Parasite - Movie Review

By
Zora Flatley
9

10

0
9

10

Parasite

In our world today, the US rules the globe as an influential entity. Unfortunately, movie productions seem to fall under the same pretense. The fact of the matter is that Hollywood does have some monopoly both regionally and internationally when it comes to the movie industry.

The most grossing films worldwide are American, the most prestigious award show is The Oscars, and the most popular people to ever be on/off camera in this industry definitely come from Hollywood.

There is no denying, the prominence of English as a language, and Hollywood as an industry giant, but the truth is, there are hundreds of films that have never quite reached world fame, due to the fact that they’re non-English.

However, one international movie just made history, Parasite. This Korean feature was nominated for 6 categories in the Oscars and ended up winning Best Picture, Directing, International Feature Film and Original Screenplay, which are the most prominent awards in the ceremony itself.

This was by far the most jaw-dropping moment of the Oscars ceremony since its inception. Never before has a foreign film won the Best Picture award before, not to mention winning both Best Foreign Film and Best Film.

Notably, Parasite wouldn’t have been so successful if it weren’t for Bong Joon Ho’s mastery, which created one of the most perfect movies of all time. Every big director has their own signature, note Anderson’s almost surreal approach, Scorsese’s classical mindset, Nolan’s layered build-up to epicness, Tarantino’s iconic strategy of depicting playful seriousness, and then you get Ho’s meticulously thought out approach.

https://revyou.com/uploads/thumbnail-960/1594228036448maxresdefault_(1).webp Parasite - Movie Review

Frankly, each and every approach is unique and caters to specific parts in the movie experience, so one can’t explicitly say that Ho’s approach is the best. That being said, while watching Parasite, you’ll come to realize that the minds behind this production have thought about everything, down to the minutest detail.

The plot is perfectly balanced and laid out to have your mind completely taken and eyes glued to the screen, till the last second. Moreover, it won’t have you craving for more, it’s ending is rather satisfying.

The movie starts in the Kims’ impoverished home, where it is clear that they can’t even afford the basic necessities like insect detergents and Wi-Fi. The first act ends with Ki-woo’s (the son) friend hooking him up with a tutoring job for the Park family’s daughter. The second and third acts end with Ki-woo bringing all his family jobs working for the Park family.

His father becomes the family’s driver, his mother is the house girl and his sister, an art mentor for their little boy. The Kims are hustlers by nature who usually have to bend over backward just to survive, which is why this was the opportunity of a lifetime.

Proceeding that, the plot really thickens, and starts to take a rather gloomy turn. The family discovers that the previous house girl had her husband live in The Park’s secret basement, without their knowledge.

This is when you start to understand where the name Parasite came from, but you still won’t completely get it till the final act. This movie has broken records because not only does it shed light on a real societal issue, but it succeeded to do so beautifully.

The truth is Parasite is a once in a lifetime kind of film, and you shouldn’t miss that chance just because it’s Korean. After all, a true cinephile never pays much attention to the language barrier and seeks to indulge in any movie as long as it inspires.