Classic (Foreign Language) Film Fridays – “Parasite” (R)

Bong Joon Ho brings his singular skillset home to Korea in this pitch-black modern fairytale. Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks give the Kims a way out of their shabby circumstances. But this new ecosystem is fragile, and soon enough greed and class prejudice threaten to upend the Kims’ newfound comfort.

Directors: Joon-ho Bong, Kwak Sin Ae, Yeo-Jeong Jo
Production Year: 2019
Rating: R
Runtime: 132 minutes
Cast: Kang-ho Song, Sun-kyun Lee, Yeo-Jeong Jo, Woo-sik Choi, So-dam Park