A masterpiece that showcases an artist truly in control of his impeccable craft

Rating: 10/10 (10 November 2019)

Parasite is a movie where each element has the precise intended effect. Bong can shift from hilarity to tension in an instant, and showcase surface level plot elements and deeper class themes in one clever shot. If you haven't seen Parasite yet, I implore you to stop reading this and anything else about the movie and just go watch it.
The class divide between the two families is at the thematic heart of Parasite. On a surface level everything the Kim family does is to earn money and live more comfortably, while the Park family is as secure as could be and are oblivious to the situation and scheme of the Kims. The twist adds to the complexity of the situation - who's the parasite in the situation and how did the Kim family and housekeeper family get to their respective situations? The ending is a devastating metaphor showing how the family is never really able to get out of the basement or buy that house. It's also an edge of your seat thriller where you're so nervous that the family is going to get caught and then that the other family is going to escape. Even the descent into violence at the end was controlled and each attack made sense. The comedy is an underrated element, as many scenes were very funny, especially the self-portrait artwork discussion which was hysterical. The acting was all excellent, and my two favorite performances were Jessica (the sister), who was so great in showcasing how she acted differently with her family and as a tutor, and Mrs. Park, who portrayed the innocent honesty of the upper class wife perfectly. The cinematography was great and reinforced the class themes, especially in the juxtaposition of how the houses are shot, with the cramped underground Kim house and the spacious green Park house, or how as they go back home in the pouring rain that they keep going down, down, down. So many things to absolutely love about this movie that I could go on about, and nothing feels incomplete or not fully satisfying. Parasite is a genuine masterpiece.