Respond to these rapid questions in our Parasite Quiz and we will tell you which character you are. Play it now.
“You’ve never seen a movie quite like X,” it’s so clichéd at this point in the critical debate during festival hot take season. Such a phrase has been so overused that it can no longer be regarded seriously, similar to how too many great new films are given the m-word: masterpiece. So, how do critics explain when a film is actually surprisingly, gloriously unpredictable in revelatory ways? And, in this day of critics howling wolf, what do we do when we encounter a true “masterpiece”? Especially one with so many twists and turns that the finest writing about it will come long after spoiler alerts are no longer necessary? I’ll do my best since “Parasite,” directed by Bong Joon-ho, is certainly one of the best pictures of the year. Just take my word for it.
Bong has done a number of films about class (including “Snowpiercer” and “Okja”), but “Parasite” is perhaps his most audacious investigation of the world’s systemic injustice. It’s a tonal juggling act that starts out as a satire—a comedy of manners in which a bunch of delightful con artists bounces off a very wealthy family of uncomfortable eccentrics. Then Bong makes a sharp right turn, asking us what we’re looking at and sending us hurtling toward carnage. Is it truly possible for the impoverished to enter the world of the wealthy? The narrative in the second half of “Parasite” is one of the most audacious I’ve seen in years. The film continuously threatens to fall apart—to take one too many confusing turns, resulting in the project’s failure—but Bong keeps it all together, and the result is spectacular. Also, you will find out which character are you in this Parasite quiz.
Parasite Quiz
Kim Ki-woo (Choi Woo-sik) and his family are struggling to make ends meet. They make money by folding pizza boxes for a delivery firm, stealing wi-fi from a local coffee shop, and leaving the windows open while the neighborhood is fumigated to deal with their own infestation. When a buddy offers to recommend him as an English tutor for a girl he’s been working with because the friend has to go out of the country for a bit, Kim Ki-life woo’s changes. The friend is head over heels in love with the young lady and does not want another teacher “slavering” her. Given everything we know and discover about Kim Ki-woo, it’s reasonable to wonder why he trusts him.
The young man adopts the name Kevin and begins tutoring Park Da-hye (Jung Ziso), who, predictably, falls in love with him right away. Kevin has a much grander scheme in mind. He intends to move his entire family into this house. He soon persuades Yeon-kyo, played by Jo Yeo-jeong, that the house’s boy requires an art coach, allowing Kevin’s sister “Jessica” (Park So-dam) to join the picture. Mom and dad soon join them in the Park mansion, and everything appears to be going swimmingly for the Kims. The Parks appear to be content as well. After then, everything shifts. Also, you must try to play this Parasite Quiz.
About the quiz
The script for “Parasite” will get a lot of attention since it’s one of those smart twisting and turning tales for which the screenwriter gets the most credit (in this case, Bong and Han Jin-won), but it’s also a visual language exercise that underlines Bong’s mastery. Bong’s picture is compelling in every composition, thanks to the outstanding cinematographer Kyung-pyo Hong (“Burning,” “Snowpiercer”) and an A-list design team. The contrast between the Park home’s pristine, empty spaces and the Kim living arrangement’s cramped confines isn’t only symbolic; it’s also aesthetically intriguing without ever drawing attention to itself. And there’s a reason the Kim flat is half-buried: they’re trapped between worlds, imprisoned in the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots.
In terms of plot, “Parasite” is a fantastically enjoyable film, but there’s so much more going on beneath the surface about how the wealthy exploit the poor in ways that I won’t disclose here (the best coverage of this film will almost certainly come after its release). To summarize, the wealthy in any country rely on the poor’s work, whether it’s the housekeepers, tutors, and drivers they hire, or something far more sinister. In ways you couldn’t possible imagine, Kim’s family will be reminded of that chasm and the brutality of unfairness.
“Parasite’s” societal critique causes havoc, but it never feels like a didactic message film. It’s strangely both joyful and depressing at the same moment, and I’m still not sure how. Please bear with me on this. The thrill of seeing every confident frame of “Parasite” is tempered by thinking about what Bong is deconstructing and saying about society, especially with the exquisite, truly horrific concluding sequences. It’s a conversation starter in ways we only see a few times a year, and it’s another another reminder that Bong Joon-ho is one of the most talented filmmakers working today. “Parasite” is unlike any other film you’ve ever seen. Dammit. I tried to stay away from it. It’s true this time.
On September 7th, this review was submitted from the Toronto International Film Festival.
For more personality quizzes check this: Little Women Quiz.
