Parasite Review

Rotten Tomatoes

I really liked how Bill Goodykoontz, a writer for the Arizona Republic, opened his review for Parasite, so to quote him, “The best films, when you walk out of the theater after seeing them, leave you with the feeling of not just having seen something but of having experienced it – now that, you think, was a movie.” He later goes on to finish his review saying, “Now that was a movie.” So, is Parasite really that good? Yes, yes it really is.

I’m going to skip over describing the plot, because the less you know going in the better. Just be prepared to read some subtitles, as it is a foreign film. If I can offer one thing, it is it won’t be long before you understand why the film is called Parasite.

The film was directed by Bong Joon-ho, who’s work you might be familiar with, including titles such as Snowpiercer and Okja; admittedly, this is the first film I’ve seen of his and I’m glad I’ve been deflowered of such a brilliant director’s work. Joon-ho juggles tones like a master; what begins as a humorous story of one family’s scheme being successful in uplifting them from their immense poverty, quickly and effortlessly turns into an all-out war of the classes, a rush against time, full of painful realization and thorny twists. There is no black or white, good guys or bad guys, as we watch a story of two families, genuinely flawed, unravel.

The acting is great, the pacing is excellent (other than for a moment around the inflection point in the middle of the film), and there is something so raw and emotional about the film’s message on class division in an era where the wealth gap is greater than ever before; and don’t worry, this film is anything but preachy. Parasite is quite the ride, one that had me in stunned silence by the end. 9.5/10

Goodykoontz, Bill. “Five Stars for Compelling New Indie Film ‘Parasite’.” Azcentral, Arizona Republic, 24 Oct. 2019, http://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/movies/billgoodykoontz/2019/10/24/bong-joon-ho-parasite-nearly-perfect-film-class-divides/4068905002/.

Author: Teddy Frederick

Movies have been my passion since I was a young teenager. I had realized how much I loved going to the theater and watching something on the big screen, and I wanted to feel that sensation as often as possible. I began seeing as many movies as my schedule and wallet could allow, and in wanting to give back to the film community and myself, I wrote film reviews. I first posted them under the audience reviews of Rotten Tomatoes; if I ever go back to those posts now I cringe at the writer I used to be. In 2018, I had the idea to start my own space to post my content and thus Movie Reviews Today was born. I am a film and media studies student at Arizona St. University. I am also a three-year shift supervisor with Starbucks. My hope is to soak up as many movies and movie knowledge as I can moving forward and to share my passion with my readers. View all posts by Teddy Frederick