I had been waiting to see this for weeks and expectations could not have been higher, so I was a little wary of disappointment when I sat down. I needn't have worried - within a few minutes Bong Joon-ho had his hooks into me and I was engrossed every step of the way until almost the very end. I am sitting and wondering where in my top 10 films ever this would fit. The plot was exquisitely worked out and while it had important themes they didn't undermine the sheer enjoyment of watching it unfold. Much of that pleasure was in the uncertainty over what would happen next, reinforced by a number of red herrings scattered along the way. I could easily have enjoyed watching a miniseries of this story that fully tugged on all the narrative threads. It was also beautiful to watch throughout. If I have one reservation it is the ending where it felt there were a number of better earlier finishing points and the final scene was rather flat. I am sure it would be even more effective on the big screen but don't let that put you off seeing it now - preferably "with" friends. You'll want to discuss it afterwards and then go and see it together again on the big screen to catch all the details you missed!
PARASITE explores the survival instinct and the centuries-long clash of the classes in one of the most unconventional ways in cinema history; the plot follows a street-smart family taking hold of a wealthy family using lies and pretentions with brutal consequences leading to an unimaginable twist. From the very beginning, PARASITE is a tale of greed embued in the worst aspects of the social classes with a selection of brilliantly written characters, raw acting and excellent locations; this is a story that goes into extremely dark places when the plot reveals a shocking twist, but in the end, that very same darkness that surrounds this story creates a macabre masterpiece and one of the best films of 2019 and hell, even the decade.
AMERICA UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU TO EVEN CONSIDER REMAKING THIS MASTERPIECE.
Not only a freaking GREAT movie, PARASITE (2019) it's also MIRACULOUS.
I still can't believe my mother actually stayed awake watching avidly the screen. Usually she's asleep 20 minutes into any kind of movie lol
The story looks very simple but it takes you from top level to bottom level in just a minute,so you can have very different feelings at the same time like a real life. WATCH AND SEE !!!
Got into it with no expectations whatsoever, and was pleased to find out just how great a film it turned out to be! Funny, clever AND thrilling, this one ticks all the right boxes for me.
Easily top 5 of the year, haven't seen The Lighthouse yet though. Not quite as good as Memories of Murder, but it's close.
So i finally i watched it today, and kept asking myself why didn't i do it sooner.
Seeing a film that's won the Palme d'or at Cannes or Best Picture Oscar is like drinking a bottle of ridiculously expensive wine: with every sip you ask yourself over and over again if it deserves the price. Fortunately, Parasite is so good you won't be drinking very long because you'll be drunk on its power soon enough.
A film that crosses genres so many times it leaves a permanent mark, Parasite is a clever story performed wonderfully and directed to perfection.
I see that some people say the ending is actually happy and that everything seemed to work out at the end! But i find that's not true!
We can clearly see at the ending that Ki-woo is still poor and dreaming of making his message to his father comes true
but did it actually happene or not? we don't know for sure!
And i guess it didn't happen and that was because the reference back then when they lost their house, when the father told Kim Ki-woo that plans don't always success and that dreams never come true, so it actually does make sense.
The only thing i don't like that how did actually Kim Ki-woo survive?:D
I mean he has been hit twice by a huge rock in his head!!
And the funny thing that the woman who hit her head by falling over the stairs is the one who died :D!
got in with no expectations, got out with Parasite as one of the best movies I saw this year !
Felt happy, felt sad, felt sorry, felt mad! And most importantly, for having watched this movie, felt glad.
It starts off fine. It's well made and interesting. Then it progressively gets better and better until I was yelling near the end. It's not often that a movie surprised me so much but this was fantastic. One of the best of the year.
Edit: Even better after a rewatch. Incredibly well made. The production design on that house is amazing. It's shot beautifully. The story is bonkers and set up so well. The acting is fantastic.
I'm going to put it simply: There's not a single thing this film does wrong.
The comedy is on point. The drama is on point. The moments of tension are on point. The commentary on social class is on point. Acting, writing, filmmaking—on point.
Parasite totally deserved the Palme D'Or and I want this to win all the Oscars, all the Golden Globes, and any other awards it gets nominated for because everything in this shit was incredibly on point.
Parasite is nothing short of a MASTERPIECE.
[8.3/10] Parasite wears its themes on its sleeve. The divide between rich and poor, between the class that has to scrape and scrap to make ends meet, and the kind that blithely lives in largesse, is made massive and eventually deadly. In the film, the wealthy have the privilege of remaining oblivious to it all, while the underclass must con and fake and fight off one another for a small cut of what their social superiors squander without thinking.
