Review | ‘Parasite’ - Be blown away by this modern masterpiece

There’s no better example of movies’ ability for distinctly insane storytelling than Parasite, helmed by Snowpiercer and The Host director Bong Joon-ho. The Korean filmmaker blends the comic and the tragic effortlessly in this family drama, a textbook case of what critic Roger Ebert said - “the movies are like a machine that generates empathy.”

Creatively, Parasite is a triumph because it is endlessly shifting, as if you are piecing a puzzle together but the picture you have in your head does not match the image it forms. But don’t worry, the results happen to be more rewarding. If you come to the theater knowing what is all about, then you are likely to be wrong. When you exit the theater and you post a review, you might find it hard to identify which genre it falls under. 

It tackles class and revolves around the idea of floors - which family has the higher ground or better vantage in the scheme of things. Underlining this metaphor is Jung Jae-il's operatic music and Hong Kyung-po’s marvelous cinematography. It is also hard to reveal how amazing the ensemble is without spoiling.

Auteur Bong Joon-ho, like the movie’s characters, sets up a trap using an array of cinematic magic tricks. Yet the cathartic experience you get from Parasite is not something you’d like to escape from. Go into the film blind because that really gives you a chance to experience it in your own way, with your own expectations.

Rating: 10/10

The reviewer bought a ticket to see the movie.