par·a·site
/ˈperəˌsīt/
— noun

1. An organism that lives on or in an organism of another species, known as the host, from the body of which it obtains nutriment.
2. A person who receives support, advantage, or the like, from another or others without giving any useful or proper return, as one who lives on the hospitality of others.
3. (in ancient Greece) a person who received free meals in return for amusing or impudent conversation, flattering remarks, etc.

dictionary.com

It’s quite the challenge to review Bong Joon-Ho’s (Snowpiercer, The Host) latest masterpiece Parasite without spoiling. Telling the plot synopsis would give away the heart of the film. I’m going to review this staggeringly incredible film as vague as I can but offer some insight — knowing as little as possible about Parasite when seeing the film for the first time will be one of the most enjoyable experiences you’ll have at a multiplex. I’m that confident. That said, this review will probably be rather short and as mystifying as the movie itself.

Parasite stars Joon-Ho’s regular go-to who plays a lovable loser better than anyone on screen, Song Kang-Ho (Snowpiercer, The Host, Memories of Murder, The Good, the Bad, the Weird) as the patriarch of the Kims, who are barely getting by. They live in a tiny basement apartment which most would consider a real dump at the top of a steep hill where you must crouch in the most uncomfortable position imaginable to use the toilet and every day is a battle screaming at drunks to not pee on their small windows which are the only light to the outside world. Ki-Taek (Sang-Ho) and his family, wife Chung-sook (Hye-jin Jang), computer wiz daughter Ki-jung (So-dam Park), and son Ki-woo (Woo-sik Choi) get by from folding pizza boxes for a pizza company. They are terrible at it and on the verge of losing their jobs. Fate (or possibly profound bad luck) arrives when Ki-woo’s friend asks him to tutor his 17-year-old crush while he’s off abroad for college. Ki-woo takes the offer and discovers how insanely wealthy the family of the daughter he’s tutoring is, and how easily they can be manipulated. Like anyone desperate to get out of that dump of an apartment, he concocts a possible amazing opportunity for his family. After getting to know the wealthy family (played by Yeo-jeong Jo and Myeong-hoon Park), Ki-woo fabricates his plan and puts it in motion. Since this is a Joon-Ho movie, we need weird, funny, and unpredictable things to happen — a walk in the park for Joon-Ho — and he delivers. Once Ki-woo’s plan is put in motion and the movie unfolds, Parasite sucks you in and doesn’t let go.

What I admire most about Parasite is its plethora of brilliant layers — you will be discovering new plot points and “OHHHHHH!” tidbits with each new viewing. I’ve seen it three times, and every time I’ve spotted something I missed prior.

Joon-Ho is one of the best directors working today, and all his work shows it. He’s one of the few who can braid an incredibly intense scene with slapstick humor at the same time and make it work. Many directors have tried this, and it pulls you out of the movie, but Joon-Ho somehow nails it every time. In Memories of Murder, the lead (played by his go-to lovable loser) is a cop looking at a corpse in a small tunnel while a little boy standing on top makes faces at him while he’s assessing the situation. Joon-Ho does this to help the audience breathe during these shocking and intense scenes. There’s a healthy number of these moments in Parasite.

I don’t want to tell you more than that what I’ve already said, which isn’t much at all. Even if you have guessed the plot, there’s still an avalanche of twists and sharp turns you will not see coming. Joon-Ho is one step ahead of you the whole movie.

What more can I say about Parasite that won’t give away the twists and turns? Well, the movie is a social satire on how the rich impact the poor (sometimes inadvertently). The movie is packed with metaphors, subliminal and implied messages, and symbols. You’ll be picking your jaw up off the floor when the credits roll. It’s that good. Parasite won the Palm d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the most prestigious award at the most prominent film festival, and Parasite is the first Korean film to win this award. Moreover, it won with a unanimous vote. So trust me and everyone else who’s gushing about this gem. Latch on to Parasite, it’s a film you will love and be talking about with friends for a long time. Even if you aren’t as impressed as you thought you’d be, this movie will grow on you.