Were the blueprints to the house never filed with the local planning commission?

Rating: 6/10 (12 April 2020)

See, while the film is moderately entertaining, it is flawed. It certainly isn't a masterpiece in any regard.
The massive issue is that there is not a single sympathetic character in the entire film. Because the Kims are poor, we are supposed to forgive their unethical and often malicious ploy? The Parks are just vapid stereotypes of the wealthy. The driver is underdeveloped. The housekeeper we feel bad for at first. But she and her husband quickly become as detestable as everyone else.
So the Kims only means to finally making something of themselves is through dishonest work. All the energy and ambition they put into their scheme, they could have used to start something legitimate like their fake referral service. But their deception was always depicted as a means to a fatalistic end. Are the Park children any better for the tutelage they are receiving? No. Is the house any cleaner? The chauffeuring all that life-transforming? Naw. Perhaps if the Kims' presence in the Park household had had any positive aspect to the interaction between to the two families, the movie would have invoke some pathos at the same climax.
And the "wealth rock" symbolism. Got it. If they were so smart, they would realize simple living within your means is the key to contentment. So, yay, never hold your metaphor - as the writing rule goes.
And the climactic punishment is not nearly sufficient. For the Kims, it's one dead, two on probation and one "scot-free" after racking up a host of crimes including one triple homicide - only a third of which was of a different socioeconomic class. That is some good karma for railing against the rich and being utterly deplorable schemers but mostly killing their own kind. Yeah, yeah, the dad gets trapped under the house. How was this proper retribution? He was never the mastermind; his rotten kids were. And mainly, it was the son, who is the agent of everything. Without his friend, without him receiving the stone, without his foot in the Parks' door, there is no movie. The daughter gets what she deserved. But he gets "lesson learned (maybe)". And Mrs Kim is just along for the ride? A big fat no to that.
I also found it hard to believe that the source of those flickering stairwell lights would not have been investigated by the fastidiously rich residents with their impeccably stocked wine fridge - especially with Neurotic Helicopter Mom no. 1 always home.
I already was well-aware of the rich-stay-rich-and-poor-stay-poor cycle that was supposed to be the revelatory theme of this movie so it was not nearly as impactful. And with the characterization and outcome flaws, the film was okay but not nearly as evocative as it could have been. I really wanted to see some arc movement to any of the characters, even if ever so slight before the same ending. But they all start out and stay one dimensional. And it takes a bloodbath at a child's birthday party to get a couple of them to say, "aw shucks, maybe this wasn't a great plan". And then the final point of the movie, per the director himself, is to just accept your impoverished state because even years of honest work will not get your murderous father literally out from under the rich that you caused to begin with by seeking to be like them. "The whole notion of "why bother" makes no sense or point thematically in art.