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‘Parasite’ succeeds in mixing laughs with thrills
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Survival: The poor Kim family does anything to get by. (CJ Entertainment/-)
Bong Joon-Ho’s dark comedy-thriller Parasite takes a sharp look at how societal differences can tear people apart.
The thriller, directed by Bong Joon-Ho, is the first Korean movie to win the Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and one of the most prestigious awards in the entire industry.
Parasite tells the story of the poor Kim family, who live in a tiny apartment folding pizza boxes to get by.
The patriarch of the family, Ki-taek (Kang-ho Song) is an unemployed former driver, who, along with his wife and two children in their early 20s, does whatever he can to cut costs. Their thrifty ways include heading to one corner of the bathroom that allows them to access their neighbor’s Wi-Fi and letting fumigation from the street into their apartment to save on bug repellent.
Ki-woo (Woo-sik Choi), the son of the family, has a friend who works as an English tutor for the daughter of the wealthy Park family but is about to head off to the United States for school. Knowing the Kims are down on their luck, he recommends that Ki-woo fill in for him while he’s gone.
The job pays well, and thanks to the friend’s recommendation, Ki-woo gets the position with the Parks. The film hits its comedic stride as Ki-woo soon scams his new employers into hiring his sister, Ki-jung (So-dam Park), as an art teacher for the Park’s son, without revealing that they are siblings.
