Parasite

Act Like You Own the Place.

Parasite is a 2019 film from South Korea. It won best picture and best foreign film at the 2020 Academy Awards and was nominated for many others such as best production design.



Plot
The Kim family – father Ki-taek, mother Chung-sook, daughter Ki-jung and son Ki-woo – live in a small semi-basement apartment (banjiha), have low-paying temporary jobs as pizza box folders, and struggle to make ends meet. University student Min-hyuk, a friend of Ki-woo's, gives the family a scholar's rock meant to promise wealth. Leaving to study abroad, he suggests that Ki-woo take over his job as an English tutor for the wealthy Park family. Ki-woo poses as a university student and is hired; Mrs Park decides they will call him "Kevin.".

The Kim family infiltrates the lives of the Parks by recommending each other's services, posing as unrelated and highly qualified workers. Ki-woo tutors and begins a romance with the Parks' daughter, Da-hye. Ki-jung poses as "Jessica", an art therapist to the Parks' young son, Da-song. Ki-jung frames Mr Park's chauffeur as having had sex in the car, and Ki-taek is hired to replace him. Finally, Chung-sook takes over as the Parks' housekeeper after the Kims exploit the severe peach allergy of the long-time housekeeper, Moon-gwang, and convince Mrs Park that she has tuberculosis.

When the Parks leave on a camping trip, the Kims revel in the luxuries of the Park residence. Moon-gwang returns, telling Chung-sook she has left something in the house's basement, and reveals the hidden entrance to an underground bunker created by the house's architect and previous owner. Moon-gwang's husband, Geun-sae, has been secretly living underneath the home for years, hiding from loan sharks. Chung-sook refuses Moon-gwang's pleas to help Geun-sae remain in the bunker, but Moon-gwang discovers the truth about the Kim family and gains the upper hand.

A severe rainstorm brings the Parks home early, and the Kims scramble to clean up the home, while a brawl breaks out between Moon-gwang, Geun-sae, and the Kims. The Kims trap Geun-sae and a mortally wounded Moon-gwang in the bunker, and Ki-taek sees Geun-sae sending a fruitless message in Morse code using the home's lights. Mrs Park reveals to Chung-sook that Da-song had a seizure-inducing traumatic experience years ago when he saw a "ghost" – actually Geun-sae emerging from the basement. The Kims escape the Parks' house unseen, but not before hearing Mr Park comment that Ki-taek, despite being a good employee, smells bad. Returning home to find their apartment completely flooded by the storm, the Kims are forced to sleep in a gymnasium with other displaced people.

The next day, Mrs Park hosts a house party for Da-song's birthday, with the Kim family in attendance. Ki-woo enters the bunker with the scholar's rock to face Geun-sae. Finding Moon-gwang dead, he is attacked by Geun-sae, who bludgeons him with the rock and escapes. Seeking to avenge Moon-gwang, Geun-sae stabs Ki-jung with a kitchen knife in front of the horrified guests. Da-song suffers another seizure upon seeing Geun-sae, and a struggle breaks out until Chung-sook kills Geun-sae with a skewer. While Ki-taek tends to Ki-jung, Mr Park orders him to drive Da-song to the hospital. In the chaos, Ki-taek, upon seeing Mr Park's disgusted reaction to Geun-sae's smell, takes the knife and kills Mr. Park before fleeing the scene.

Weeks later, Ki-woo wakes up after brain surgery. He and Chung-sook are convicted of fraud and put on probation. Ki-jung has died from her injury and Ki-taek, wanted for Mr Park's murder, has vanished. Geun-sae's motives for the attack are a mystery to the public. Ki-woo watches the Parks' home, which has been sold to a German family unaware of its history, and sees a message in Morse code from the flickering lights. It is from Ki-taek, who escaped into the bunker and now survives by scavenging from the new homeowners. Still living in the banjiha with his mother, Ki-woo writes a letter to Ki-taek, vowing to earn enough money to one day purchase the house and free his father.

Cast

 * Song Kang-ho as Kim Ki-taek (김기택; 'Gim Gitaek'), father of the Kim family
 * Choi Woo-shik as Kim Ki-woo (Kevin; 김기우; 'Gim Giu'), son of the Kim family
 * Park So-dam as Kim Ki-jung (Jessica; 김기정; 'Gim Gijeong'), daughter of the Kim family
 * Jang Hye-jin as Park Chung-sook (박충숙; 'Bak Chungsuk'), mother of the Kim family
 * Lee Sun-kyun as Park Dong-ik (Nathan; 박동익; 'Bak Dongik'), father of the Park family
 * Cho Yeo-jeong as Choi Yeon-gyo (최연교; 'Choe Yeongyo'), mother of the Park family
 * Jung Ji-so as Park Da-hye (박다혜; 'Bak Dahye'), daughter of the Park family
 * Jung Hyeon-jun as Park Da-song (박다송; 'Bak Dasong'), son of the Park family
 * Lee Jung-eun as Gook Moon-gwang (국문광; 'Guk Mungwang'), the housekeeper
 * Park Myung-hoon as Oh Geun-sae (오근세; 'O Geunse'), Moon-gwang's husband
 * Park Geun-rok as Kim Ki-taek's predecessor as Park Dong-ik's chauffeur, who is only mentioned with his family name Yoon (윤; 'Yun')
 * Park Seo-joon as Min-hyuk (민혁; 'Minhyeok'), Ki-woo's friend (cameo appearance)

Critic Consensus
An urgent, brilliantly layered look at timely social themes, Parasite finds writer-director Bong Joon Ho in near-total command of his craft.