Parasite and the Overlooked on the Margins

By Mitch Wiley

Bong Joon Ho is a South Korean director and one of the best filmmakers of the 21st century. Not one of the best Korean directors, but one of the best directors, period. His films are hard to put into a box, difficult to define, and seem to constantly shift in tone and genre. Two of Bong’s earlier Korean films (and two of his best) are Memories of Murder and Mother, both of which are crime dramas in the vein of Alfred Hitchcock or David Fincher. He then made the Korean monster movie, The Host, which had much more on its mind than monsters, including globalization and the effects of American capitalism on international countries. Since then, Bong has made two English films, Snowpiercer and Okja, both of which continue Bong’s explorations of class struggles and the greed of the wealthy and corporations. (I recommend those movies and both are currently on Netflix.) I mention Bong’s previous films because his newest film, Parasite, is the culmination of his ideas and the coronation of his filmmaking abilities.

To say Parasite is critically-praised is an understatement. It won the prestigious Palm d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival in the spring. Letterboxd, a popular social media website/app for film lovers, now has Parasite as the #1 rated film of all time, passing The Godfather. The praise has been universal and the hype at a feverish level, especially for a foreign language film. So does it live up to this hype? Yes.

It’s difficult to speak of Parasite in much detail because the film is so driven by plot, twists, and surprises. This brief review will keep major plot points under wraps but the only thing I will mention is the theme of class struggle and the overlooked people on the margins. An admirable aspect of the film is a reminder that wealthy people often have the luxury of “being nice” and not having to worry about rising up and fighting for the scraps of the lower class. Poor people have greater struggles in that they are so often rarely seen as people worthy of love, sacrifice, and affection. Empathy is important for all people, regardless of class, income, or physical appearance. Bong explores these in Okja, Snowpiercer, and other films as well.

So go see Parasite on the big screen if you can. It’s a wonderful filmgoing experience. And on top of that, check out some of his other films. Okja and Snowpiercer are both on Netflix, and The Host and Mother are available to rent from various platforms.

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): ★★★★ ½

By Mitch Wiley