Story/Mood: Parasite begins in the home of a family living in a basement hovel in Seoul. The son, Kim Ki-woo “Kevin,” gets a job tutoring the daughter of the wealthy Park family who live in a pristine minimalist home behind high walls. Kevin figures out a way to sneak in his sister as the Park son’s art therapist; the siblings then play some dirty tricks to bring their parents in as the Parks’ driver and housekeeper—getting rid of the original staff in the process. The wealthy Parks have no idea that all their staff are now related. When the Parks are away on vacation, the original housekeeper returns and that’s when what seems at first like a creepy comedy veers into drama and horror.
Parasite packs a punch. Its unexpected plot twists leave you gasping. Director Bong Joon-Ho explains: “When I’m writing the script, I’m just busy thinking about the situations and the characters… A lot of people comment on how I shift tones and mix genres… but to be very honest, when I’m writing or shooting, I’m never really aware that I do that… I think if someone were to threaten me, forcing me to maintain a singular tone throughout the two hours of one film, that would actually be more difficult for me. The mixtures and shifts—that feels more natural to me.”
Most importantly, the mixtures and shifts work—they’re integral to the storytelling and the emotional impact of the film.
The Look: The film takes place primarily in two locations—the Kim’s basement home and the Parks’ mansion. The contrast between the two spaces and ways of life are all about money: The Kims have to steal cell phone service; their toilet overflows, spewing brown liquid all over the bathroom; they have views of people peeing in the streets; whereas the Parks’ home is pathologically clean and has views of a perfectly manicured garden.
Memorable Moment: When the Parks’ young son notices that the chauffeur and housekeeper “smell the same.” In fact, smell plays a vital role in the film. It’s a powerful class marker that you can’t erase, that crosses boundaries, and lingers when you’re gone.
Crew: Director Bong Joon-ho says: “In normal life, the rich and the poor don’t share the same living space. On the same plane, there are sections for rich riders and poor riders and they are separate. The only time those of different classes can smell each other is when the poor work for the rich families as tutors, housekeepers and drivers.”
He goes on: “I wanted to feature the class gap in a more delicate and multi-layered manner. So the rich family couple has been depicted as well-mannered, elegant and naive sometimes. But, looking at them closely, the camera picks up their hysteric side as well. The poor family seemed to be ordinary in a way, but they are the ones who deceived people to take away others’ jobs. People are not good or bad in their entirety.”
Where to Watch: Streaming on multiple platforms.
Other notes: 132 minutes. In Korean with English subtitles.
