Parasite

“PARASITE” is a brutal and honest film. Something that a lot of people tend to overlook, claiming it to be a comedy. Tell me, how funny can it be to see unemployed family live in sub-basement space, eating chips for dinner and struggling to find free wi-fi so they can use their phones, since the service is long gone? Struggling they survive day by day, until they find a golden opportunity to make money off a millionaire family. After all, how hard it is to pretend to be someone you are not?

Cannes Palme d’Or winner of 2019, “Parasite” offers unexpected twists and turns into what humans are capable to do to survive. I was truly amazed by the acting, I think everyone was superb in this film, especially Cho Yeo-jeong (Mrs.Park) and Jang Hye-jin (Mrs.Kim). Directing is also top-notch. Bong Joon-ho builds up on the experience from previous films and offers an engaging film that sucks you in from first second and doesn’t let go all the way till the end. Impressive cinematography, coupled with equally notable editing, creates almost majestic effect. And while pacing could have been a little more dynamic, overall it doesn’t hinder the experience.

What does tho is actual writing. All his life being called “Hollywood director,” Bong Joon-ho makes a complete U-turn and tries to rid himself of all Hollywood cliches. And while one might argue it is for a greater good, I would say that it actually strips the script from certain magic. There are multiple metaphors, but very minimal foreshadowing and almost no “Checkhov’s gun”. Which normally I would say is a plus, but taking into account multiple twists and turns the story takes, this leaves viewers not only shocked but also somewhat confused by progression of certain totally unexpected events. And as such it loses some poetic aspects that could have potentially made “Parasite” a definite masterpiece.