Staggeringly original Korean social satire; one of the best of the decade

Rating: 10/10 (20 October 2019)

I am more than delighted to say that this twisted dark comedy from South Korea more than lives up to the hype. It was the recipient of the Palm D'Or this year at Cannes and has received universally ecstatic reviews. It's an absolute masterpiece, and one of the best films of the past ten years.
I won't say too much about the plot to avoid giving anything away, but the film tells the story of a poor family of con artists in South Korea who begin to start being employed by a gullible, extremely wealthy family. The narrative manages to effortlessly and seamlessly combine astounding entertainment with efficacious and impactful social commentary. The film is loaded with substantial messages about class divides not only in South Korean society, but also in the world as a whole. From there, its main raison d'être expands to the analysis of how we can respond to such divides when placed in extreme situations. The results are shocking, startling, hilarious, and utterly brilliant. Such results certainly couldn't be achieved without a truly outstanding cast, but lucky for us, Bong Joon-ho has assembled an astonishing ensemble. Even more impressive is the film's character development. While the film's primary characters are often not the most ethical, they are surprisingly likable and multi-dimensional--especially when heightened by both emotion and tone. You'll certainly remember them long after the credits roll.
But what's most unforgettable about "Parasite" is that the film manipulates (in the best way possible) its tone in so many unique and engaging ways, that it is able to fully subvert the viewer's expectations of not only how the film will go, but how tone in a film of any kind can be executed under normative conditions. Combining laugh-out-loud, witty comedy, taut suspense, and moments of pitch-black darkness, viewers will be fully immersed in one of the most unpredictable narratives put on film of the past twenty years. While such tonal shifts may sound erratic, they could not have been done more perfectly here--so much so that the film ultimately feels like an unprecedented crescendo in its tone--especially given that the tonal shifts are made more impactful by the film's almost impeccable tightness, not wasting a single frame to keep the viewer fully and utmost engaged.
One review cited in the film's trailer calls "Parasite" a "magic trick." I couldn't agree more, both literally and figuratively. A definite 10/10.