USA TODAY International Edition
Dark comedy ‘ Parasite’ is brilliant
“Parasite” sounds like an unnerving horror movie about unwanted invaders, but that’s just one aspect that completely works in this socially conscious delight.
One of the most well- rounded movies you’ll see this year, the South Korean film- fest favorite ( rated R; in theaters Friday in New York and Los Angeles, expanding throughout October) also balances dark comedy, biting social satire, human drama and thriller twistiness for a refreshing effort that’s familiar enough in its themes to be extraordinarily inviting. The latest excellent effort for writer/ director Bong Joon- ho (“The Host,” “Okja”) is a more entertaining version of “Roma,” an Oscar- ready, slice- of- life foreign film that challenges its audience to look inward.
Mashing up a variety of genres, “Parasite” is at its heart a morality tale centering on two disparate families: the poor Kims and the well- to- do Parks. With the shiftless Ki- taek ( Song Kang- ho) as their patriarch, the unemployed Kim clan live in squalor: Their apartment is a dingy, claustrophobic basement dwelling ( with the most interesting view being a frequently urinating vagrant); family members steal Wi- Fi from the coffee shop, and they fold pizza boxes as their main source of income.
While poor, they also prove to be a bunch of desperate, scheming grifters when the chance arises. Siblings Kiwoo ( Choi Woo- shik) and Ki- jung ( Park So- dam) can’t pass university entrance exams, but they get an A- plus in charisma: With fake diploma in hand, Ki- woo is recommended by a friend to the wealthy Parks as an English tutor for their teenage daughter ( Jung Ziso). He charms the girl’s flighty mom Yeon- kyo ( Jo Yeo- jeong) and then gets his sister installed as an art teacher for the Parks’ young son ( Jung Hyun- jun).
The Kims’ underhanded shenanigans – and parasitic tendencies – continue as Ki- taek takes over as the driver for workaholic Mr. Park ( Lee Sunkyun) and conniving Chung- sook ( Jang Hye- jin) becomes the Parks’ live- in housekeeper after ousting longtime employee Moon- gwang ( Lee Jeong- eun).
Much of the film’s first act is played for dark humor until a major shoe drops for the Kims one stormy night when they’re partying at the palatial estate while the Parks are off on a birthday weekend getaway. Suddenly,
a somewhat breezy story takes a sinister turn, and things get vicious and violent but also downright heartbreaking.
The movie is expertly paced with its reveals, never falls apart ( even when it descends into bloody chaos) and also features outstanding acting performances, especially from Song. His Kitaek is a failed businessman yet still has some pride, and the actor sells the character’s quiet seething as Mr. Park puts him in his place with withering comments. And there is a close love among the Kims, which gets tragically tested over the course of the film.
Like Bong’s similarly themed “Snowpiercer,” class warfare is a major theme of “Parasite,” as the greedy have- nots worm their way into the lives of the haves – and indeed make that existence their own for a time. But the movie also leans into the cautionary side, that it all can be washed away in a horrifying instant.
“Parasite” doesn’t villainize its ne’erdo- wells or heroize its victims – other than one bright Morse- coding boy, the Parks are a rather clueless bunch who can’t really relate to the travails of the Kims. Amid the black comedy, there’s a lesson to be had about maybe not loving your neighbor but at least understanding them in a landscape chock- full of inequity, and in that vein “Parasite” attaches to you and doesn’t let go.