Heading into parasite my expectations were high. The film was widely praised as being incredible and it also made history by being the first South Korean film to win the Palme d’or (Best Picture) at the Cannes Film festival and while I was writing this review it also won not only the Best International feature film but also Best Director, Best Original screenplay and Best Picture at the Oscars being the first film not in English to win this award.
I’m glad to say that this film surpassed my excepectations, it is truly a masterpiece and is the perfect example of when you have a great story, the themes explored can be universal and anyone can appreciate. The set-up is simple, a down on their luck family who are a part of the lower class start to slowly integrate and take over roles in an upper-class family’s lives. The film starts off as a dark comedy but at a certain point it goes in a different direction no one will see coming.
The film is beautiful from the very first frame, the cinematography is just extremely striking and never drops in quality. The film is a visual treat and just a joy to watch on its visuals alone. There is not a single bad performance. Kang-ho Song was absolutely snubbed at the Oscars for his performance, he is truly incredible, and you really feel like he and the rest of the cast are actual people and not them playing a character.
The soundtrack is just fantastic, it fits the tone of the film and works well in every scene and never feels manipulative. Bong Joon Ho’s direction is truly incredible, especially with the change of direction the film goes in, with a weaker director it could have felt like it came out of nowhere and didn’t fit the film, but he really nailed it. The film is beautifully edited, for a film that’s 2 hours and 10 minutes long it flies by, there is no need to fill with empty cheap shots or dialog it is a true pure film in its entirety.
Parasite is a foreign film I think anyone can watch, its dark at points but it is just so well executed and just so engaging to watch that I really can’t wait to watch it again, it’s a truly incredible film and is the perfect example of what not only foreign cinema but cinema in general should and can be.