Those themes give ballast to what is otherwise an amusing, twisty, thriller of a film. Separate and apart from the class conscious themes, Parasite is an engaging movie through the premise of one poor, desperate family ingratiating and insinuating themselves into the lives of a wealthy, complacent one. Director Bong Joon-Ho crafts tension in how far the Kim family will take this ruse, and how long they’ll be able to make it last, before it all comes tumbling down.
From there, Parasite simply escalates, going to stranger and more dangerous places as the film wears on. The reveal of a hidden bunker under the stairs, where the former housekeeper hid her loan shark-dodging husband, immediately ups the stakes. Until then, it’s a matter of the Kims slowly but surely pulling themselves out of their meager existence, and the entertaining craft of their schemes and scams to gradually infiltrate the ranks of “the help” for the Park family.
But afterwards, Parasite’s ambit becomes more and more outsized. The Kims have physical confrontations and mutual blackmail sessions with the old housekeeper and her husband. A bizarre episode of Frasier breaks out as the Kims try to hide their indulgence in the Parks’ excess, their bloody handiwork with their working class rivals, and themselves after the Parks unexpectedly return home. And an impromptu garden party becomes a scene of intra- and inter-class warfare, as combatants for the chance to live off the wealthy’s spare change square off, and the insults from being treated like appliances and class signifiers like one’s smell accumulate into a bloody end.
It’s all dark and funny and potent. The violence in the film has power because it’s largely muted and held back until the final reel. Joon-ho spends the bulk of the runtime letting the tension build, letting the audience wonder how far the Kims will let their scheme play out, whether they’ll be able to subdue their competitors, if they’ll evade detection from their benefactors, and when all this sneaking and resentment will boil over.
So when it does, when the rival breaks free and the final insult becomes too much to bear, the contrast between the polite deference and the angry blade, between the sharp young man doing whatever it takes to climb the ladder and the deranged basement dweller bent on vengeance, has a shock and a force to it.
That choice works in a film of contrasts. Joon-ho shows the Kims living in a semi-basement, riddled with “stink bugs” and pestered by random passersby using their alleyway as a public toilet. He depicts the housekeeper and her husband as scraping out an existence without light or air underneath the floorboards. And he depicts the Park household as one of wide-open spaces, of abundant food, protection from the elements and the fresh air and sunshine their less affluent counterparts are bereft of. The destitute are depicted as literally below those of a higher station. It comes through in how cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo and his team shoot the film, with impossibly vivid greens and brighter than bright sunshine coloring the world of the Parks, juxtaposed with the grungry dark and gray that inhabits the Kims’ home and environment.
The film centers itself on the irony of that. The key moment in the film is a deluge that wrecks one family’s life while proving a minor inconvenience to another’s. The rain floods the Kims’ home, destroying their possessions and forcing them to sleep in a gym, packing away the last few signs that the family patriarch was somebody.
All the while, the Parks don’t even understand. Their son pretends to be out in the elements, playacting as a native American who has to brave the raw weather on his own for fun. His parents literally get off to role plays about what it’s like to be the type of people they fire and disdain. The family smiles about the lack of pollution the rain caused and summon their servants for a frolic in the aftermath, safe from any blowback or life-changing consequences that their help is dealing with.
The old saying goes that it rains on the just and unjust alike. But in Parasite, who bears the brunt of that downpour, and who gets to remain blissfully ignorant of the hardships given the financial wherewithal that makes it a mere minor inconvenience, makes all the difference in the world.
There’s supreme, if not exactly subtle, commentary in that. Some of “the help” downright worship the wealthy family whose “grace” lets them lives on the margins of their luxury. The need to survive pits the members of the underclass against one another, ready to con and fight and even kill to maintain their small piece of the pie while their blasé benefactors live in unquestioned plenty. It turns people with talents -- in language, in art, in sport -- into people who strive only for that brand of comfort and security and the money necessary to attain it. It flattens us, changes us, debases us.
It’s a cheesy thing to say, but Joon-hoo asks who the real parasites are. At the beginning of the film, the Kims complain about the bugs infesting their tiny home. They are signifiers of how the upper class views the inhabitants of these places, as those sponging off the successes of those in higher rungs. But by the end, the tables have turned, as the same type of insect hovers around the dead body of the Park family patriarch. It suggests that he and his socialite cohort are the ones siphoning the labor, the talents, the lives of so many others who don’t have a fraction of what he and his family take for granted.
