Review: Parasite

Release date: May 30, 2019
Running time: 132 minutes
Starring: Kang-ho Song, Yeo-jeong Jo, So-dam Park 

Parasite is an odd title to categorize.  It starts off as a hustle movie, where the Kim family takes advantage of the wealthy, trusting Park family.  However, part way through it turns into a more suspenseful film as the scam starts to unravel and new issues arise with the situation.  

To call this film different would be an understatement; it doesn't do anything particularly amazing but it tells an interesting  story that deals with class inequality, the extreme lengths some will go to survive, and some very suspenseful situations.  The film doesn't have many characters, but the ones that are there are perfectly cast and acted; with the hustler family coming off as capable and conniving and the wealthy family coming off as out of touch and in over their heads.  You want to root for the hustlers as they are just trying to survive, but you also feel sympathy for the wealthy family as they are being taken advantage of.  

The story is slowly paced but I appreciated that about this film.  The build up is steady, but when the film switches from a scam to suspense, the pace of the film increases dramatically.  Most of the film is set in either families' domiciles, and the sets are used perfectly.  The differences between the living situations of the Kims and the Parks are pretty dramatic, and the first time you see the Park manor, it genuinely takes your breath away.  The film also makes excellent use of light to both highlight these differences and build the suspense when it takes its turn.  This movie really is something that has to be experienced as it is tough to describe!

Parasite is like having two films in one, and the combination of the two results in a suspenseful, methodical story that has some interesting characters and plenty of surprises. 

Watch it