No one does it quite like Joon-ho Bong! [+84%]

Rating: 8/10 (15 August 2019)

It's safe to say the Joon-ho Bong is one of the greatest original storytellers of our generation. The man's filmography speaks for itself. Barking Dogs Never Bite, Memories of Murder, The Host, Mother, Snowpiercer, Okja, and now, Parasite - that's the kind of portfolio to be proud of. Now let's talk about the movie in question here.
Parasite is a darkly funny social satire that paints a subtle (yet not-so-subtle) picture of different social strata. On one hand, we have Kim Ki-taek (the brilliant Song Kang-ho), an out-of-work driver who lives in a dingy apartment with his wife Choong Sook (a mighty effective Jang Hye-jin) and his two college-age kids Ki-woo and Ki-jyeong. On the other, we have the well-off family of Mr Park that comprises of himself, his wife Yeon-Kyo, and his two children Da-Hye and Da-song.
A series of events leads to Kim ki-woo getting employed by the Park family as Da-Hye's tutor. Then, we come across the master-plan executed by Kim Ki-woo to get each one in his family employed by the Parks. This stretch of street-smarts versus rich-naivety while engaging and funny, still seemed like it was missing the 'element of twist' commonly associated with Bong's films. But what awaits you beyond the first hour is utterly inventive. It's indeed twists-and-thrills galore, with performances by every single cast member rising to the occasion.
Parasite, as a film, should claim a rightful genre to itself. It's a masterful blend of so many genres: comedy, family, drama (plenty of it), survival thriller, satire, horror (rarely), and many more. The social inequality trope isn't used for stirring extra sentiment. Instead, Bong cleverly plays around the concept and shows how intelligent film-makers can tell a story revolving around every section of the society without pandering to either. Most of all, Bong's attention to detail is impeccable and this pays off in several scenes.
The film boasts several scenes (not moments, scenes altogether) that are worthy of further discussion. The subtext is impressively underplayed, with the second hour leaving no stone unturned. The climax is the best thing about Parasite (as is the case with most of Bong's movies) and it makes a giant statement - both in terms of storytelling and as a cinematic finale. Parasite is the kind of film that needs multiple viewings; a second or a third viewing will reveal even greater context about each of the meticulously-created characters. Also, two thumbs up for the production design and cinematography departments for making everything in the film appear so very real.
Verdict: This time around, the 'monsters' are human, and they're more than fierce! A MUST-WATCH!