Movie Review: Parasite (2019)

I’m going to try and not give much away because I think if you’re watching this film for the first time, you should go into it without knowing much about it. It works better that way I think. I wanted to see it and had no idea what it was about, and it made an amazing impact.

Summary: A poor family, the Kims, con their way into becoming the servants of a rich family, the Parks. But their easy life gets complicated when their deception is threatened with exposure.

Pros:

Cast and Characters. Let me just say, this movie of course is an international film and if they didn’t have subtitles, I think it would be okay. The acting is so great, and the story is pretty clear that if you didn’t know what they were saying (even without subs) you would totally get it.

The Kim Family. This is the main family of the film and we spend the most time with them. We get to see them as a family and then in other places in the film.

• Song Kang-ho as Kim Ki-taek. He is the father of the Kim family and I think he really gets a lot of “stuff” in the latter half of the film. He’s the patriarch of the family but he really just falls into line with their plan. It’s the later stuff that he does that’s intense. This actor is amazing. The subtle things he would do with his facial expressions whenever he felt some type of way was super great.

• Choi Woo-shik as Kim Ki-woo. He is the son of the Kim family and he’s the one who starts the whole thing basically. He gets introduced to the Park family by a friend and things go on from there. I think he’s the youngest, feels like it lol but I think he’s the one who is the most sympathetic in the family due to some of the choices he makes later. I really liked him, the young actor was great and likable.

• Park So-dam as Kim Ki-jeong. She is the daughter of the Kim family and my favorite character. She was just the most interesting and I wish we got to see more of what she was doing while in her therapist position. But she was so quick to think of solutions, she was pretty ruthless and always mellow, it came off a little uncaring at times. That’s what made her so interesting, she wasn’t as emotional as the others in her family when it came to certain situations. The actress was great, watching her react to things or even her delivery was amazing.

• Jang Hye-jin as Kim Chung-sook. She is the mother of the Kim family. She gets brought into the plan later but like the others she adapts to her role. She was probably like the daughter in being a little less emotional then the father and son, which worked out for her mostly. She also was quick on her feet and adaptable. The actress was great, she felt like the mother and while her kids were obviously super smart, she was the one who had to do the most interacting with the Park family.

The Park Family. Outside of the mother, they’re supporting characters, so I won’t get into each of them. This will include their housekeeper as well.

• Cho Yeo-jeong as Choi Yeon-gyo. She is the mother of the Park family and they do describe her as being a little simple and she is with the best of intentions. She wants the best for her family, especially her kids. She is likable and sweet. You root for her. The actress was great, she really gave off this innocent vibe and had great chemistry with everyone since she literally interacts with everyone.

• Lee Sun-kyun as Park Dong-ik. He is the father of the Park family and we don’t see him for a little while but when we do, he’s not a terrible person or anything. He also loves his family; he might be a little distant with his work, but he cares about his kids. This is evident when he allows his son to camp outside in the storm and he has a walkie talkie to stay in contact.

• Jung Ji-so as Park Da-hye. She is the daughter of the Park family and she mostly interacts with son from the Kim family. I have some questions about this little girl lol

• Jung Hyeon-jun as Park Da-song. He is the son of the Park family and there isn’t a ton to say about him. The kid is smart and perceptive.

• Lee Jung-eun as Gook Moon-gwang. She is the housekeeper of the Park family and it’s clear she is a problem once we start to realize what the Kim’s plan is. She just does her job in the beginning, but she becomes a bit more important during the second half of the film.

The Story! Again, had no idea what it was about but the title becomes super clear and I was into it. The Kim family isn’t that well off and they’re smart enough to try and figure out ways to make a little more money. Yep, that’s all I’m going to say because it’s just so good.

The Second Half. The first half is great as it sets up a lot stuff, but the second half is when shit really hits the fan and things just get out of hand. I was already into it before, but it just went off the rails and it was wonderful. This is also where Mr. Kim really begins to shine.

Cinematography. I don’t know if this was just me, but I loved how the film looked different depending on where they were. For example, whenever the Kim family was in their own home, it looked “gritter, darker, grimy and dirtier” but whenever they were in the Park home, it seemed brighter and more open. Like I said, it could have just been me, but I love when films make use of color and light to indicate different places/social classes or whatever.

Wildly Entertaining. There’s never a dull moment. Even when the film slows down (which is not like it’s super-fast paced) it doesn’t feel like it’s slowing down. Yes, the film is long, and I think you can feel that it’s long but it’s not a bad realization of the length. It’s so great!

Cons:

Kind of Dumb Characters. When I say this, I don’t mean that they’re horrible or anything, clearly as the glowing review I gave in the pro section of this review. By “dumb”, I just mean that they do some stupid stuff when they’re so smart throughout the movie. I suppose they’re human, so I get how they got to where they were. But the part in the house where they trip down the stairs, none of that would have happened if they weren’t being nosy lol. Or if they didn’t open the door in that same sequence. It was still great stuff, but I was like ‘y’all too smart for this nonsense.”

Overall, this movie is amazing. If I’d seen it in 2019 it would have been the #1 film on my Best of the Year list because it’s just that good. I mean, I have one con but it’s super minor to me because people are people and will make stupid decisions lol. Even the smart ones. The cast is amazing and so magnetic to watch. The characters are well written and super interesting, every single one of them. The story is awesome and sure it’s not original BUT it just feels fresh and way more interesting than I’ve ever seen it. The cinematography is cool, especially if they did what I thought they did lol. It’s such a great, wild and entertaining ride, a must watch film.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. 

Have you seen Parasite? It was awarded the Best Movie of the Year at the 92nd Academy Awards. Well deserved.

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