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Parasite has won a number of gongs during Awards Season, but did it deserve them all, or was it just the Academy pandering to diversity and ticking boxes, as this time is the first ever that a foreign language film, or “Film Not in the English language” has won Best Film?
And why is it, that outside of all that, all the so-called ‘movie critics’ all *love* the same films, and all *hate* the same films? It’s clearly so they can all get their publications’ names on the posters of the former by giviing them top marks.
Anyhoo, before watching this, I was told to know as little as possible, so I’ll keep it brief and not give any spoilers, and if you don’t want to know anything, then you can skip to the score at the bottom.
Parasite is a story about “the haves and the have-nots”. The Kim family are “have-nots”, living in a horrible basement flat that’s full of bugs, and trying to make a living out of folding pizza boxes. Meanwhile, the Park family live in the most extravagant house with sensor-based lights, and out of their two kids, the young son could really do with a slap.
Upon learning of this family, the Kims try to invagel their way into the lives of the Parks – thanks to jealousy, working for them and seeing what makes them tick, starting with Kevin – aka Ki-woo Kim (Choi Woo Shik) giving private English language tuition to their daughter, Da-Hye (Jung Ziso, above), and Jessica – aka Ki-jung (Park So Dam, top picture)) teaching their son, Da-song (Hyun-jun Jung) about art therapy.
As the film progresses, I love how Jessica is so cold in her nature and, meanwhile, Kevin is oddly obsessed with a large piece of rock.
Overall, Parasite is stylishly filmed, but at times, it’s remarkably silly, and the only real downside is that the first 20-25 minutes are so slow to get going. However, as for whether it should’ve won Best Film? Of course not.
Personally, the best film for me was a documentary, being frank. As for Best Film? Well, in 2019 it was Under The Silver Lake. Plus, for a film released in 2020 in the UK but in 2019 in US and, thus, qualifying for this, Uncut Gems. Sadly, the Academy are stupid.
Parasite is out now in cinemas, and is available to pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 132 minutes
Release date: February 7th 2020
Studio: Curzon Artificial Eye
Format: 2.39:1 ARRIRAW (6.5K)
Rating: 8/10
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Producers: Bong Joon Ho, Kwak Sin Ae, Moon Yang Kwon, Jang Young Hwan
Screenplay: Bong Joon Ho, Jin Won Han
Music: Jaeil Jung
Cast:
Ki-taek Kim (father): Song Kang Ho
Ki-woo Kim (Kevin): Choi Woo Shik
Ki-jung Kim (Jessica): Park So Dam
Chung-sook Kim (mother): Chang Hyae Jin
Dong-ik Park (father): Lee Sun Kyun
Yeon-kyo Park (mother): Cho Yeo Jeong
Da-hye Park: Jung Ziso
Moon-gwang: Lee Jung Eun
Geun-sae: Myung-hoon Park
Yoon: Geun-rok Park
Singer: Ji-hye Lee
Min-hyuk: Seo-joon Park
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.