Parasite

Ten Second Review: Go see this film.

I’ve seen a lot of films this Oscar season and as it stands I only have two of the best picture noms left to watch; Marriage Story and The Irishman. While I may in fact pass on The Irishman, I’m quite excited to see Marriage Story, but I had rather made up my mind on what I wanted to win the Oscar. I was rather hoping the academy might surprise us all and give the best picture to Jojo Rabbit. After seeing Parasite I’m a little less sure.

Following the story of a family living in poverty, the film centres on Kevin, the family’s son. When his friend goes to study abroad, Kevin is asked to take over his tutoring job for a wealthy family’s daughter. The job pays well and as the family gets a taste of better living we journey deep into what that could mean for them and what the true costs may be.

In what has certainly been a close run race, Parasite emerges as the most incredible investigation into humanity this season. While there have been some great films this year, I really felt that Jojo Rabbit was the only film I’d seen that really got under the skin of its subject. It wonderfully used innocence and such a specific lens to analyse a historical (and undeniably current) phenomenon. 

Similarly, Parasite takes a subject and ruminates on it in a way that, while at times blunt, is so incredibly well done that you leave the cinema feeling winded and amazed. There is a level of craft that has gone into the writing, direction and editing of this piece of cinema that has you thrown through drama, thriller, black comedy and horror films all at once. 

I’m going to say as little about this film as I possibly can because I feel that’s the way you should see it, and you should see it. I was taken a back by how much I enjoyed it and it really could be the best film of the year. While not usually something I would be inclined to advocate, I would be perfectly happy if this year the academy took a leaf out of The Man Booker Prize and gave the best film to two films, because they both deserve it.