Spoiler alert: this article has spoilers about the movie Parasite!
One of the few good things that came out of 2020 was Parasite winning Best Picture at the Oscars. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite was released in October 2019 and proved to be a massive hit by making over $258.8 million. Parasite is a satirical approach to illustrating economic and social class divisions, while also criticizing the uneven distribution of wealth to the top 1%. Especially with the racism that Asians were faced with during the pandemic, Parasite’s winning of Best Picture at the Oscars was a cultural movement because it was the first non-English film to ever win Best Picture.
Parasite follows the story of the impoverished South-Korean Kim family as they gradually all become employed by the wealthy Park family. Beginning with the son Ki-woo, one-by-one the Kims feign education and sophistication to con the naive Mrs. Park and the unbothered Mr. Park, eventually all becoming the family’s personal tutors, driver, and housekeeper.
The downfall of the Kims begins when the previous housekeeper, who the Kims successfully got fired, returns to reveal that she had been hiding her husband from loan sharks in the concealed basement of the Parks’ mansion (which Mr. and Mrs. Park had no idea existed). When the previous housekeeper realizes that the Kims are manipulating the Parks as well, the Kims take it upon themselves to lock Moon-gwang and her husband, Guen-se, in the basement.
During the Parks’ son’s birthday party, Guen-se escapes from the basement, knocks Ki-woo unconscious with a huge blow to the head, and stabs the Kims’ daughter, Ki-jung, in front of everyone. The Parks’ son, Da-song, has a seizure on the spot from the shock of the situation and the party-goers flee with fear. Ki-taek, the Parks’ driver, manages to stab and kill Guen-se but as his daughter bleeds out in front of him, Mr. Park demands him for the keys to his car so that he can drive Da-song to the hospital. As Ki-taek tosses Mr. Park the keys, they land next to Guen-se’s body. When Mr. Park reaches down to pick up the keys, he plugs his nose in disgust of Guen-se’s poor hygiene from hiding in the basement for years. Enraged by Mr. Park’s arrogance and ego, Ki-taek stabs and kills Mr. Park and is forced to hide in the basement for years to come from law enforcement.
Parasite is an incredibly engaging film that’ll make you laugh, gasp, and tear up. Even though the Kims are deceiving the Parks, it’s hard not to stand with the Kims as they try to climb up the social ladder. While what they are doing is morally wrong, you almost have to cut them some slack since they’re just trying to survive by making more money. There are funny scenes, like when the Kims are all together in the Parks’ mansion but must act like strangers. Other scenes seem funny but have a sad undertone, like when Ki-woo, Ki-jung, and Ki-taek must hide under the coffee table while Mr. and Mrs. Park make love on the couch above them, just after conversing over how bad their driver, Ki-taek, smells (without knowing he was under their coffee table). Other scenes make your heart break, like when the Kims go home to find that their entire underground apartment had been flooded and that all their possessions had been ruined in the process. The flood scene is particularly moving because as the Kims struggle to preserve their belongings as the water level in their apartment continues to rise, the Parks sleep comfortably in their mansion. Mrs. Park even proceeds to mention that the rain was a blessing the following morning as Ki-taek is driving her, proving how ignorant she is of the poors’ struggles.
This movie’s social commentary on class divisions and uneven wealth distribution is timeless and universal. It’s winning of Best Picture in the U.S. proves that economic justice is a current issue in many countries. With all the social justice movements recently, Parasite is incredibly topical and aligns perfectly with current issues. Quarantining has given us a lot of time to watch more shows and movies, and if you’re looking for a funny, thrilling, yet insightful and powerful movie, Parasite is a great choice!