It’s a reality that the Parks can remain wilfully blind to, until the flash of steel and panic of a perfectly manicured garden is haunted by ghosts kept outside and below. Parasite spins an engrossing, comedic, and suspenseful yarn without that barely-submerged subtext. But the combination of story and theme gives the film a weight behind its thrills, a knowing glance behind its laughs, and a darkness beneath the bright images of success, punctured by those denied its fruits and necessities.
I can only guess I came in with expectations too high, as I'm watching this in the period between it being nominated for Oscars, and them actually being announced.
It's an interesting enough story. It kept me following and enjoying the whole way through. But I'm struggling to see what the levels of praise it's receiving are for. And this is why I feel I'm probably watching it with too much of a hype cloud around it. In the end I was expecting more.
Still need to process what I just watched... first half was enjoyable, second half was really rough! Didn't expect such a change in atmopshere. Surely this movie gives one something to think about e.g. who is the parasite? On the surface, the poor look as if they are the parasites. However, the rich were benefitting from their service, more of a symbiotic relationship. The rich took the work of the poor to the point it felt it was entitled. Come when we want. We pay you extra. Respect. Cross the line. Who crossed the line? At first it seems like the poor family has crossed the line but at the birthday party it has really revealed it.... Despite the the fact that "Jessica" was stabbed and Kims wife was desperately fighting against the maniac, Mr. Park only cares for his unconscious son who would "probably" die in the next 15 min. Sure, bringing his unharmed son to hospital is more important than to rescue an blood stained girl who is at the edge of death . That's also the reason why Kim has stabbed him; then when his daughter got stabbed, none of them cared. Like fuck you, lets see what you'll do if you got stabbed instead . At this point it is hard to decide which family to like and to dislike.
Speaking of a different topic: The movie protrayed the discrepancy between poor and rich very well e.g. the rain scene. The rich love the rain because it cleaned the filth and brightened the day. While it destroyed the lives of the poor. Parasites don’t often know they harm the host.
I think the movie did portray the rich as gullible, simple and naive. As the wife said:" They are not rich AND nice. They are nice BECAUSE they are rich"
Mmmkay. No one asked for it, but UNPOPULAR OPINION TIME. People fawning over Parasite reminds me so much of feminists who applaud men when they do shit they’re supposed to be doing anyways. The movie is well made and entertaining. Just like any good movie should be. Is it worth all this attention and movie of the year? Definitely not.
My expectations were way too high after seeing all those 10's and 9's given to this movie.
It was decent... It has a lot of "what a coincidence!" moments, unrealistic events and reactions.
I did enjoy the last part of the movie! Still don't think its worth a 10 or 9 lol
It was fascinating and totaly engrossing from beginning to end. It is too hard to get bored even a second !
Well, first, can't see why it got the Palme d'Or. There's a plot, things happen, the story advances, there are even plot twists. And even if the story is slightly original, there's nothing that much out of the ordinary. It's a movie that can totally be appreciated and understood by normal people, which is kinda weird for Cannes.
That being said, it's good, the story is interesting and there is never a moment where the rythmn go down, it never becomes too long and the story keeps evolving the whole time. But the trailer was weird, making it look a lot more mysterious and dark than it really is, and at some point one starts wondering, ok, that's interesting, but where is it going ?
Then comes the plot twist. It totally changes the dynamics and the story of the movie, and the result is so so. The first half was mostly small sequences, the family's situation evolving slowly, the second half is more action driven, basicaly following only one plotline with the consequences of a single event. And so it becomes not only less interesting (relatively to the first part, it's still good) but it kinda breaks the first part too, as it clearly shows that it was going nowhere and there was the need for an random out of the blue brutal change for the story to continue.
And it really feel too random. First the discovery, but ok for this one. Then it all turns out to shit just because they stupidly fall down the stairs. Seriously ? Then the Parks suddenly come back, at just the worse moment possible. Combined with their home being trashed when they finally come back. And that's just it, the final disaster is basically random bad luck and lack of sleep, that's all. Well, and again the son letting his stone fall down the stairs. That is just too ridiculous.
Another weird thing for me is the family's situation. They have no job, no money, we know the son failed repeatedly his exams, they're presented as total losers. However, they are very good at the jobs they get, there's a vague rationale on why the son would be good enough in english, but:
1) His sister turns the monster kid in a good obedient student in a few minutes, and she may say she just googled the psychology stuff, there's not a hint on how se did that or how she could have cheated in doing that
2) The father seems like a great driver, though it's said he already had this kind of job
3) The mother may be googling the recipe, but she still manages to make them good enough, even in a very limited time
And not only that but the kids are master con artists. Seeing them figuring it out and stumbling would have been another interesting story, but there's none of that, they're naturally unbelievably good.
