Synopsis
Parasite is a South Korean film that intertwines dark comedy and thriller elements. It was directed by Bong Joon-ho, who co-wrote the screenplay with Han Jin-won. This film has earned acclaim for its remarkable fusion of social critique with suspense, humor, and horror. Its plot centers on two families: one of extreme wealth and one living in poverty: the Park family and the Kim family, respectively.
The members of the Kim family include Ki-taek, who is the father and head of the family; his wife Chung-sook; and their children Ki-woo and Ki-jung. Collectively, they inhabit a semi-basement unit in a Seoul slum and are engaged in poorly paying side jobs. Their situation is so desperate that they are forced to steal Wi-Fi from adjacent businesses. They are quite resourceful and supportive in facing life’s challenges, making them a resilient family. Events start to shift in their favor when Ki-woo’s friend Min-hyuk offers him a job as an English tutor for the Park family’s daughter, Da-hye, enabling him to replace Min-hyuk.
Ki-woo forges credentials and gets the job. Mrs. Park is already impressed by his performance and hires him, which indicates no background checks are done. Seizing the chance, Ki-woo comes up with a plan to slowly ‘replace’ members of his family into the household disguised as different identities and roles. His sister, Ki-jung, is an art therapist for the Parks’ son, Da-song. Subsequently, the family frames the existing chauffeur and housekeeper so that Ki-taek and Chung-sook can assume those positions.
By now, the Kim family is living a comfortable life, enjoying the benefits of the Parks luxurious home and their life while pretending to not know each other. However, the film takes an unexpected turn when the former housekeeper, Moon-gwang, returns one stormy night saying she left something in the basement. She reveals that her husband, Geun-sae, has been secretly living in an underground bunker for years, hiding from loan sharks.
As Moon-gwang learns about the Kims’ secret, the spiral becomes complete as the cascading waves of violence as well as tension thereafter take center stage. The Park family’s unexpected return coupled with the commotion beneath the surface compels the Kims to conceal themselves while chaos ensues.
The film’s climax unfolds during Da-song’s birthday party. Geun-sae emerges from the basement, and in a blind moment of rage and overwhelming grief, he attacks the Kims. In the chaos that follows, Ki-jung is mortally injured, and Ki-taek, in a fit of rage stemming from the contempt Mr. Park had for him, kills him before the onlooking guests. Afterward, Ki-taek disappears.
The consequences are that Ki-woo sustains a brain injury while Chung-sook is imprisoned, and the Parks’ residence is purchased by a different family. Ultimately, Ki-taek is shown to have been hiding in the basement bunker. While dreaming of one day making enough to buy back the house and reunite with his father, the final scene suggests this aspiration may be futile.
Cast & Crew
Director & Co-Writer:
Bong Joon-ho – A critically acclaimed South Korean director known for his genre-blending storytelling. His previous works include Memories of Murder, The Host, Snowpiercer, and Okja. With Parasite, Bong cemented his place in global cinema history by winning the Academy Award for Best Director.
Main Cast:
Song Kang-ho as Ki-taek
A frequent collaborator of Bong Joon-ho, Song plays the down-on-his-luck patriarch of the Kim family. His performance is layered, oscillating between subtle comedy and explosive emotion.
Lee Sun-kyun as Mr. Park
The affluent and estranged patriarch of the Park family. Lee gives a performance that captures the sharply dressed disconnection of corporate smugness.
Cho Yeo-jeong as Mrs. Park
Easily deceived and gullible, she encapsulates a mix of charm and dense ignorance. Her characterization is emblematic of the bubble of privilege.
Choi Woo-shik as Ki-woo
The hopeful and self-serving son who makes the first move to initiate the family’s infiltration into the Park household. His arc reveals the illusion of social mobility.
Park So-dam as Ki-jung
Confident and clever, she plays the famous conwoman of the family. Her tragic death is among the film’s most emotionally devastating moments.
Jang Hye-jin as Chung-sook
The stoic and humorous mother of the Kim family who offers a mix of wit and poignant observations.
Lee Jung-eun as Moon-gwang
The ex-housekeeper of the family, whose secrets shift the entire narrative of the film.
Park Myung-hoon as Geun-sae
A tragic figure whose years of isolation drives him into madness, transforming him into a terrifying presence.
Cinematography:
Hong Kyung-pyo
His cinematography illustrates the contrast between the Kim’s cramped, dimly lit home and the Park’s mansion, which is spacious and sunlit. Visual metaphors, such as staircases, which depict literal and figurative ascents and descents in social standing, reinforce the class divide omnipresent in the film.
Music:
Jung Jae-il
The score is hauntingly minimal but deeply effective. Its relentless grasp heightens the film’s tension and emotional undertow.
IMDb Ratings
Parasite has an outstanding 8.5/10 score on IMDb, making it one of the highest-rated non-English films on the site. Critics praised its direction, screenplay, acting, cinematography and especially its scathing critique of socioeconomic disparity.
Critically, Parasite received overwhelming acclaim. It won the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Korean film to do so. In 2020, it made Oscar history by becoming the first non-English language film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards along with Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film. The win marked a watershed moment not just for Korean filmmaking but for the global cinema.
Engaging audiences on multiple levels, the film’s story was both paradoxically multi-genre and cohesive in its blend of comedic, dramatic, and horrific elements. Its exploration of class conflict and economic disparity, as well as social mobility—or the lack thereof—resonate on a global scale, making these themes accessible and universal in nature.
Conclusion
Parasite serves as a captivating social commentary intertwined with a thrilling cinematic experience. The class structure of contemporary society is masterfully depicted through a blend of sharp yet subtle symbolism, revealing discomforting realities. Bong Joon-ho’s exacting gaze, together with a stellar cast and an acerbic script transforms the narrative into something more profound than mere storytelling.
From visual metaphors to unnerving verisimilitude, every detail in Parasite is purposeful and painstakingly polished. Whether you are a film aficionado or a more casual viewer, Parasite demands and merits your full focus. Its profound impact marks it as a contemporary masterpiece that will shape the future of cinema and ignite discourse for many years.
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