When the lights come on, they crawl away quickly!

Rating: 10/10 (17 February 2020)

After watching some good films in 2019, there were only a few that really blew me away. I'm a big "Avengers - Endgame" fan, but "The Irishman" and especially "The Lighthouse" really touched me. And now we have "Parasite" by Bong Joon-ho, the South Korean director of "The Host" and "Snowpiercer". "Parasite" was the first South Korean film to win the golden palm at the Cannes Film Festival and garnered tons of good reviews. Recently it also won four Academys, amogst other things of course "Best Picture". Logically, I was interested.
The Kim family lives on a subsistence level and takes every opportunity to improve their situation. How fitting that one day the son receives an offer to help a wealthy family ...
The less you know about "Parasite", the better! Nevertheless, I try to rate the film as best as possible without giving anything away.
What is the best way to describe "parasite"? It´s not easy, because the genre of the film alone is not easy to grasp. The film works here and there as a satire, can surprise with some really funny moments, but also has very metaphorical scenes and then suddenly becomes scary and exciting. And that's all an understatement. "Parasite" always surprised me. In a moment you suspect you know what kind of film it is, but then there is the first twist and then the next and I was always surprised. Few films can do that. Joon-ho stages a masterful, socially critical film that works on so many levels. The visual level, for example, is fantastic, "Parasite" works with grotesque, but nevertheless appropriate exaggerations, which sometimes are difficult to bear in terms of their message and strength. The name of the film gives a wonderful hint of what to expect.
All actors are fabulous and deserve the greatest recognition, because it is not just the terrific script or the equally fabulous direction that make "Parasite" so effective. I especially liked Song Kang-ho as father of the Kims!
Technically, "Parasite" offers creative and sometimes breathtaking camera settings. Some spectacular sets were built for the film, such as the Kims' family home. The editing is great and Jeong Jae-il's score was also wonderfully integrated into the visuals; everything just fits here!
Conclusion: You have to see "Parasite"! It is one of those films that certainly offers something for everyone, but at the same time brings with it so much intelligence and strength that I am amazed and happy at the same time that this South Korean work is so well received by the audience. Without a doubt one of the best films of 2019. A masterpiece, a must-see and in a way also an important film, I think. Terrific!