And that makes you wonder, how the hell was the family in that situation in the beginning.
As for the final drama, it also feels disconnected from the rest. The father's actions make no sense. In the middle of ll that, he just decides to kill Mr Park, basically because he said he smelled bad. After seeing his daughter and maybe his son killed by the other guy. That's another mostly random thing added, to link the story parts.
The movie is still good, it's masterfully directed and shot, actors are great, there's not really anything else to complain about, but because of that it feels just a little too rough and not finished in the plot department. It's like the initial situation, the first half story, the second part and the ending were just hastily stitched together through random events, because they needed to. It may be a small thing but it disturbed my enjoyment of the movie. Maybe just beause the trailer led me to believe there was something more.
I've been postponing "Parasite" since I first started to read some comments about it, about how incredible it was, the genius kind of piece it represented, etc. My expectations usually get too high and I start avoiding the film (because I'm too scared to break those expectations, yes).
Now that I finally watched it, I feel bad for missing out for so very long. It IS a genius kind of piece. Damn! I'm mesmerized.
Interesting movie. Honestly couldn't decide whether to root for the main characters or not.
How this piece of silly slapstick won so many awards andfascinates so many people is totally beyond my understanding. A highly overrated movie.
FUCK YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAH!
2 / 2 directing & technical aspect
1 / 1 story
1 / 1 act I
1 / 1 act II
1 / 1 act III
1 / 1 acting
1 / 1 writing
1 / 1 originality
.5 / 1 lasting ability to make you think
.5 / 1 misc (FUCK YEAH!!)
10 / 10
(2nd viewing)
2 / 2 directing & technical aspect
1 / 1 story
1 / 1 act I
1 / 1 act II
1 / 1 act III
1 / 1 acting
1 / 1 writing
1 / 1 originality
1 / 1 lasting ability to make you think
1 / 1 misc (awesome)
11 / 10
This isn't my favorite movie, but after watching it twice I cannot find anything wrong with it, or anything to improve on. Amazing movie
I love how this movie had rating of 60% and now when it won the Palme d'or at Cannes it turned into 87% hmm
One of my best Movie, The script is so good & original new & so well played . You will have great fun watching this movies...
In my opinion, this movie is best enjoyed without reading a synopsis and with no expectations going in.
it'# very Nice to see jokerS fans crying hahahhaha
Wow. This is a masterpiece. This is probably the best thriller of the decade. Some scenes had me thinking “What just happened”. The acting is fantastic. It is brilliantly directed by Boon Joon Ho. The writing is great and so is the cinematography. The is one of the best movies of the year and of the decade. Overall it’s a great movie that you will never forget.
(9 out of 10)
So the boy made a plan...obviously life will go in a different way...
Me watching Parasite twice and then thinking about it is to continually give side-eye to Joker. Every issue I had with Phillips's bungle (and I have plenty) is presented brilliantly and effortlessly with this masterwork of class commentary. Darkly funny, shockingly thrilling, and the ending is a doozy. If you haven't seen Parasite yet, you have done yourself a tremendous disservice. This is the film of the year. Period.
A wonderfully horrific movie about the differences in class between two similar yet completely different families. At some points, you don't know who you should be rooting for, and that's what makes this movie so interesting.
The best comedy thriller I've ever seen. Comedy thriller, haha xd
Interesting concept on social commentary. Coming from a ‘Western’ perspective, it appears that life in South Korea follows a common thread where striving points towards common goals desired by most people.
I wonder what the balance is for people being critical > being gentle. Currently, I imagine both is fine but the ultimate conclusion should have love and gentleness
so so so overrated ! I am going to give it 5/10 !
Deserved Oscar Winner. Definitely not the best movie of all time, not even the best korean movie, but it has a powerful story with a nice ending. Just one thing that is not logical: how in the hell nobody knows about the room under the house, I mean the rich daughter was there at the end with Kevin laying in front of it, now way she didn't see this
30 minutes passed since the end of the credits and I'm still out of myself, I can't find words to describe what I'm feeling
This is truly a piece of art.
i remember watching the trailer for this movie a while back, and than being like "...what". Cut to a few months later, i have now watched the movie and im still like "...what". Go into this movie without knowing anything. You'll have a fun time. Finished this one at 5:54PM. im probably going go watch the trailer again. This movie was great.
I hate that there's a word limit here because my only review is shouting the word "WHAT"
Great movie highlighting the economic diversities of 2 families and how we perceive them.... as criminals or parasites because of their economic status. Or is it what they do to immerse with the well off that leads us to believe the title word.? Great film that keeps you on the edge of your seat. A must watch. One of the top movies of the year.
