Parasite

So, I thought the perfect film to be the first one I reviewed is this years best picture winner at the Oscars, Parasite. Parasite is directed by Bong Joon-Ho. Bong Joon-Ho is a fantastic South Korean director who has made many amazing films. His most popular films are the ones he directed in the English language, like Snowpiercer and Okja and both of those films certainly have elements to appreciate within them, but in my opinion they are nowhere near the quality of his Korean language films. The Host, Mother, and Memories of Murder are all pretty fantastic movies, so I was very excited to hear he'd be making another Korean film because it has been a good 10 years since his last one. Parasite was one of the best reviewed films at the Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered last year, and it even took home the top prize, the Palme d'Or.

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Much like his other films, this one manages to pull off both serious and comedic tones. The comedy is very well written and very funny, but it does not take away from seriousness of other scenes. It is successfully dramatic, thrilling, and sometimes scary. Like all great movies, it is best experienced if you do not know much going into it, so I will not really reveal anything about the plot. What I will say is that it feels like many different genres at once. In some ways it is a heist movie, in some ways it is a comedy, in some ways it is a thriller. It is a very ambitious movie and there is quite a lot going on in terms of messages and themes. There are reincorporated elements that fit together perfectly like pieces of a puzzle. It is all incredibly well acted. The characters have depth. This is definitely one of those movies that you could show people who would normally say that they do not like foreign language cinema. It is a very accessible film and I would be surprised to meet a person that did not enjoy it. And when I say accessible, I do not mean that it is not challenging in any way. It is just one of those movies that sucks you in from the very beginning and it never gets boring or stale. The plot is very fast-paced. There is a constant tension with stakes being raised. It is a movie that I will be watching again as soon as I can. It is very well shot with beautiful cinematography. The music was fantastic and appropriately used.

This is probably one of the easiest films to recommend, and I do not know anybody in my life that I would not show this to. Every character in the film adds to the experience. The movie never feels as though it is wasting any time. Anyway, you should probably just go watch it as soon as you can. It has been released on Hulu and is available to buy or rent on iTunes or VOD.

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Written by: Jared Kirschenbaum Instagram: @jaredkirsch_