Parasite Review

     Bong Joon-Ho has brought us another thematically audacious, culturally piercing, and remarkably unique picture, and he has finally been rewarded the Oscar he has deserved for years. To attempt to explain or categorize Parasite is folly, because much of the joy of viewing it is the surprise, and the post-watch unpacking of its dense plot. Trying to put it in a box is doing the film a disservice. 

     Bong displays a tightly held command of his craft and a delicate understanding of subject matter. Tight-roping between comedy and biting drama with ease, he adds a sublime expectation of eventual oddity. No characters are shackled by one-dimensionality, and each step of the narrative sinks us deeper into Bong's world, in hilarity and shock. Morality is smeared across lines as greed, deception, and hatred close their grip on humanity's hearts. The scenario is developed as a whole, instead of focusing on one or two protagonists, which allows for a more thorough examination of the dynamics in place. Bong's slowly spiraling stories have garnered critical attention for over a decade, and I am delighted that he is finally getting the attention he deserves from the masses. 

     Parasite isn't flawless, but to examine any of its flaws would spoil it. If you haven't seen it, watch it, and if you have seen it, discuss it, because that is why it was created. Watch Snowpiercer and the rest of Bongs filmography while you are at it.

     A side note: it is absolutely gratifying to see a foreign film nabbing cinema's highest honor. I encourage casual filmgoers and cinephiles alike to give captions a shot. Cinema is an art form that combines the highest technology in each field of the arts to pursue the evocation of emotion and the universal nature of the human condition. What better way to learn about the world than through this medium, in any language, at any time, through any eyes. "Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films." - Bong Joon-ho