Cody's Movie Minute

Parasite Review

 

Parasite, written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, is the story of a poor family, the Kim’s, slowly but surely making their way into the lives of a rich family, the Park’s. Through deceit, forgery, subterfuge, and a whole lot of other questionable actions, the Kim family comes to find that this symbiotic relationship between the two families could end in disaster if they were to be found out. And when a dark secret is discovered in the Park family’s home, the plot simply continues to thicken.

First things first you should know that Parasite is a Korean film. In Korean. With subtitles. Yes, you have to read to watch this movie. But do I think that it is worth having to read the subtitles for you to watch this film? Yes. A thousand times yes.

This film quite honestly blew me away. When going into Parasite, I knew that it would be a struggle to get as invested in the movie by the fact that I would have to read subtitles. And that has turned me away from many other films, simply because I did not want to have to read to watch a movie. Thanks to Parasite, I will think again the next time I have these thoughts. Once you adjust to having the subtitles, which only took me a few minutes, you are completely drawn in and intrigued with this film. It is a deep and complex tale that deals with the differences in class, the resolve of family, and the lengths to which people will go to maintain a life that is really a lie.

Every single one of the characters feels like a real person, with strengths and weaknesses, things they find most important, and are clever in their own respect. This isn’t a film that simply paints the protagonistic Kim family as heroes just because they have less money than the rich Park family. The Park family, while yes they have flaws, are not simply stereotypical evil rich people. They are just as deep and detailed as the Kim family. And so, the movie gives you this feeling of cheering for one family to get out of a situation, and then realizing that it would put the other into a worse situation. You are left rooting for both of them, while both of them oppose each other. In the hands of anyone other than incredible producer, writer, and director of the film Bong Joon Ho, this movie would not be the masterpiece of moviemaking that it is.

I would highly recommend that anyone find this movie wherever you can. It is most likely already out of theaters by now, but in today’s digital age you can find it to rent on various platforms. Again, don’t let the subtitles scare you away from watching this film. They almost stopped me from watching this, but thankfully I gave it a chance and am very happy I did. It is easy to see why Parasite took away some of the biggest Academy Awards at this year’s Oscars, including Best Picture.

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