"Parasite" (2019) – Film Summary
"Parasite" is a genre-defying South Korean film directed by Bong Joon-ho, which won the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and became the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. A brilliant mix of dark comedy, drama, and thriller, "Parasite" is a scathing social satire that explores class inequality and human ambition with surgical precision.
Introduction: Two Worlds
The story begins with the Kim family, who live in a cramped, semi-basement apartment in a poor neighborhood of Seoul. The family—father Ki-taek, mother Chung-sook, daughter Ki-jung, and son Ki-woo—are unemployed and struggle to make ends meet by folding pizza boxes and freeloading on their neighbors’ Wi-Fi.
Their luck seems to change when Ki-woo is recommended by a friend to take over a job as an English tutor for the daughter of a wealthy family, the Parks. Though he lacks a formal degree, Ki-woo fakes his credentials with the help of his sister and lands the job.
Infiltrating the Park Family
Once inside the lavish Park household—a modern mansion designed by a famous architect—Ki-woo sees an opportunity. He recommends his sister Ki-jung for an art therapy job, pretending she is a highly trained tutor from the U.S. under a false name. One by one, the Kims scheme their way into employment with the Park family: Ki-jung as an art teacher for the younger son, Ki-taek as the family driver, and finally Chung-sook as the housekeeper, after they trick the existing maid Moon-gwang into being fired.
The Kims are careful not to reveal that they are related. Each poses as a professional hired through different contacts. The Parks—gullible, wealthy, and detached from the lives of working-class people—are completely unaware of the con.
Two Sides of the Same Coin
The film cleverly contrasts the two families. The Parks are rich but emotionally distant and naive, while the Kims are poor but close-knit, resourceful, and cunning. Despite their difference in class, the film makes it clear that both families are “parasitic” in their own way—feeding off each other, depending on others’ misfortunes, and trying to survive in a capitalist world.
Though the Kims’ plan is unethical, their motivation is survival, and audiences are drawn to their cleverness and unity. The Parks, on the other hand, are not evil but are depicted as insensitive, especially toward those beneath them socially. Mrs. Park often comments on how people “smell” a certain way—something that humiliates Ki-taek and becomes a recurring symbol of class difference.
The Discovery
The tone of the movie shifts dramatically halfway through. One night, when the Parks go on a camping trip, the Kim family celebrates in their absence by lounging in the luxurious house. However, the night takes a sharp turn when the former housekeeper, Moon-gwang, returns, claiming she left something in the basement.
The Kims discover a hidden bunker beneath the house, where Moon-gwang has been secretly hiding her husband Geun-sae, who’s been living underground for years to escape loan sharks. This revelation spirals into chaos, as Moon-gwang and her husband discover the Kims’ secret and threaten to expose them. A violent struggle ensues.
When the Parks suddenly return early due to a rainstorm, the Kims scramble to hide and escape unnoticed. They flee the house in the pouring rain, only to find their own home flooded and their belongings destroyed—a harsh reminder of their actual place in society.
The Party and the Tragedy
The next day, the Parks hold a lavish birthday party for their son. The Kims are invited under their fake identities, pretending nothing has happened. Meanwhile, Geun-sae escapes from the basement and attacks the Kims in a brutal and bloody climax.
In the chaos, Ki-jung is fatally stabbed, and Geun-sae is killed by Chung-sook. As Mrs. Park demands Ki-taek to throw her car keys, he notices Mr. Park reacting with disgust to the smell of Geun-sae’s blood—just as he once did to Ki-taek’s smell. Overwhelmed with rage, Ki-taek stabs Mr. Park and then disappears into hiding—eventually taking refuge in the very same underground bunker.
Ending: Hope and Illusion
Ki-woo survives the attack but suffers brain damage. After recovering, he returns to the now-vacant house and watches it from afar, discovering that his father is now secretly living in the basement. Ki-woo writes a letter, promising that one day he’ll make enough money to buy the house and reunite with his father.
The final scene shows this dream playing out in Ki-woo’s imagination—him buying the house, Ki-taek stepping into the light, and their family reunited. But the camera cuts back to the semi-basement, making it clear that this ending is only a fantasy.
Questions and Answers
1. What is the central theme of "Parasite"?
Answer: The film explores class inequality, social mobility, and the relationship between the rich and the poor. It critiques capitalism and highlights how different classes can exploit one another.
2. Who are the two main families in the film?
Answer: The Kim family, who are poor and struggling, and the Park family, who are wealthy and live in luxury.
3. How do the Kims infiltrate the Park family?
Answer: By pretending to be unrelated professionals, each family member gets a job in the Park household through deceit and manipulation.
4. What is the significance of the hidden basement?
Answer: It symbolizes the deep class divisions and hidden lives that exist beneath the surface of society. It also serves as a literal and metaphorical space of confinement and invisibility.
5. What causes the turning point in the film’s tone?
Answer: The discovery of the bunker and the return of the Parks early from their trip lead to a sudden and violent shift from comedy to psychological thriller.
6. What does Mr. Park’s reaction to the “smell” represent?
Answer: It symbolizes the deep-rooted prejudice and disdain the upper class has for the poor, seeing them as dirty or inferior.
7. Why does Ki-taek kill Mr. Park?
Answer: In a moment of humiliation and rage—after witnessing Mr. Park’s disgust at the “smell” of a dying man—Ki-taek snaps, symbolizing the explosive consequence of built-up resentment.
8. Is the ending happy or sad?
Answer: The ending is bittersweet and ultimately tragic. The imagined reunion is a fantasy, and the real situation remains unchanged, highlighting the illusion of upward mobility.
9. Why is the film titled "Parasite"?
Answer: The title refers to both families. The poor “leech” off the rich through deceit, while the rich “feed” off the labor of the poor. The title questions who the real parasite is in society.
10. What makes "Parasite" unique as a film?
Answer: Its ability to mix genres—dark comedy, thriller, and drama—seamlessly, while delivering a powerful critique of societal inequality with suspense, emotion, and artistic brilliance.
Would you like a shorter version, character analysis, or a breakdown of key symbols and metaphors used in the film?