“Parasite”, directed by Bong Joon Ho, was insane. This movie is about the extremely poor Kim family as they form a complicated relationship with the wealthy Park family as the Kims attempt to get themselves out of poverty. The movie stars Cho Yeo-jeong, Park So-dam, Choi Woo-shik, and Kang-Ho Song as the Kim family. 

I loved this movie. The crown jewel of this movie is the story. I have never seen a movie anything like this. The movie takes so many interesting directions with their story, with different parts of the movie feeling entirely different in tone and even genre. After the movie started, I was hooked. This movie is thrilling, easily one of the most tense movies in the Best Picture bunch. 

Another excellent aspect of the movie was the production design. In the movie, there is a poor neighborhood and a rich neighborhood. The amount of detail put into both settings pertaining to the themes of classism is satisfying. It’s impossible to fully explain without spoiling some of the movie, so just trust me on this one.

In fact, this was a generally well made movie. The lighting was also used in a creative way throughout the movie in a way that contributed to the themes of classism. There are also some cool shots in the movie, though I didn’t think there was anything as breathtaking as the lighting and production design. 

The movie also did a great job at getting me to care about the characters. The Kim family did an excellent job in all of their roles, and every step of the way I was dying to see what would happen to these people next. 

There were a few moments in “Parasite” I won’t ever forget. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say there are some characters that get themselves in some high pressure situations. My adrenaline spiked just from looking at these situations.

Putting this movie over the top for me was the commentary on classism. The dynamic between the poor and the rich is explored in many different ways throughout the movie, from the story, to the character’s actions, even to the details of the rich and poor homes. After just seeing this movie I feel like I need to go see it again. The story is so crazy and unpredictable, I would love to see it again looking at it from a classism lense. 

Some might be turned off by the fact that this movie is in Korean. Do not let this stop you from watching this movie. To quote the director of this movie itself: “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films”. If you want a creative, unique, wild movie experience, check this one out. I give it a 5/5.