Parasite: Korea’s Best Shot at Oscar Glory?

Parasite was a film that I initially heard of following its big win at Cannes earlier this spring. Popping up in nearly every article about this year’s awards season, I knew it would be a movie to look out for come this fall. I, however, stubbornly refused to give into the hype and resisted as long as I could to give it a chance. Not because I wanted to hate it. It just seemed like another overly praised shock piece that I’d end up finding boring. I’m always trepidatious when a film gets buzzed about this much. Not to mention the fact that foreign movies can often be very hit or miss. Sometimes their message can really resonate and sometimes they can turn into artsy fartsy fluff. 

All that said, Parasite was a bonkers delight. Engaging from the start, the movie presents the down on their luck Kim family and their son getting a tutoring job with the daughter of the wealthy Parks. Doing anything to make ends meet, you can’t help but feel bad for the Kims as they sit in their run down, grungy basement apartment folding pizza boxes. Not to give much away, but that narrative soon begins to change and Parasite starts to become and insane and wild roller coaster. It does get somewhat over the top and self-indulgent in some of its more dramatic moments and while these parts don’t always work, you can sense the wide grin director Bong Joon Ho’s must have had while filming these scenes. He is a clear lover of cinema. Another quick note(something I noticed in Okja as well) is Ho’s ability to enhance every scene using music.

I can’t help but appreciate a movie that sparks very meaningful and timely discussion and this movie does just that. To me, that’s its strongest point. The best part about the film’s narrative is that it doesn’t preach or take on one overt agenda. There’s a lot of nuance and little elements that get you to question the motives and character of everyone on screen. Nobody is the complete villain and nobody is the outright hero. You leave the theatre questioning the morality of each and every character. 

Another strong element of Parasite’s direction is how its story feels universal enough for anyone to understand but also specific enough that it is unquestionably a Korean film. Sometimes you can feel completely lost in foreign language movies but Bong Joon Ho certainly tried and succeeded in avoiding that pitfall. The result is familiar and extremely unique all at the same time.

What I’m saying at the end of the day is that it opens itself up to lots of interpretation. Parasite gives you enough meat to chew on to feel like you’re getting a substantial meal but it also leaves a lot up to personal opinion. 

Then, the ending coda to the film makes it a real home run. The final little reveal makes the close that much stronger and lets you imagine what’s next for our protagonists. 

I guess I should have believed the hype for Parasite because it sure did deliver. On the other hand, maybe my dubiousness made me enjoy it all that much more. Whatever the case may be, I’m a fan and I’d urge you to seek this one out if not for any other reason but to support creative, independent filmmaking that gets us talking.