A genre-mixing analysis on social class and wealth. What begins as a simple dark comedy morphs quickly into a dread-filled horror/thriller/drama that analyses the current 1/99% split of wealth in modern society. Imagery and themes abound, much to ponder and thumb through on subsequent viewings. Great film making.
This film will 100% be the type of film your friends say “no dude keep watching it gets good,” and it doesn’t but you keep smiling and nodding. By the end you say, “yeah, I get it,” (you don’t) and then go home and watch something you actually enjoy
A real-life nalibiter. This movie kept me on the edge of seat for the entire runtime.
A very well made film with brilliant insights, and what a crazy ending! I still don't know if I understand or not
86 | The poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer. Here I am still halfway climbing with a fear to fall.
•••••••••••••••••••••••
25%: 2.5
50%: 3
75%: 3
100%: 2
Total × 7.3 = 76.65
1st favorite character:
Ki-Woo (2)
2nd favorite character:
Kim Ki-taek (2)
3rd favorite character:
Yeon-kyo (2)
Cinematography: 2.5
The movie was a bit long but the story was really interesting. What a great idea and execution. Cinematography was really enjoyable.
the story is good and visually it is much better, the ending is sad but realistic at a certain point.
Likeable family of crooks. Somewhat farcical.
This movie is on a whole other level. The writing is really well done and it gets you to think hard.
Throughout this movie I could barely stand it, in the good way. I don't even know how to describe it. At the 'high point' when the rich family comes home early from camping I was shaking so hard my cat got off my lap in disgust and my sibling flinched and knocked our folding table down, haha. In terms of building tension and engagement this movie is perfect, in terms of surprises that still make logical and emotional sense, this movie is perfect. The themes about classism come through strong too. With all its elements it almost feels packed overly full honestly. It makes me want to watch it scene by scene rather than all at once!
Not really my cup of tea... but I can certainly see why so many people like it. I personally found it a tad too violent.
Ki-Taek: They are rich but still nice.
Chung-sook: They are nice because they are rich.
The trailer to this movie does not give anything away, and that makes me super happy because wow, this movie caught me off guard. Beautiful cinematography, intense moments and a great cast. Also I need a bowl of ram-don... NOW!
Just wanted to update my comment that this is now one of my fave films of all time and gets better and better with every watch.
good movie but I wouldn't say it's special
This the most realistic picture I ever saw.
The ending was unexpected and the title summarizes the story pretty well.
WHACK WHACK WHACK! I loved every minute of this bad boy. The way everyone was talking about it, I thought it was going to be a horror, but I was so pleasantly surprised at the comedic thriller it actually is. I was laughing and yelling and gasping the entire time. I'm so glad it swept everyone at the Oscars; this movie deserved all of it.
It took me almost 2h to get why it won the Oscar. In the end I think I got it. Still, the movie is realistic, funny, mad and a little bit sad.
Despite the immense praise given, my expectations were low going into the viewing of this film. It had garnered so much praise that I assumed, like many films this happens to, that it was going to be heavily overrated. I have never been more wrong about a film in my life.
This movie was utterly fantastic. Beautifully shot, well directed and the casting and acting was spot on. It is very rare for me to be that surprised about a movie, and yet Joon-ho destroyed every expectation I had and had me walking away knowing I had just watched a masterpiece.
Well done to all involved in gifting us this gem.
totally overrated. if you want to watch lowlifes being miserable and entertaining choose any episode of shameless instead. i have serious doubts about the whole institution of the oscar awards
Holy shit that was a movie. Going to have to take a bit of time to process this. Stop reading reviews and just watch it
Incredible. A must watch movie!
.It's magnificent and has a really deserved Oscar. I would have given the american Oscar to the Joker and only the international one to this movie, but I don't know why Hollywood has decided to move away one Oscar. Maybe 'cause its political content I guess, because the Joker calls to violent revolution and this one is like more "intellectual" and submissive by the rich ones' eyes. However, this movie is really awesome and deserves its medals.
The story is really original, very well developped and the exposition is brilliant, like old Spanish written comedies. It amazes me the most how rawly, clearly and ironicly but subtly it exposes the social class diferences between families to the point that one family is able to support three families and even don't care about it. Moreover, it has a lot of poetry, like when they're drowned in that, the walk back to hell... And I really liked the end, it's really original and gets someone confused.
To me, a totally ten. Direct to my collection.
