Infiltration, forgery, crime, fake blood, poverty, traps, tuberculosis, class, infiltration, plots, laughter, wealth, crime—parasite. Without having watched Bong Joon Ho’s cinematic tour de force, Parasite, one may righteously assume that these words alone describe the plot of the 2019 film. False. These words only describe key aspects of the first act—although the second act does incorporate some of these elements. What makes Parasite so delightfully entertaining is its ability to stand alone without the shocking twists that emerge in the film’s second act. An equally great movie could have been formed out of the first act’s basis, but Bong chooses to push his film beyond the expected. Walking into the Parasite unspoiled provides the optimal viewing experience, leaving the precious, intense, and meticulously crafted twists to the big screen. That being said, let us survey the overarching plot of the first act with minimal spoilers for the second act…

The Kim family is poor. Ki-taek and his wife, Choong-Sook, care for their two university-aged teenagers, Ki-woo and Ki-jeong, in what they call a semi-basement—a musty, cramped living space. Ki-woo’s friend, Min-hyuk, is an English tutor who teaches Park Da-hye, the daughter of a wealthy family. Receiving news that Min-hyuk is going to be studying abroad, Ki-woo is provided the opportunity to take Min-hyuk’s place while he is away despite not having a university degree. With Min-hyuk’s incitement, the Kim family’s encouragement, and Ki-jeong’s latent forgery skills, Ki-woo finds himself in the home of the wealthy Park family. In an entertaining series of events, each Kim family member works his or her way into the Park family home. First, Ki-woo suggests to the “naive” and “simple” Mrs. Park, the Park mother, to look into a certain art therapist for the Park family son, Da-song. This art therapist is designed to be Ki-jeong. From there, the two siblings begin plotting for the involvement of their parents, completely infiltrating the Park family. Eventually, the Kims can get Ki-taek to be the driver and Choong-sook, the housekeeper. Soon, however, a familiar face emerges with a suspicious request that leads the Kims into danger..

This character’s return indicates the transition of Parasite from a light, fun drama-comedy to a dark, twisted, drama-thriller. From there, madness emerges at sporadic paces. Bong lets some of the madness unfurl smoothly and naturally, easing the audience until a torrent deluges the reader in awe. Parasite is unpredictable, which makes it enjoyable and breath-taking…

            Parasite, unlike many movies of today, brims with not only entertainment but with relevant messages. Parasite raises awareness around the social constructs regarding class and wealth. There is a deliberately sharp contrast between the Kim and Park family. The skillful acting is portrayed in these moments of contrast. The Kim family sees the Park family as superiors and the Park home as a foreign land. The beautiful shot of Ki-woo stumbling into the estate in awe under the shining sun captures the amazement that the Kims have toward the Parks. The Park family gives off the stereotypical “rich” behavior. An aspect of their rich behavior is summarized in the dialogue between Ki-taek and Choong-sook concerning Mrs. Park. Ki-taek states “she’s rich but still nice.” Disapprovingly, however, Choong-sook fires back, “she’s nice because she’s rich…” 

The Kim family is well scripted and portrayed to emit a sense of innocence in their actions. They infiltrate the family not because they are bad people but because they need money to support themselves. The Parks are not portrayed badly either. They are gullible and oblivious, but they treat their staff and others very kindly. Evidently, the Kims are the parasites of the movie, and parasites are perceived negatively while the host is perceived with pity. Bong plays around with these conceptions by constantly swaying the audience between which family is “good” and which is “bad.” None are truly bad families, and none are perfect either. The “bad guy” will only emerge at Parasite’s midpoint…

Parasite is not CGI heavy, which emits a solid connection to reality. Even though we know the events that occur in Parasite are ultimately unrealistic, such a “real” setting makes the viewers present in the movie. The cinematography and set design are brilliant. The originally-designed Park family home is modern, luxurious, classy, and a perfect setup for the massive plot turns that lie in store. All of the shots and scenes in the Park home are perfectly placed and an important factor in viewer enjoyment. The heavy rain pouring down on the Park lawn versus the downpour on the poor side of the city where the Kims live; a bewildered Mrs. Park slowly walking up the front stairs of her home with smoothened, bleak gray cement surrounding her; an orange-tinted run-down neighborhood in the midst of a horrendous downpour; Ki-woo and Ki-jeong clustered together in their cramped bathroom in a desperate attempt to connect to a neighbor’s WiFi...

The fact that Parasite is delivered in Korean does not detract from its powerful thrills, shocks, twists, plot, comedy, and themes. Rather, the Korean aspect provides a different perspective for American viewers. What is life like in Korea? Does it differ from our life in the United States? Do the disparities in class that Parasite addresses apply to us as residents of a vastly different nation? Questions such as these lie deeper within the movie, but they are still to be confronted...

            Parasite undoubtedly earns its critical acclaim—an impressive 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.6/10 on IMBD. The film deserves more attention in the United States, and as its popularity continually grows, many will understand what an utter masterpiece Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is.