Parasite (Bong Joon Ho, 2019)
All unemployed, Ki-taek and his family take peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks, as they ingratiate themselves into their lives and get entangled in an unexpected incident.
This is one of the best films I've ever seen. It might be the best. It is close to perfect, as a piece of cinematic art. Just imo.
Isabel Stevens, Sight&Sound: "Duped into playing the game of guessing which of the two families are the dirtiest rotten scoundrels, we only later realise that it’s capitalism that’s the true parasite. What’s quite unexpected, beyond the deliciously twisting finale, is the tender musing on familial love that emerges and the sorrowful all-too-late realisation that you can’t buy home."
Stephen Dalton, Hollywood Reporter: "Like much of Bong’s work, Parasite is cumbersomely plotted and heavy-handed in its social commentary. The largely naturalistic treatment here may also alienate some of his fantasy fanboy constituency. That said, this prickly contemporary drama still feels more coherent and tonally assured than Snowpiercer or Okja, and packs a timely punch that will resonate in our financially tough, politically polarized times."
Anonymous director and Academy voter, quoted by IndieWire: "Parasite is a slightly different movie than Roma last year, but it’s still about class. But this is a genre film, a grand thriller in the Hitchcock tradition, and it’s not often that films like that can make it to Best Picture. But with this movie Bong Joon Ho has cut through at the box office, and it’s touching a nerve on society that is resounding through the whole planet. It’s a social thriller that feels like one of those 'of the moment' movies."
O'Fait, Chris 2020, 'If ‘Parasite’ Wins Best Production Design, It Will Be a Gamechanger' Indiewire.
Aaronovitch, David 2020, 'The film that shows we're all parasites not', The Times, Wednesday 12 February.
Garry Gillard | reviews | New: 22 January, 2020 | Now: 31 December, 2022