Parasite

What makes ‘Parasite’ so satisfying is that it commits neither error. It’s an engrossing, stylish and near perfect movie, and its underlying themes go beyond merely pointing out class exploitation to challenge the logic of capital. Though he is often juggling a mosaic of characters, themes and social issues, Bong never eschews his anarchic impulses and dark humour. It’s a movie that should be seen as widely as possible, if only so that Bong Joon-ho gets more chances to make movies for modern audiences that badly need them.
- Jake Watt

Read Jake's full article...
https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-parasite-a-bloodthirsty-and-very-funny-look-at-class-warfare

Head to https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/sff for more Sydney Film Festival reviews.

The working class and down on their luck Kim family struggle to make ends meet. When a friend of the son, Ki-Woo’s, who is an English tutor for the daughter in the wealthy Park family, has to leave his position, he recommends Ki-Woo for the job. Now having an "in" with the wealthy family, the Kims begin plotting the downfall of the current household servants and inserting themselves into those vacant positions, making them all gainfully employed and with money finally flowing into the household. But not everything is as it seems in the Park house or with their previous servants.

This movie starts out as a comedy and quickly goes into social commentary, pointing out the differences between the poor working class family and the wealthy privileged family. The differences are ones that get commonly pointed out with the well-to-do having what usually gets termed as first-world-problems, while the poor family is literally trying to survive and save meager possessions in a flood. It doesn’t shy away or try to be subtle about it, but interestingly enough, we don’t feel beaten over the head with it either, which is a major change from the ham-fisted approach taken by most filmmakers. Couching this in a comedy is a good approach, as well, as the audience’s guard is let down and we become more receptive to the ideas.

However, I do say it’s MOSTLY a comedy. The third act takes a dark, dark turn, and the contrast, not to mention general disdain and even indifference, between the classes becomes much more severe. This gets into some hard territory, and characters that we’ve found quirky and even come to like in some ways show very different sides of themselves. At the same time, it doesn’t feel unexpected, almost like we could tell that this was under the surface all the time and tried to ignore it, but aren’t surprised by it when it does show up. This is some masterful characterization!

Another aspect of note is that this film is rich in allegory and metaphor. It’s a smart film, yet at the same time the filmmakers are not condescending about it. They give the audience credit for being able to understand the symbolism and don’t spoon feed you everything, which is a refreshing change from the usual head-beating most filmmakers go for. At the same time, they understand that not every audience member will understand or immediately pick up on every symbol, but they have crafted this so carefully and so perfectly that you don’t have to understand each and every one. That understanding merely enriches the experience, but isn’t essential to it.

This film has gotten some recognition, and deservedly so. It is rich, intelligent, and polished to a degree that we sadly don’t see as often as we should nowadays, showing the filmmakers are masters of their craft. This is easily one of the best films I’ve seen in 2019. Highly recommended!

This is VERY HIGHLY OVERRATED.
The most part of the movie is foul-playing, most of those scenes seem to have been copied from the 1999/old Vijay’s movie: Minsaara Kannan [IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7562630/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2], (Warning: This again might be a copy of some other movie as well].
“Morse code” has been used in a much better way in 2017 Ajith’s film: Vivegam [IMDB:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6878378/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0] [Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/vivegam/]
I just don’t understand what makes this movie so special that it has been appraised so highly. It is not even 10% of the Tamil movies at this level/standard.
People who’re praising this movie must start watching Tamil movies instead of Korean, there are so many gems that have gone unnoticed.
There is really nothing special in this movie that stands out.
Cannot digest that an average movie like this has got so much limelight. Btw: Where does this kinda BS trend start off?

errbnb

News that Adam McCay is collaborating with Bong Joon Ho to retool Parasite as a Netflix series makes me positively giddy. Parasite is easily the best movie I've seen since the Big Short. Joon Ho's compelling ease of execution alongside the effortless lure of the plot's trappings had me hooked in an instant. I would have been happy watching this family fold pizza boxes for two hours. The story, like the family, takes on a life of its own, rapidly elevating to a setup impossible to sustain. The Bunuelesque occupy-the-rich scheme gleefully, blissfully ascends to lofty heights only, inevitably, to hit the fatal fan. The poor buggers ultimately find themselves literally chin deep in their own sh*t. The hotsy-totsy aristocrats, meanwhile, host a lovely garden party that flips into a tragic Shakespearean bloodbath. It's all fun and games till someone loses a daughter. (Note to the rich: Check the references of new hires and think twice before inviting riffraff to your afternoon functions). Decades in the making, the implosion of a middle income buffer and a widening disparity between social classes make Parasite a must-see for all income brackets. You don't have to be rich or detest or envy the rich to enjoy this instant classic. But please, whatever you do, don't try this a home, folks. Never combine the rich and poor without safety goggles or outside the confines of a controlled and supervised laboratory setting.

"You know what kind of plan that never fails? No plan. No plan at all. You know why? Because life cannot be planned."

'Parasite' is absolutely fantastic. I'm still buzzing how good this movie is. Unpredictable and nuts. You know, this summer I was starting to get a little worn out with the endless sequels, remakes and soulless crash grabs, so I find it refreshing we get movies like this once awhile.

