kev.’s review published on Letterboxd:
“You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan at all.”
Very few films (especially foreign) get the kind of acclaim and attention this one received. Even less films live up to that praise. Parasite does. It meets the highest of expectations and then more. I went into it blindly, as many people recommended, and it was probably the best decision I could’ve made. I had no idea what to expect and yet, every second of it was fantastic.
This is my second film by Bong Joon-Ho (first being Okja), so I don’t have much knowledge about his work, but one thing felt familiar based on the one and only film of his I’ve seen: he flawlessly plays a fine line between genres. Constantly changing the atmosphere of the film, making it feel fresh and unique even after a while.
With incredible writing, Parasite tells the story of two families. On the one hand we have the Parks, a rich family that gets anything they please, and on the opposite side of the spectrum we have the Kim family, going through a poverty crisis and willing to do anything to survive. The film takes the two families on a very exhilarating journey and gives a social commentary on class differences, how fate might be the deciding factor on whether you have an easy life, or you simply don’t. With exciting scenes of violence, drama, and even some comedy, the film is absolutely fantastic and deserves all the praise. Incredibly well directed, with beautiful cinematography, near perfect pacing, great performances, score and a more than impressive set design (!), Parasite is undoubtedly one of the best films of the decade.
Couldn’t have celebrated my birthday in a better way and I’m glad I made the effort to go see it. I can confidently say the 40+ minute drive was absolutely worth it.
