Parasite (2019)
Original title: 기생충
Parasite is a 2019 Korean-language comedy movie directed by Bong Joon Ho, with a running time of 2h 13m. It stars Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun and Cho Yeo-jeong.
The Kim family lives in a cramped semi-basement, scraping by on odd jobs, until the son talks his way into tutoring the teenage daughter of the wealthy Park household. One by one, the rest of the family finds a way in too, each posing as an unrelated hired professional. Bong Joon-ho stages this class fable as comedy first, with Song Kang-ho anchoring the ensemble, then lets the ground shift beneath it. The two homes, one perched in the light and one sunk below the street, do the film's arguing for it. Sharp, controlled, and merciless about who gets to climb.
Quick answers
What is Parasite about?
The Kim family lives in a cramped semi-basement, scraping by on odd jobs, until the son talks his way into tutoring the teenage daughter of the wealthy Park household. One by one, the rest of the family finds a way in too, each posing as an unrelated hired professional. Bong Joon-ho stages this class fable as comedy first, with Song Kang-ho anchoring the ensemble, then lets the ground shift beneath it. The two homes, one perched in the light and one sunk below the street, do the film's arguing for it. Sharp, controlled, and merciless about who gets to climb.
When was Parasite released?
Parasite was released on 30 May 2019.
How long is Parasite?
Parasite runs 2h 13m.
Who made Parasite?
Parasite was directed by Bong Joon Ho.
Where can I watch Parasite?
Parasite is available on Kanopy, Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home and FlixFling.
Where to watch Parasite
Watch free: Kanopy
Rent: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home, FlixFling
Buy: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home
Official site
Cast
- Song Kang-ho as Kim Ki-taek
- Lee Sun-kyun as Park Dong-ik
- Cho Yeo-jeong as Yeon-kyo
- Choi Woo-shik as Ki-woo
- Park So-dam as Ki-jung
- Lee Jung-eun as Moon-gwang
- Jang Hye-jin as Chung-sook
- Park Myung-hoon as Geun-se
- Jung Zi-so as Da-hye
- Jung Hyeon-jun as Da-song
- Park Keun-rok as Driver Yoon
- Jung Yi-seo as Pizza Manager
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Explore Parasite guides
A few thoughts on Parasite
Ken Levine's BioShock Infinite builds a whole city around the same vertical logic, the rich literally floating above those who serve them. For more of Bong Joon-ho's fury at inequality, the Snowpiercer series sorts humanity into train cars by wealth. The RPG Disco Elysium turns class and ruin into a detective story you talk your way through.
Korean thrillers that turn class conflict into dark comedy
Parasite follows the Kim family talking their way into a wealthy household one lie at a time, playing it for comedy before the class math turns serious. Snowpiercer is Bong Joon-ho's earlier parable about who lives near the front of the train, No Other Choice follows a man willing to do anything to keep his job, and A Normal Family and New World each test how far people will bend.
Grifters scheming their way out of poverty
The Kim family in Parasite schemes its way out of a cramped semi-basement by posing as professionals nobody thought to question, the same hustle driving these stories. I Care a Lot follows a con artist targeting the vulnerable for profit, Uncut Gems traces one man's chaotic gamble to climb out of debt, Riff-Raff sticks with laborers scraping by, and Somewhere in Queens pins a family's hopes on one shot.