I admire Bong Joon-Ho as a director, especially his Korean movies. Not to say I dislike his English language films like 'Snowpiercer' and 'Okja', but in my personal opinion those don't match the same quality as his Korean movies and there isn't a sex pest trying to control his work. Anywhere, Bong Joon-Ho is one of the best working directors alive and 'Parasite' proves it.

The movie perfectly blends drama and comedy so effortlessly, it basically breaks the impossible. And the comedy is actually hilarious and well written with the execution being sold on the actors. The thing I love so much is how funny, thrilling and intense the movie can be, hijacking all senses and emotions all wrapped into one - only a few directors can pull something this unique.

The performances from everyone was brilliant and there's so much depth to each character, they make the movie as captivating as it is. The cinematography was beautiful, the music was remarkable, and the movie says so much it's the reason why I was engaged throughout.

I highly recommend people to avoid knowing anything before going in, because trust me it will add to your experience.

Overall rating: Finally, a breath of fresh air. My second favorite movie of this year.

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Yes, I know. I'm late as hell. I don't really have anything to offer you besides my personal opinion. Theses and video essays are breaking down Parasite at such a deep level that I can't really write anything new. Nevertheless, I'll share my thoughts on it because it would be a massive miss from someone who considers himself as a film critic. I had this movie on my watchlist since last summer, but I kept delaying it, underestimating my time. So, no, I'm not just watching Parasite because it won Best Picture at the Oscars, I always planned on it.

In addition to that, yes, I also love it like most people, and no, I'm not writing this because I'm "following the pack". Bong Joon Ho simply delivered one of 2019's best films, and it's definitely cracking a spot in my Top10. I really enjoyed what Bong did with Okja, and I'm a massive fan of Snowpiercer. Therefore, this isn't just another South Korean flick. It's directed and co-written by someone who has been proving himself for quite some time. Even though I still defend that Sam Mendes deserved to win Best Director for his work on 1917, I'm more than happy that a foreign movie finally won Best Picture, and what a film to do it!

It can be described as a dark dramedy, but I think social satire is more adequate. The differences between the rich and the poor are beautifully shown on-screen exclusively through visuals. There's so little exposition, which is one of the reasons why Parasite has one of 2019's best screenplays. The balance between explaining something and leaving it ambiguous is perfect. Throughout the runtime, Bong Joon Ho leans on an actor's face so that the audience can understand what that character is feeling through its expressions, which will explain its actions later on.

There's a sequence that surely has been heavily discussed for the past months. It's raining, and Bong cleverly divides the screen with how the wealthy family is dealing with it against the poor neighborhood where the Kim family comes from. The gorgeous cinematography, the unforgettable musical score, the seamless editing... Everything about this sequence is technically flawless, and it carries such an emotionally powerful message. Something astonishing and beautiful to look at for some can be a horrible disaster for others.

It's a movie that balances a lot of tones. In ten minutes, the tone goes from funny to dramatic to suspenseful to scary to absolute tragedy... and it all feels incredibly realistic. That's one of my major compliments to Parasite: I never felt like it was fiction. I never thought "this is too much, this would never occur". Even in the third act, where the narrative takes some bold decisions, everything makes sense with what had been shown until then. From shocking character actions to surprising plot points, Bong and Han Jin-won's screenplay is excellent.

Everyone in the cast is fantastic, but Song Kang-ho is the standout, in my opinion. His role as the father of the Kim family is brilliant. I'm actually surprised he wasn't nominated for Best Actor in more award shows. I created a connection with this family in such a way that the ending truly impacted me. It's tough to deny that the writing is what makes Parasite the phenomenon that so many people fell in love with, myself included.

Technically, I don't have any defects to point out. It's one of those films that I firmly believe in having virtually no flaws. I'm in love with the score, I gasped several times at the impressive cinematography, and the editing is perfect. Whatever genre the story decides to go to, it's always entertaining and extremely captivating. Its comedy is very smart, and it made me laugh a lot of times. Its dramatic storylines kept my eyes always focused on what was happening. Even when it briefly delves into the horror territory, it's more suspenseful and scary than most of that genre's flicks nowadays.

All in all, Parasite genuinely surprised me. With so many people hyping it to a ridiculously high level, my expectations were very moderate. Nevertheless, I love it as much or more as everyone else. I know that watching it this late can make some people question my opinion/rating, but I would never love a movie because I "should" or because other people do. It deserves every award it received, especially the ones concerning the screenplay. It's one of the best original stories of the last few years, and it's written in such a brilliant manner, with beautiful visual storytelling instead of the overused exposition. An emotionally resonant message is present throughout the whole runtime, and the various tones are balanced seamlessly. Technically flawless: cinematography, score, editing... everything's absolutely perfect. Nothing is placed without purpose. Not a single line of dialogue is wasted. Bong Joon Ho is a phenomenal filmmaker, one that cares about the art and everything that comes with it. He truly put his heart and soul into this, and it would be a shame if anyone fails to watch this magnificent movie just because it's in a foreign language. Please, don't make such an awful mistake...

Rating: A+