At the 2020 Academy Awards ceremony last February, Bong Joon-ho’s film “Parasite” took home the most trophies, earning four in total. It deserved every one of them.
There are several reasons why “Parasite” can be considered a fantastic film. The most notable of them are its direction and cinematography, its story and its modern thematic resonance.
Starting with its direction and cinematography, director Joon-ho does an incredible job with this film. Joon-ho has directed many critically acclaimed films that cover a variety of genres, including 2003’s “Memories of Murder,” 2013’s “Snowpiercer” and 2017’s “Okja.” He executes this movie extremely well on a visual level yet again, in what is perhaps his best directorial effort. This film has a particularly notable cinematographic atmosphere, utilizing its environments and sets to communicate thematic messages. There are countless expertly crafted shots that turn great story moments into memorable images.
This leads us right into the discussion of the film’s story. The concept of this film surrounds a poor family taking over multiple jobs within the household of a wealthy family. In terms of genre, “Parasite” wavers between being a comedy and a thriller, having many well-executed comedic moments while also having an underlying uneasy tone. The story goes in some very interesting directions as the film progresses, with each turn in story furthering the film’s thematic messages.
It is those thematic messages that make this film so successful, making it one of the best pictures of the 21st century. Based on the concept alone, one could tell that income inequality is very much a focus of this film. However, this movie is still a modern tale, diving into the problems of present day South Korea society, which in turn are quite similar to issues that persist in nations around the world. These strong thematic messages communicated through the film’s story is what made “Parasite” so successful around the globe.
In conclusion, Joon-ho’s “Parasite” is one of the best films of the 21st century, delivering an incredibly well-executed modern tale with great direction and cinematography and a thematically-rich story. For those reasons, it is most definitely a fantastic film.
In conclusion, Joon-ho’s “Parasite” is one of the best films of the 21st century, delivering an incredibly well-executed modern tale with great direction and cinematography and a thematically-rich story. For those reasons, it is most definitely a fantastic film.
Where to Find “Parasite”: Streaming on Hulu
