A Neon Picture, Written by Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, Directed by Bong Joon-ho.
“She’s not rich because she’s nice, she’s nice because she’s rich”
Parasite has become one of this awards seasons frontrunners and there has been so much talk about the film that I thought it would be tough to live up to the hype, but this film exceeded it.
The strong societal messages about the gap between the classes is so deftly and subtly done that it just creeps up on you and explodes in glorious chaos.
Many Americans versions of Asian characters make them feel like stereotypes, but every single character here feels real, unique, and packed full of personality, and this really makes you connect to them.
The whole cast are exceptional, with my personal stand outs being Song Kang-ho, Park So-dam, and Cho Yeo-jeong. Each of them brings such different energy to the film and they are key to it working.
The technical aspects, including the score and production design, are all magnificent and some of the best of the year. Director Bong Joon-ho really brought everything together to create his masterpiece and he deserves every award he is getting.
The film has three very distinct acts, with them almost feeling like different genres. Act 1 is a high energy comedy/drama, Act 2 is a straight up horror film, and Act 3 is a high tension thriller, and they all work together brilliantly, leading to a remarkable conclusion.
Between Parasite and Portrait of a Lady on Fire, the foreign film industry has produced some of the best and most unique films of 2019.
Rating = 4.5/5
Howe's World of Film and TV 