You'll never see it coming. Seriously. It deserved the Oscar for Best Picture. It's just one of those movies, acting, storyline, setting, costumes, everything. Perfect.
this was like an Asian Shameless. very well done, great acting, great storyline. I didn't have any expectations watching this movie, but I was definitely pleased.
To oversimplify, this film is like a Korean Quentin Tarantino film. Very good but contains those surrealesque bits of violence that Tarantino has made his trademark.
It's metaphorical!
Watch it twice because you'll miss the subtle nuances.
Plans never go as planned. That's all I will say.
I'd give Parasite an 8/10 (not taking into account my issues with subtitles). I felt that around the climax and the 10 minutes after, it was rather rushed. I also felt like there were some parts with weak acting and a couple of parts that are just dumb.
It's Really A masterpiece,The movie contain Great story And massage about life,I Really liked it
Masterful filmmaking. Using the medium very effectively in every aspect. H
Have you ever watched a movie and said to yourself, "This is how movies should be like not a bunch of 20-something running around in tights?? This will make you think exactly like that.
A very good film. Not a great film, not best of the year, not best of the decade. Tells a very small story well, but I kept waiting for things to head in a different direction. While the acting and cinematography were outstanding, this just didn't feel like it was on the same level for me as other 2019 films like "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" or "Joker," which was crammed from beginning to end with excellent acting. I'd say this movie was good, interesting, and the least amount of fun I've had watching a film since "Marriage Story." Still need to watch "1917" to round out my 2019 nominated films--maybe that one will be a real pick-me-up too!!
My 2nd top fave this year....
Just after one cut of the dead...
Loved it. Definitely worth watching!
The best movie that i saw this year
Not my favorite from Bong (at least for now), but this certainly solidifies, if you weren’t yet convinced, that Bong Joon-ho truly is a generational talent, both when it comes to writing and directing. In my opinion, the twenty first century so far belongs to him.
Wow lots to unpack about this one. Best to go in blind so I won't wax poetic on the film. But great cinematography, attention to detail and amazing acting. I need to reconfigure my Top 5 of 2019 and perhaps even change up the number one spot.
A phenomenal film. Flows perfectly, is shot perfectly, a great cast with great performances, a story that is not twisting for the sake of it but still feels surprising.
I've liked Bong Joon-ho's previous films, but this one floored me in particular. Definitely worth a watch at minimum.
Korean comedy, thriller, crime caper. Sounds confused but it isn't. Wonderful film.
*Stunning Director and writer Bong Joon-ho did an excellent work driving the times of the movie. Every transisson is more dramatic than the other without especting. Perfect work. Also, the main idea the film wants to transmist kept really deep inside of me in a rude way. This movie totally did it! Palme d'or at Cannes totally deserve!
Why is Parasite such a big deal? Because it’s different. It’s not a Hollywood movie, it's completely new and original.
I don’t think Hollywood is running out of ideas, but I think they’re more focused on making a profit and safe choices. That’s why they keep remaking the same tired scripts with different actors. Basically, the studios are too afraid to take a chance on something new because they are scared the movie won’t be “woke” enough. That’s why studios are busy with actors' skin color, sexuality or gender, not the actual story or characters. Creators want to be seen as “woke” without actually developing good, complex personalities and storylines for the characters because flaws make for interesting characters, but showing a female/minority character with any flaws will be condemned as sexism/racism by SJWs. That’s how you end up with shallow Mary Sue heroes with no character development.
Parasite is wildly innovative, suspenseful, unpredictable, with many subtle metaphors and satirical notes with pure silence. This is not a "bad guys" vs "good guys" movie, the world isn't black and white. The creator went out of his way to make sure the line of good vs bad was non existent. There are no teams, we are not supposed to pick sides. Both families are fucked up, and all of them are parasites, in some way. I really liked the use of stench as a symbol for poverty. And how the movie pitted a poor family against another poor family, and ultimately the poor people are the ones that still lose. Also, the movie shows how greed can be your downfall.
Just like any other movie, it requires some suspense of disbelief at various points. For example, somehow surviving two rock hits; the detectives didn’t search the entire house, even though they were looking for a man wanted for murder; the scene where the Kims are hiding under the table dragged out but the slow zoom on Mr. Kim’s face as he felt entirely ashamed in front of his children was so utterly heartbreaking.
It is definitely a well-made movie that holds your attention throughout. However, I do still think its a little overhyped by some people. Calling it the movie of the decade is beyond hasty.
I loved the majority of this film, but also found the climax to be a little off.
After the first act, you’ll be completely aware of the kind of movie that you’re watching.
In my mind, I found the story and character arcs to be very comparable to something like The Wolf of Wallstreet , for example, but with the themes of something like Us.
