Parasite (2019)
★★★★ — Parasite (2019)
Bong Joon-ho had already built a formidable international reputation through genre-blending Korean productions like Memories of Murder (2003), The Host (2006), and the English-language Snowpiercer (2013) before arriving at Parasite, an original screenplay he co-wrote with Han Jin-won. Produced by Barunson E&A on a modest budget of just over eleven million dollars, the film went on to gross more than 257 million dollars worldwide, a remarkable commercial result for a subtitled Korean-language picture. Its 2020 Oscar wins, including Best Picture and Best Director, made it the first non-English-language film to take the top Academy Award, a milestone that felt like a genuine shift in how Hollywood's awards culture acknowledged world cinema. Bong followed it with the English-language Mickey 17 (2025).
2 hours of set-up for a 5 minute nuclear ending. Parasite is quintessential Korean cinema; slow burn storytelling, absurd plot twists, and a finale so frantic it leaves you staring at the credits wondering what the hell just happened. Bong Joon-ho masterfully weaves dark comedy, thriller, and social satire into something uniquely gripping. The way the film shifts tones so quickly, sometimes within the same scene is insane, yet it works flawlessly. The class commentary isn’t subtle, but it doesn’t need to be. The stark contrast between the struggling Kim family and the obliviously privileged Parks is unsettlingly real. It's probably much easier to relate to if you're a Korean person watching this. It’s tense, funny, shocking, and completely unpredictable. You think you know where it's going... until you don’t. By the time it reaches its climax, it’s pure cinematic chaos. One of the best films of the 21st century, no doubt. I marked it down because I feel like it was just TOO much of a slow-burn. This wasn't Oldboy, where the pacing is flawless, this is basically cooking Christmas Dinner for an entire day to eat the meal in 10 minutes.
Rating: ★★★★ | Year: 2019 | Watched: 2023-11-16
Where to watch (UK)
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