Superb: funny, dark, intriguing and profound

Rating: 9/10 (1 February 2020)

A poor South Korean family lives in a ramshackle semi-basement apartment and gets by on hustles and cons. One day the son manages to get a job tutoring the child of a wealthy family. He sees an opportunity to get his parents and sister jobs in the household too. Soon all of them of are in and life is looking much rosier. Then fate throws them a curveball.
Superb. Written and directed by Bong Joon Ho who gave us the superb crime-drama Memories of Murder plus the entertaining Snowpiercer, Parasite is a great mix of comedy and drama, pathos and social commentary.
It starts off in very entertaining fashion as we meet the family that are experts in cons and manipulation. It is quite funny and initially they just seem like slackers. However, after a while it is quite awe-inspiring to see the work that goes into their deceptions.
As the movie progresses it becomes darker and darker. The plot takes on a few surprising twists and turns and the two families involved become symbols of a class divide. The social commentary is thought-provoking without being preachy or seeming biased. Powerful ending.
Solid performances round out an excellent plot and great direction.