The only problem with this film for me is the big climax.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m fine with Ki-Taek’s family being condemned for the fact that they’re shitheads , but the Tarantino-esque bloodbath scene didn’t fit this movie, at all.
It does so in concept, but not in terms of tone.
A real shame, because the first 110 minutes of it are flawless, and show all of Bong Joon-Ho’s talents on full display.
8.5/10
DISCLAIMER: I did not see this movie in its original language(Korean), but in a dubbed version(Italian). I may have missed some nuances.
I went into this movie without knowing anything about it, aside from the Oscar win and the praise it got from everyone. I didn’t know what to expect, what kind of movie it would be. I hadn’t even ever seen a Korean movie.
Before talking about the plot and the visuals, I have to say that the cast was all great. While I watched a dubbed version, the performance of each actor and actress was very convincing and entertaining.
I really enjoyed the plot of Parasite. It managed to subvert my expectations at every turn. The movie was able to shapeshift easily and seamlessly between a comedy, a thriller, even almost an horror (the scene were the ex housekeeper’s husband comes up the stairs and scares the child is super creepy; that shot with only the eyes peeking above the stairs gave me shivers). It changed so many genres that I wouldn’t know what to pick to describe it. But that, in my opinion, is one of its best features.
The visuals and photography were very well done. The shot were the family is fleeing in the rain is absolutely stunning and perfectly executed. Good job to the director.
In the end, I would recommend this movie to anyone, without any reservations. It reminded me of a theatrical play, in a good way. It’s absolutely entertaining, it keeps you glued to the screen for the whole runtime. It’s the perfect length, it doesn’t feel neither too long or too short. I honestly can’t find a negative.
10/10
There is no movie on Earth better than this one. I mean it. Nobody ever made a film like this before, this is more than a masterpiece, this is more than a simple movie.
Loveable and especially relatable characters woven into a story that never lose focus. It's sharp, intelligent, full of twists and backed by perfect acting. Its take on South Korean slums invites us on a journey that might look distant at first, but which feels closer and more authentic than most Hollywood pieces.
Very well deserved Oscar. The cultural differences were obvious from the start, yet a great movie with amazing actors and cinematography on point nonetheless, I believe everyone can enjoy it. Congrats!
I think foreign movies is where it's at. This is definitely one of the best movies i saw this year.
:musical_note: Jessica, only child, Illinois, Chicago... :musical_note:
completely deserved the oscars it got, amazing film in every way. never would've expected two of my favorite films to be from korea but here we are.
Despite hearing about this from day dot, I thankfully managed to avoid knowing anything about this other than it's title, director and subsequent success. Boy am I glad, because it's quite the ride!
No doubt about it, 'Parasite' is a high quality film. It wasn't at all what I had assumed it would be like, it has a much more comedic side to it than I was expecting - and that's a positive. Yet, it's still pretty dark. It's a great mix. The plot is one that is very entertaining to see play out - the ending is particularly nuts.
The cast do a fantastic job, especially the main quartet. Song Kang-ho would be my personal standout, I enjoyed watching him throughout. Choi Woo-shik is very good too, as are Park So-dam and Jang Hye-jin. All of the onscreen talent do terrific though, from Cho Yeo-jeong to Lee Jung-eun.
I don't have any negatives for this, it's a brilliant film. From the cinematography, to the dialogue, to the locations, to the humour. You name it, this produces it on an impressive level.
Not that I need to say this, given I'm seemingly one of the last few who hadn't, but you must watch this!
It's as if Hitchcock adapted Shakespeare. Except this is an original screenplay. A masterpiece.
A magnificent masterpiece of a motion picture.
JESUS FUCKING CHRIST NO WORDS
Edit: Ok I've watch Parasite a 2nd time, this time in a Cinema, after further revision I have come to realisation that I STILL HAVE NO FUCKING WORDS
Another masterpiece by Bong Joon-ho. At different times it reminded me of both Tarantino and Hitchcock. I also love the way that the story played out. As the first third of the movie ends you start to get a feel for where you think the movie is going. And then something occurred to me - the title of the film is important but maybe not in the way that it seems.
And the final scene.... magnificent. While the rest of the film did't require you to chew on too much the final scene left you something to think about.
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This movie definitly deserves all the praise it's getting, especially for it's remarkable story but all the other aspects of the movie were on point, would recommend 10/10
Parasite is an extraordinary film.
A metamorphose tale that is comedic, dark, witty, melancholy, symbolic, gory, thought-provoking, beautiful, exquisite, passionate, honest, and personal, all at once.
