JETHRO! It's me, Baxter.
I have a guest.
I heard you were going to review Parasite! That anime was something else, wasn't it? But it's a few years old and...
I'm not reviewing the anime or its live-action films, which is Parasyte with a y. Instead, I'm reviewing South Korea's entry for this year's now-renamed International Film Oscar. Parasite, with an I, was written and directed by Bong Joon-Ho (The Host, Snowpierecer, Okja).
The Host? Twilight meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers?!
Before I get into arguing over similarly titled works, let's review the film.
OK.
The Kim family do whatever they can to live through poverty. One day, son Kim Ki-Woo's (Choi Woo-Shik) friend Min-Hyuk (Park Seo-joon) suggests he take over for him as the English tutor of Park Dy-hye (Jung Ji-so). The Park family is far wealthier than the Kims. Ki-woo smells an opportunity and decides to get his family jobs with the Parks. He first gets his sister, Ki-jeong (Park So-dam), hired as an art tutor for the Parks' son Da-song (Jung Hyun-joon). Their parents, Ki-Taek (Song Kang-Ho) and Chung-sook (Chang Hyae-jin), swindle their way to becoming chauffeur and housekeeper. The Parks don't realize that they're being conned.
The Kims are happy to feed off the Parks. But when the Parks' former housekeeper, Moon-gwang (Lee Jung-eun), unexpectedly returns, the charade starts to collapse.
Bong and his co-writer, Han Jin-won, create what is surely this year's darkest comedy. It introduces the Kims as unpleasant and desperate people. The Park family, while better off, have their own issues. It leads to some hilarious dialogue and situations. Still, the Kims test their audiences' sympathy by tricking the Parks into firing Moon-gwang and the prior chauffer. Once Moon-gwang's secret is revealed, the audience pities the Kims as they realize the magnitude of their situation. The comedy gradually phases out after that. It all leads to a cataclysmic ending.
Who stands out among the cast? I'll name a few. Ki-Taek starts the film as an unmotivated loser, though we do learn his understandable, fatalistic motives. Ki-Woo is a good protagonist. The Park parents, Dong-ik (Lee Sun-Kyun) and Yeon-kyo (Cho Yeo-jong), are sympathetic, ignorant rich folks with somewhat skewed priorities. The most sympathetic character is Moon-gwang; her secret involves a surprise character.
Production designer Lee Ha Jun's best work is the Park house. Sure, it looks like an idyllic mansion, but wait till you see the underground bunker. As filmed by cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo, the bunker is an alluring claustrophobic nightmare. It's fitting for what comes afterward. Other artistic achievements include the Kims' tiny apartment and the nighttime Seoul photography. The sound design is perfectly creepy ... bar the first few minutes, as my theater forgot to play the sound! At least I still got to hear most of Jung Jae Il's intense score.
Parasite is a memorable exercise in mood whiplash. It goes from cynically hysterical to cynically disturbing during its 132 minutes. Its screenplay is sure to shock and amaze you. It's not for the feint of heart. See it if you're up to it. Look elsewhere for a happier film. I'm sure you'll find some in many languages.
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