Parasite

Parasite

Starring Song Kang-ho, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Chang Hyae-jin

Directed by Bong Joon Ho

Director Bong Joon Ho is no stranger to directing films that so perfectly separate the social classes of society, especially in his other groundbreaking work "Snowpiercer."  Here, he once again offers a unique view into the world of the haves and the have nots and provides yet another groundbreaking work that's unparalleled in its powerful, no-holds-barred storytelling that somehow manages to blend pretty much every genre you can think of into a perfect, cohesive whole - like the world's best chef throwing together everything he can find into a big pot and concocting the best tasting dish you've ever eaten in your whole life.

"Parasite" centers around two different families and the struggles, advantages, and disadvantages they go through - and that's putting it mildly.  The Kim family - father Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho), mother Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik), daughter Ki-jeong (Park So-dam) and son Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik) live in the poor area of South Korea, and can't seem to rub two pennies together.  Their apartment is in the basement of a building that's used for drunken men's urinals, and they can't even afford Wi-Fi.  Their hopes are gone until Ki-woo's friend offers him a job as an English tutor for a wealthy family, and Ki-woo sees an in into a world he's only dreamed of.

He takes the job working as a tutor for young Da-hye Park (Jeong Ji-so), and finds himself in the lap of luxury in the most elegant home he's ever seen.  Soon he integrates the rest of his family to the Parks by setting up different jobs - Ki-jeong will pose as an art teacher for young Da-song (Jung Hyeon-jun), Ki-taek will be the chauffeur for Dong-ik Park (Lee Sun-kyun), and Ki-woo will be the maid for the family, especially Mrs. Park (Cho Yeo-jeong).  They play it off that they don't know each other, and when the Parks go away for a camping trip, they decide to enjoy living the wealthy life for awhile in their home - until all literal hell breaks loose.

Action, comedy, drama, and horror - the four basic tenants of cinema.  "Parasite" manages to incorporate all four of these themes into the film with equal measure, but offering something more in-depth than just the basic definitions.  The film is a satirical look at the differing social classes.  It's also a melodramatic look at the unique family dynamics both families have.  It's a film akin to the likes of heist films like the "Ocean's" series in how the Kims infiltrate the Park family.  Then there's the unnerving final act, in which you've got the perfect balancing act for all four genres that Joon Ho masterfully pieces together.

Looking at the families, you get a sense for the importance of wealth in society, and sometimes how it leads to the deterioration of more fundamental aspects.  The Kim family are poorer than poor, but they're completely united in everything they do, completely supportive of one another, and are highly intelligent, suave, and street-smart.  The Parks, however, aren't as lucky outside the realm of monetary wealth.  The husband is constantly working and gone from the family (so much so that Ki-taek continually asks him if he actually loves his wife), the mother is in a constant state of worry and lacking anything resembling a brain, the daughter is flighty and stubborn, and the young son is boisterous, unruly, and off-the-wall.  Seeing these two families together is a unique duality, and while technically you're not supposed to be rooting for the Kim family due to their deception, they really become characters we all root and care for.  Without delving into spoiler territory, it's easy to say that the "parasites" of the film's title are the Kims, as they leech their way into the Parks' lives and desire to live their way of life, but then they also learn the staggering cost of the price they don't want to pay for living such lives, which unravels slowly around them until they can do nothing but allow the circumstances to take place and find ways to rise from the rubble of their own errors.

It's very common to say certain films are masterpieces, but "Parasite" is one of the few that are clearly deserving of the title, providing a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience that'll have you talking long after it ends.

The Score: A+