Ty Watches "Parasite"

I just finished the movie "Parasite".

Literally, I just got done watching it. I waited to write because I wanted to see this movie and give my instant reaction. I usually like to wait a day or so before talking about movies, but "Parasite" is on a whole other level from most movies I have watched. I think, and this isn't being a prisoner of the moment type thing, that this is one of the most important, and essential movies of the 21st century.

The way this “Parasite” breaks down class, society, the rich and the poor, how obsessed we have become with objects, it all rings true with the modern age. This was like a really, really, really good, and important, episode of "Black Mirror", except Bong Joon Ho, who is easily one of my favorite directors, told, and directed, this story so well. I have, and I don't know how, been able to not be spoiled by anything from this movie by the internet or friends that have already seen it. I stayed away from all the chatter because I wanted to watch with as little knowledge as possible. I knew the basic stuff, how the movie was about the upper and lower class people in Korea, but that was it.

So, when my father came over today, and we watched, it was, in all honesty, like I was seeing it for the first. It was exactly that case in fact. For the next two plus hours I was enamored with what I watched. I thought the directing, the acting and the script were pitch perfect. Side note, I don't mind reading movies, but for those that still don't know, the movie is in Korean with English subtitles. I don't feel that having to read what they were saying took anything away from the experience.

Another thing in the film’s favor, the acting, it was top notch. I loved how the movie started with the lower class family struggling to get wifi, getting off other people, taking very odd jobs just to make a little money and letting the fumigation going on outside come into their home to get rid of stinkbugs. I also found that, once the brother of the main family got into the wealthy house, that they wealthy family was very well acted, especially the mom. She played a simpleton, who was easy to fool fantastically. She was tremendous. I know the movie itself has gotten a ton of awards, and nominations, but if she doesn't have a best actress nod, I don't know what the hell is wrong with people. The same thing can be said for the dad of the lower class family. He was incredible as well.

As the movie progressed, and you saw how this family manipulated the rich family to get into their lives and make money, it was unsettling, unnerving and I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. The way they treated that mom, how they convinced her that none of them knew each other, it was great, and slimy. And while I am not going to spoil anything, but lets be honest, I think I may be the last person who wanted to see this movie that hadn't yet, the twist near the end was way out of left field, and it is what I have come to expect from Joon Ho. I thought it was pitch perfect. It was as unsettling as everything else that was in this masterpiece.

There is no other movie like "Parasite" out there right now. It is a totally original story told so very well. As I said, I feel like this is so important for right now. The obsession with wealth and an online presence and getting out of the lower class, "Parasite" tells this story perfectly. I am still in shock, and still amazed at what I just saw. I liked this movie slightly more than "Uncut Gems", and you all know how I felt about that movie. I still think "Us" is the best movie of 2019, but "Parasite" pushes "Uncut Gems" to three, and takes over the two spot for me. This movie is why I need to start seeing as many of these movies as I can while they are still in the theater. And since "Us" got zero Oscar love, which is so god damn stupid, I am going to be pulling big time for "Parasite" to win all of the awards. It is a different movie, but this ranks right up there with "Mad Max: Fury Road" for me. I will be talking about, and thinking about this movie for a very, very long time.

What a masterpiece.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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