The maker of the purposeful sci-fi Snowpiercer is back with a provocative, nuanced take on class conflict.
With Parasite (fully subtitled), South Korean filmmaker and co-writer here Bong Joon-ho manages something slick, spirited, and puckish. Indignation, seething retribution, outrageous wit, and familial warmth is synthesized in stellar fashion with just a bit of languor at the conclusion.
The very prosperous clan in the Parks who dwell in an ace architects contemporary mansion will become vary familiar with the less, but rather cunning Kims occupying a partial basement where it’s hard not to notice an alleyway where many a folk relieve themselves.
As feigned written overview of a career (from 20-ish son essayed by Choi Woo-ski) begins the process of a ‘downstairs meets upstairs’ playing out as a placid charade for a while that lifts a quartet from tasks like assembling pizza boxes lacking funds for on-line connection.
It’ll take a little ingenuity to get a member retained by fine young technical tycoon Mr. Park (Lee Sun-kyun) after the son and daughter are enlisted as tutors and husband/father KimKi-taek (Song Kang-ho), finds his new calling to be their chauffeur.
The detailed filmmaking allows for a luxurious setting to become a character in its own right turning out to fit into a conceit filled with devilish duping. A stressful location may well be the unwelcome shadowy presence as comedic familiarity keenly segues into darker social commentary with an oddly piercing, if sanguine touch.
Turbulence comes to the fore in a reversal of fortunes predicated on bigotry and envy through bitterness isn’t as prevalent given the sensitivity of the ideas presented. Parasite known how to subvert apprehension and supposition with unanticipated sparkle to let the ornate, harrowing and farcical wonderfully co-exist.