Parasite. What a film.

The euphoria from watching a foreign film sweep so many major awards at the Oscars finally got me to watch this film that everyone has been raving about. The reason why I hadn’t gotten to it sooner was because, being an avid consumer of Korean films, dark and complex stories such as the one Parasite promised are the norm in this industry and I had wondered if it’s international popularity was really just luck, a result of people not being used to mainstream films such as this. But now, hours after having finished the film and staring blankly around me, I am happy to say that all the praise this film has gotten is well-deserved.

This film is absolutely crushing in its unflinching portrayal of what is the dark reality for a majority of people. Right from the start, there is never a moment where you truly believe that things would get better, that the family’s shenanigans would actually bear any positive fruit. The futility of it all, the suffocating hopelessness, just drips from the screen without being overpowering under Bong Joon Ho’s masterful hand, until he wants it to of course. I also now understand why there were such wildly differing descriptions of the film’s plot from website to website (one even painted it as more of a romance, wth). This film is not a high-concept film by any means. Approaching it as such would be a mistake and would probably turn off a lot of people. This film is not about the life and trials of one specific family. The characters aren’t concrete. They are, instead, intentionally made like vessels meant for anyone to step into. You could change all of the characters and the story would still remain the same. It is a tactic that has a high chance of falling on its face but the film manages to execute it brilliantly to its favor. The allegory IS the main plot. It is to the point that, very interestingly, the film almost feels fantastical without Bong Joon Ho actually ever crossing that line. But he definitely entertains the idea of dipping into magical realism, his toe right on the border. You can feel it in some shots and hear it in places in the sound design, something that just adds to the brilliance of the film.

One thing that did puzzle me about this film was it being described as a black comedy. There wasn’t even one moment in this film that made me laugh and neither were there any cues to show that the film wanted me to either. The only reason I can see behind attaching the “comedy” genre to this is due to the simple fact that the events that transpire in this film, at least in the first half, are not shown in a way typical of thrillers. But otherwise, to anyone who still hasn’t watched it and wants to, take the comedy descriptor very, very loosely.

So those are my short, crude first thoughts on the film. I still feel a bit dazed from the experience. Parasite is certainly very aptly named, and not just within the plot of the film. The film stubbornly sticks to you, even way after it’s over, and zaps any and all fantasies you may have about the world.