Reminded me a lot about the film, US. Bong Joon-ho has built an art.
"An urgent, brilliantly layered look at timely social themes."
The working class and down on their luck Kim family struggle to make ends meet. When a friend of the son, Ki-Woo’s, who is an English tutor for the daughter in the wealthy Park family, has to leave his position, he recommends Ki-Woo for the job. Now having an "in" with the wealthy family, the Kims begin plotting the downfall of the current household servants and inserting themselves into those vacant positions, making them all gainfully employed and with money finally flowing into the household. But not everything is as it seems in the Park house or with their previous servants.
This movie starts out as a comedy and quickly goes into social commentary, pointing out the differences between the poor working class family and the wealthy privileged family. The differences are ones that get commonly pointed out with the well-to-do having what usually gets termed as first-world-problems, while the poor family is literally trying to survive and save meager possessions in a flood. It doesn’t shy away or try to be subtle about it, but interestingly enough, we don’t feel beaten over the head with it either, which is a major change from the ham-fisted approach taken by most filmmakers. Couching this in a comedy is a good approach, as well, as the audience’s guard is let down and we become more receptive to the ideas.
However, I do say it’s MOSTLY a comedy. The third act takes a dark, dark turn, and the contrast, not to mention general disdain and even indifference, between the classes becomes much more severe. This gets into some hard territory, and characters that we’ve found quirky and even come to like in some ways show very different sides of themselves. At the same time, it doesn’t feel unexpected, almost like we could tell that this was under the surface all the time and tried to ignore it, but aren’t surprised by it when it does show up. This is some masterful characterization!
Another aspect of note is that this film is rich in allegory and metaphor. It’s a smart film, yet at the same time the filmmakers are not condescending about it. They give the audience credit for being able to understand the symbolism and don’t spoon feed you everything, which is a refreshing change from the usual head-beating most filmmakers go for. At the same time, they understand that not every audience member will understand or immediately pick up on every symbol, but they have crafted this so carefully and so perfectly that you don’t have to understand each and every one. That understanding merely enriches the experience, but isn’t essential to it.
This film has gotten some recognition, and deservedly so. It is rich, intelligent, and polished to a degree that we sadly don’t see as often as we should nowadays, showing the filmmakers are masters of their craft. This is easily one of the best films I’ve seen in 2019. Highly recommended!
"You know what kind of plan that never fails? No plan. No plan at all. You know why? Because life cannot be planned."
'Parasite' is absolutely fantastic. I'm still buzzing how good this movie is. Unpredictable and nuts. You know, this summer I was starting to get a little worn out with the endless sequels, remakes and soulless crash grabs, so I find it refreshing we get movies like this once awhile.
I admire Bong Joon-Ho as a director, especially his Korean movies. Not to say I dislike his English language films like 'Snowpiercer' and 'Okja', but in my personal opinion those don't match the same quality as his Korean movies and there isn't a sex pest trying to control his work. Anywhere, Bong Joon-Ho is one of the best working directors alive and 'Parasite' proves it.
The movie perfectly blends drama and comedy so effortlessly, it basically breaks the impossible. And the comedy is actually hilarious and well written with the execution being sold on the actors. The thing I love so much is how funny, thrilling and intense the movie can be, hijacking all senses and emotions all wrapped into one - only a few directors can pull something this unique.
The performances from everyone was brilliant and there's so much depth to each character, they make the movie as captivating as it is. The cinematography was beautiful, the music was remarkable, and the movie says so much it's the reason why I was engaged throughout.
I highly recommend people to avoid knowing anything before going in, because trust me it will add to your experience.
Overall rating: Finally, a breath of fresh air. My second favorite movie of this year.
Shout by drqshadowBlockedParent2020-01-29T15:17:30Z
A relatively simple, low-key racket spirals way out of control as an impoverished lower class Korean family smoothly weasels their way into the lives of a wealthy, naive, white collar household.
Unpredictably composed, Parasite effortlessly shifts between several genres, evenly mixing comedy with tragedy and several stops in between. Of the versatile tools in that particular box, the film's at its best on the frequent occasions that it ratchets up the tension. I constantly caught myself holding in a deep breath, completely immersed in the moment and conflicted about the best possible outcome. Not all of those nail-biters lead to fireworks, and the film is careful not to overplay its hand, so that, when the time is right, those inevitable explosions land like a flurry of unexpected body blows.
Its first hour is captivating, as the leeches' shady plot comes together and their long con gains momentum, but the home stretch, with its string of sharp curves and grim consequences, is unrestrained chaos in the best of ways. One helluva ride.