Parasite
2019 · Directed by Bong Joon Ho
Original language: Korean
- comedy
- thriller
- drama
The story
All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
What it’s like
Crisp, precisely framed compositions dominate here: the cramped semi-basement flat is shot in sickly, low-hanging window light, while the Park house glows in clean, sculpted daylight, all glass, lawn and pale minimalist surfaces. The camera glides and cuts with a fluid, almost choreographed precision, shifting between wide architectural shots and tight, claustrophobic close-ups, and the rain-soaked streets and stairways feel slick and heavy underfoot. Sound moves between a playful, lightly comic score and sudden stretches of stillness and ominous hush, with bursts of sharp noise to jolt the viewer. The vibe is wry, tense and bitterly funny, sliding from sly satire to nervy unease. It suits a rainy evening with a companion, or a sharp, attentive night in when you want to be provoked. Pacing is controlled, with the comedy curdling gradually into dread. Its people are a struggling family slowly drawn into deception, and the arc turns on pride, desperation and the cost of wanting more. The intensity is high: brief but brutal violence, some bloody moments, and a steady undercurrent of fear and cruelty. It is for viewers who enjoy social satire with teeth and don't mind a film that stings.
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