him by removing her panties. She hides them under the car seat in front of her, where they are discovered the next day by Mr. Park (Lee Sun-kyun), who fires the chauffeur and replaces him with Jessica’s recommended candidate—you guessed it, her own father posing as an unrelated applicant. The Kims are soon able to convince Mrs. Park that their devoted housekeeper Moon-gwang has tuberculosis and is keeping her contagious condition from them on purpose. Moon-gwang is fired at once and replaced with Mrs. Kim—so now all four family members work for the Parks.
That’s when the first plot twist happens. Up to this point, we’ve seen the Parks systematically conned and manipulated by the smug and morally corrupt Kims. The Parks, on the other hand, care little for the fate of their prior “help,” as long as their own needs and pleasures are met. They’ll pay whatever it takes to buy other people’s loyalty but offer none in return. No security, compassion, or understanding come with the paychecks. When the Parks leave for a camping trip to commemorate their son’s birthday, the Kims throw themselves a private party in the living room. As it begins to rain, Moon-gwang turns up soaked to the bone at the door, pleading to be let in. She has left something in the basement and asks Mrs. Kim if she can retrieve it. We discover that Moon-gwang has been hiding her own husband in a sub-basement bunker for the past four years to shield him from murderous loan sharks. As housekeeper, she brought him food from the Parks’ kitchen, which kept him alive, but when she was fired without notice for being terminally ill, she couldn’t feed him anymore. By accident, the Kims reveal themselves to Moon-gwang, and upon discovering their secret connection as a family of grifters, Moon-gwang records them together on her phone, threatening to send the video to the Parks if they don’t help her.
Things take a horrific turn after that. Without giving the entire plot away, each of the characters reaches a breaking point for reasons stemming from the same human condition—and it’s a stunning revelation. This culmination of events concludes in a terrifying bloodbath.
The parasites devour each other.
Parasite is full of rich details. The haunting music score and indelible visuals propel moviegoers into the psychology and symbolism of these complex people, creating a powerful story. The various levels of stairs above and below ground in each location form a perfect metaphor for the structured hierarchy of wealth and privilege. Ultimately, the real “villain” in Parasite is economic disparity—and it destroys everyone in the end.
Parasite
Director | Bong Joon Ho |
Primary Cast | Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Lee Jung-eun, Jang Hye-jin, Park Myung-hoon, Jung Ji-so, Jung Hyeon-jun, Park Keun-rok, Park Seo-joon |
Familiar Faces | none (no repeat performers from the previous winning films) |
Firsts | First film in a language other than English to win Best Picture, first film to win both Best Picture and Best International Feature Film (formerly Best Foreign Language Film), first South Korean film to be nominated for and win Best International Feature Film (formerly Best Foreign Language Film) |
Total Wins | 4 (Picture, Director, Screenplay: Original, International Feature Film) |
Total Nominations | 6 (Picture, Director, Screenplay: Original, Production Design, Editing, International Feature Film) |
Viewing Format | Blu-ray Disc |