Parasite (2019 Film)

Parasite (Korean: 기생충; RR: Gisaengchoong) is a 2019 South Korean dark comedy thriller directed by Bong Joon-ho. The film, which explores themes of social class and economic inequality, follows the intertwined lives of two families: the impoverished Kim family and the affluent Park family.

Plot

Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho) lives with his wife, Choong-sook (Jang Hye-jin), and their adult children, Ki-woo (Choi Woo-sik) and Ki-jung (Park So-dam), in a cramped semi-basement apartment in Seoul. Their fortunes shift when Ki-woo is offered a high-paying tutoring job for the daughter of the wealthy Park family. Through a series of calculated deceptions, the Kim family members gradually infiltrate the Park household by securing employment as unrelated domestic staff, leading to unforeseen consequences.

Production

Parasite was directed by Bong Joon-ho, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Han Jin-won. The film marks the fourth collaboration between director Bong Joon-ho and actor Song Kang-ho, following their work on Memories of Murder, The Host, and Snowpiercer. Principal photography for the film began on May 18, 2018, and concluded on September 19, 2018.

Reception and Awards

The film premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed in the main section and won the Palme d'Or. It subsequently received widespread international acclaim. At the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020, Parasite won four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film. It also received numerous domestic accolades, including multiple awards at the 56th BaekSang Arts Awards, the 56th Daejong Film Awards, and the 40th Blue Dragon Film Awards.

Cast