Parasite

★★★★

Parasite (2019)

Runtime: 132 minutes

MPAA: Rated R for language, some violence and sexual content.

"Parasite", according to the Merriam-Websiter Dictionary, is defined as "an organism living in, on, or with another organism in order to obtain nutrients, grow, or multiply often in a state that directly or indirectly harms the host". Scroll a little lower and the second definition reads "someone or something that resembles a biological parasite in living off of, being dependent on, or exploiting another while giving little or nothing in return".

The latter, as is title of the film, precisely describes the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the impoverished Kim family. When Kim Ki-woo (Choi Woo-sik) meet up with his friend Min-hyuk (Park Seo-joon), he convinces Ki-woo to become an English tutor for Da-Hye (Jung Ji-so), the daughter of the Park family. With the help of his sister Gi-jeong's (Park So-dam) knowledge in document forgery, he gets hired as the tutor, and through a series of quirky and comedic events, slowly gets his sister, dad Ki Taek (Song Kang-ho) and mom Chung Sook (Jang Hye-jin) jobs in the family through recommendations, manipulations and elaborate traps to dismiss the current household's driver and housekeeper. It's breezy and funny for the first hour, but horrific revelations ensue. Let's just say the next half-an-hour is utterly discomfiting as they attempt to handle the situation, and the climax couldn't be darker, yet realistic and so relevant in what it conveys. You'll go through three major emotions in this thrilling, unpredictable ride as the picture somehow miraculously holds together. Sit tight.

Parasite, directed by Bong Joon Ho, and written by him and Han Jin-won, may take place in Korea, yet resonates universally in its subtle commentary on class inequality and capitalism that have come to define the social and economic status of people everywhere. The Kim family lives in a semi-basement flat, which mirrors the current state they're trapped in - between both worlds. They're not invisible, yet they're constantly ignored or degraded. As the family carefully schemes and puts one after another into the wealthy household, it seems as if they have upward social mobility. In the family, Gi-jeong, who has now disguised herself under the name Jessica, has the greatest potential, demonstrating expert improvisation, seamless assimilation to the rich and is remarkably composed. She seems to be the one who can bridge the gap between the wealthy and the poor.

Bong's visual language communicates this in silent, understated ways. He lets the camera sit to capture any of the tension or chaos that's happening, while also being fixated on lines, which represent characters not crossing lines (personal boundaries), and the symbolism of many things like a scholar's rock gifted to the family. There so many ironies that may initially be funny or coincidental, but captures the deeply cruel mechanics of the rigged system. With the slow yet controlled pacing, the twists and tonal shifts are gradual, as a midsection reveal threatens to make the whole project overly convoluted.

And somehow, he manages to contain it all. When the Kim family finds out about the secret underground basement and its inhabitants, Parasite ditches the comfort and drops you into a tense situation about whether the family can conceal their identity, presence and handle their opponents who want to blackmail them to expose their cover. In some ways, the working class are pitted against each other, fighting for the scraps that the upper class leave behind. You can tell from the goofy fights to the explosively violent climax. Not to mention, many tiny things like rain can be a double-edged sword. The Park family's son, Da Song (Jung Hyun-jun), complains that it ruined his camping trip. The Kim family's semi-basement flat is half submerged.

I could go on and on. After handling the situation with the people downstairs, they're called back the next morning for Da Song's birthday party, where all hell breaks loose. There's stabbings, bludgeoning, and blood just about everywhere, yet amidst all of this, Mr. Park couldn’t care less about the mortally wounded Gi-jeong, only concerned about his unconscious son. He pinches his nose when picking up the keys from one of the poor killed, in disgust of that smell. That drives Ki Taek to stab him; a culmination of all the contempt and rage built up in him, knowing that the rich lack empathy for anyone below their class, and only care about their privilege. The aftermath brings us back to brutal reality, devoid of any hope. The Kim family is brought back to the bottom, now dealing with the loss of a family member and the disappearance of another. We know Ki-woo is never going to earn enough money to buy the house and free his father. It's depressing just thinking about this.

Perhaps, that's the main point of it all. Like the best filmmakers, Bong invites us to carefully contemplate about these issues, his film serving not as a didactic lesson but as a mirror for us to reflect on how socioeconomic problems and wealth inequality have come to define the world and its people as it is today. He also invites us to revisit the film again, to more thoroughly analyse his intended symbolisms, peel more layers into class struggle and view it in the perspective of the rich. All parties here are parasitic; the Parks exploit the labour of the Kims, while the Kims exploit their naiveness for monetary benefit and a chance to elevate themselves. Sadly, the system failed them.