Parasite review

""Parasite (Korean: 기생충; Hanja: 寄生蟲; RR: Gisaengchung) is a 2019 South Korean black comedy thriller filmdirected by Bong Joon-ho, who co-wrote the screenplay with Han Jin-won and co-produced. The film, starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Jang Hye-jin, Park Myung-hoon and Lee Jung-eun, follows a poor family who scheme to become employed by a wealthy family, infiltrating their household by posing as unrelated, highly qualified individuals."

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"A comedy without clowns, a tragedy without villains"

The film Parasite by Bong Joon-Ho is a dark comedy approach at shedding light towards the very twisted social and wealth class divide in South Korea. In the film, there is a family who attempt the most extreme theft through working for a very wealthy family, with the poorer family becoming parasites to the rich family and eventually destroying everything. I find this movie to be very powerful because it shows what people are willing to do for money, the way that the poorer family fought for thier position of work as if they fought for their life is representative of the true nature of wealth divide in South Korea and all over the world. The film has a very strong message that shows the viewer how much money really means to people and what they are willing to do for it.

About Bong Joon-Ho

Bong Joon-Ho is the director and co-writer of the movie Parasite. He is from Daegu, South Korea, and is well known in both South Korea and the rest of the world for his many film masterpieces which often incorporate dark comedy to shed light on social issues.


“Whether it is big or small, the size of a poor man’s yard incessantly reminds him that he is poor.”

- Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Tim's review


The twisted and dark comedy film named Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-Ho is a very well known film which exposes and sheds light on social class divide. Bong Joon-Ho is well recognised in South Korea for his work in the film industry, producing many top notch films which all shed light on social and political issues through the use of storytelling and dark comedy. The film Parasite received multiple academy awards and was the first non-English film to take home the Best Picture Oscar award.


Parasite follows the highly impoverished Kim family and their fight to climb up the financial ladder. They devise a plan to get into the Park family home one by one thorough working for them, leeching off of the house like parasites, only for the plot to take an evil turn.


The film is recognised for its reflection of capitalism, class conflict, social inequality and financial inequality. The Kim family represents the standard working class who are struggling to live comfortably in the rising housing prices in South Korea, and the Park family is meant to represent the wealthy elite who live in a bubble.


The fact that Parasite sheds light on the problem of income inequality, which is a major issue around the world, is a reason that the film is so recognised and significant. The film portrays how the working class must take extreme measures to survive whilst the wealthy are able to live comfortably without stress.


In addition, the film Parasite sheds light on the inequalities of class structure and how it contributes to the poverty loops. The film demonstrates that those at the bottom of the social hierarchy often have to resort to unethical and illegal means of providing income and surviving, whilst those at the top of the financial ladder are compelled to employ legal means. It also shows the harsh socioeconomic reality is, and encourages people to look around and think about their society. This film is very relatable to many parts of the world and that is another reason as to why it is so recognised.