Picture from “Parasite.”

By: Anton Massopust III

This is a South Korean movie directed by Bong Joon-Ho. It is a combination of many different films in one movie. It’s a weird and different kind of movie.

The plot of the film focuses on two different families who live in South Korea. One family lives in poverty in a small basement apartment.  There is an old store underneath the basement. They lost their job delivering menus. They decide to form a scheme to work for a wealthy family. The plan is this: one son and his sister (who is good with computers) forges credentials to make the brother certified to teach the daughter of the wealthy family how to pass tests for school. The wealthy family also has a younger son who is obsessed with American Indians and is an artist. The son from the poor family fabricates a story that his sister is an art teacher. They then get the wealthy family’s limo driver fired so their father can become the limo driver. Then, the poor family gets the wealthy family’s housekeeper fired so they hire their mother.

I won’t tell you the ending, because it is not what you expect. Parasite is definitely worth seeing. When people talk to me about movies, they always say, “All the plots are recycled over and over again,” and “There’s nothing new – nothing different.” But Parasite is nothing like you ever seen before. The movie is in Korean with English subtitles, so you really have to pay attention to what is going on. Parasite gives you the definite feel between the haves and the have-nots. 

The film is nominated for several Academy Awards including Best Picture. It might win. It’s something different. Go see it.