Parasite Non-Spoiler Review

Courtesy of our good friends at FACT, myself and the other pod-boys attended a preview screening of Bong Joon-Ho’s latest, and perhaps most hotly anticipated movie, Parasite. Emerging from Cannes with the Palme d’Or, Joon-Ho’s much-heralded masterpiece has showed no sign of slowing down, amassing a plethora of accolades at the BAFTAs, SAG awards and with the Oscars this Sunday it will no doubt be in contention for an Academy Award or two. Despite the countless honours and hype that follows at the tail of Parasite, it should be known that this is far from the atypical Academy Award movie, you’ll find no old, white male directors here, no Meryl Streep or Tom Hanks, in fact for those who don’t follow world cinema, will likely go into Parasite blind, and believe me that is the best way to enjoy this movie’s deliciously devilish twists, turns and social commentary.

Set in Seoul, South Korea, Parasite centres around the Kim family, who live below the poverty line and who struggle to find and keep employment, that is until Kim Ki-woo is offered the chance to tutor the daughter of the Park’s, a rich, glamorous and well-to-do family. After sensing a lucrative opportunity, Ki-woo and his family slowly ingratiate themselves into the lives of their affluent counterparts and get entangled in a serious of unexpected, and perhaps dangerous incidents. Immediately, if you’re familiar with Bong Joon-Ho’s back catalogue of beautiful, barbarous movies, you’ll know that within each meticulously crafted narrative lies a thread (or five) of social commentary, be it The Host or Okja, Bong Joon-Ho’s mastery of subtext is what keeps people coming back for more and with Parasite, this is no different.

Perhaps more akin to his English-language debut, Snowpiercer, the film’s narrative is tipped with scathing social satire; by pitting the two antithetical families against each other, they become the embodiment of the background they’re so tethered to. Perhaps what has contributed most to the hype that surrounds Parasite is its neutrality; neither the Park’s or the Kim’s are villainous, instead their goals, desires and fears are so easy to understand and empathise with that you’re not sure whose side to take, if any, and maybe the real ‘enemy’ here is the capitalist system that both families are forced to navigate.

It should be noted that it’s not just one dreary allegory for the plights of commercialism and capitalism, it would be remiss to not mention the fact that Parasite is fun! It’s an exhilarating watch, and a cinema experience that will ensure you’re glued to the screen and edging forward on your seat, jaw agape. This is mostly down to Bong Joon-Ho’s ability as a visual story-teller; the Kim’s house, where the majority of the film plays out, is a sleek, angular marvel with a couple of hidden secrets ready to be uncovered, rendering this house the crucible where the two families will be pitted against each other. Additionally, by weaving together tension, humour, violence and sharp-witted dialogue, Bong Joon-Ho negotiates the intricacies of Parasite’s nuanced plot with all the grace and guile of a true master filmmaker operating at the peak of his powers.

So, what’s stopping you from getting down to your local cinema and checking it out? If the subtitles are an issue, never fear. Parasite is instantly palatable to any audience, be it those who love foreign cinema to those who’ve not yet dipped their toe in this pool of cinematic wonder. Joon-Ho has created a film so specific to South Korea that it’s themes and commentaries can be easily transposed to the political and economic climate we find ourselves in here. It’s really unlike anything you’ve ever seen before; a true example of a genre-bending, anxiety-inducing masterpiece that is the closest thing to Hitchcock’s suspense-shrouded classics as anything in recent memory. It should really be experienced on the big screen. Give it a watch and let us know what you think @FirstTakePod on Twitter and Instagram. We can’t wait to talk spoilers with you lovely lot.

Popcorns - 88.