Dir. Bong Joon Ho
Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)
“You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan. No plan at all. You know why? Because life cannot be planned.”
What would you do to provide for your family? If you were poor, out of work and low on options - might you be tempted to take advantage of those who seemingly have everything?
Kim Ki-taek (Song Kang Ho), has lots of problems - his family are down on their luck - living together in a rancid semi-basement, scrounging wifi from his upstairs neighbours and doing menial jobs whilst passers-by urinate into their home from the street.
The family his wife, Chung-sook cynical twentysomething daughter, Ki-jung, and his c son, Ki-woo are fed up until one day fate intervenes in their lives. A lucky break sees a lucrative business proposition open way for an insidious money-making scam. Ki-woo is invited by his college attending pal to take over as the English tutor for the teenage daughter Da-hye (Jung Ziso) of the affluent Park family.
In the South Korean class system - recommendations of workers are far more important that job adverts and so the Kim family begin to integrate themselves into the lives of an upper-class Parks, taking on more and more positions in the lavish household. The only problem in their plan is the housekeeper Moon-gwang (Lee Jung Eun) who knows the secrets of the house and isn’t going to let her position of trust in the family go without a fight. What follows is a dark, biting satire on social-economic disparities in South Korean which plays as an edgy comedy-drama that ventures into horror territory towards the end. Director Bong ‘Snow Piercer’ Joon Ho meticulously manipulates viewers with tonal shifts and razor sharply written dialogue.
Will the cunning Kims get the upper hand on the rich Parks? Can the housekeeper protect the family from these ‘parasites’ whilst trying to hold on to her own dark secrets? It’s an absolute blast finding out as the tension amps up to painful levels.
The futuristic house where the majority of the film takes place is almost like a character itself – the layout is used much like in Hereditary to set up some nightmare situations and to keep viewers on their toes.
You’ll laugh, you’ll wince and you might even scream when the crunchingly violent ending plays out. Parasite is likely to stay with you for a long time after the credits roll.
Seek out this masterpiece and prepare for a wild ride.
Out of a potential 5 - you have to go with a Darkmatters:
ööööö
(5 - Stunning dramatic thrill ride)
Awesomeness öööö – Cracking scenes throughout
Laughs ööö – Very amusing stuff
Horror ööö – Does get violent
Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - Comfort at what cost?
Want some more madness?
Check out COMPLETE DARKNESS which delivers near future nightmares...
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