The most garlanded film of 2020 is a blistering satire of economic inequality whose riches demand multiple viewings.
Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, a truckload of BAFTAs and international awards, and then, in February 2020 Best Picture, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director at the Academy Awards, Parasite has touched a nerve with audiences around the world. It’s a portrait of two families: one rich, one poor. The latter gradually infiltrate the former, only to discover a secret one stormy night. From that point, chaos descends. Director Bong has previously displayed his skill at balancing high drama with thrills (from Memories of Murder and _Mother to The Host, Snowpiercer and Okja). But here, he fine-tunes his satire, hitting his targets perfectly, and never pulling his punches. It’s a stunning high-wire act that the filmmaker and his cast pull off in style.
★★★★★ “The kind of remarkable experience that makes modern movie-going such a joy.” - Mark Kermode, The Observer
★★★★★ “A miracle of a film.” - John Nugent, Empire
