NYFF 2019: PARASITE 기생충: A Sharp, Vicious & Essential Masterpiece

I find it delightfully coincidental how the two consecutive Palme d’Or winners both tackle the subject of class and poverty. But while Hirokazu Kore-eda approached Shoplifters with an observational and intimate look at family and unconditional love, Bong Joon-ho aggressively careens towards us with an intoxicating twist of ideas and metaphors on social and economic inequality.

Parasite is the work of a cinematic genius who unloads his heart and mind to us with anger, bitterness, melancholy, and most of all, precision. To categorize Parasite into one specific genre not only does the film a huge disservice, but it also ignores Bong’s already incredible history of merging tones and genre tropes together to serve his unique vision.

A Simple Premise that Evolves Into Something More

Just like before, with past films like Snowpiercer, The Host, and Okja, Bong guides the audience into the world of Parasite through a simple initial premise. We see the poverty-stricken Kim family of four, desperately trying to make a living in their apartment, which looks more like an underground basement home. They celebrate over little things like having access to public Wi-Fi and getting free pesticides from fumigation.

Their living situation is grim, but at least they have each other. What they definitely do not have is a plan to escape from their poverty. That is, until opportunity knocks, and all of a sudden, the son Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik, seen from Train to Busan) is now tutoring the daughter of an extremely wealthy family, the Parks.

That’s all I knew before walking into Parasite. Little did I know that everything I just summarized gets covered within the first ten minutes, and that I’d be walking out of the screening with my jaw partially dislocated.

Meshing Tones and Becoming Unpredictable

How Bong gets me to gasp, shriek, and laugh within the span of seconds is beyond me. The screenplay captures the real world’s messy yet perfect balance of tones. For these characters, their situation can change within a snap of the finger. The only thing that matters is how Bong wants us to react, which is largely dictated by a bombastic score that never overpowers the subtext. You can guess how one scene will lead to another, but you will never guess how you will feel about it.

Accompanied by naturalistic performances from the entire cast, Bong presents us one of the most unpredictable films this year, one that manages to shock us without having any of the tonal whiplash or undeserved twists and turns.

Character Judgment and Restrained Anger

A significant reason why Parasite works as well as it does is the film intentionally lacks judgment on the characters. We may spend a majority of the runtime with the Kims, but the film never expresses disapproval or encouragement of their actions. The same can be said about the Parks. The script never looks down or insults them for being rich. Rather, it acknowledges and constantly reminds us of the wall that divides the two families.

Bong approaches his material with restrained anger. He may not be painting the rich as villains, but he is certainly pointing a finger at their privilege and ignorance. But perhaps the most impressive feat is how Bong takes that privilege and molds it into a ticking time bomb. Eventually, Parasite explodes in your face, and it’s spectacular.

Parasite: The Hype is Real

Parasite managed to live up to and exceed my 4-month long hype. Bong Joon-ho has put together an intricate, multi-layered portrait of inequality and class. At the same time, he never forgets to keep the experience fun and intoxicating. Blink or laugh too long at a joke and you will miss some of his sharpest symbolism and foreshadowing yet. It’s a film that you would want to rewatch the second it’s over. Parasite is easily one of the best films I’ve seen so far this year.

Did you see Parasite? What did you think of the film? Share below!

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