Parasite (Korean: 기생충; Hanja: 寄生蟲; RR: Gisaengchung) is a 2019 South Korean black comedy thriller film directed by Bong Joon-ho, who also wrote the film's story and co-wrote the screenplay with Han Jin-won. The film stars Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam, and follows the members of a poor household scheming to become the employees of a much wealthier family by posing as unrelated, highly qualified individuals.
Parasite had its world premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2019, where it became the first Korean film to win the Palme d'Or, and the first film to do so with a unanimous vote since 2013's Blue Is the Warmest Colour. It was selected as the South Korean entry for Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, Bong's second selection after 2009's Mother.
The film was released in South Korea by CJ Entertainment on 30 May 2019, and in the rest of the world by Neon in late 2019. It received widespread critical acclaim and was generally considered the best film of the year by critics.[6] It also grossed over $127 million worldwide, becoming Bong's highest-grossing release and the 19th highest-grossing film in South Korea.
Kim Ki-taek, his wife, Chung-sook, son, Ki-woo, and daughter, Ki-jeong, live in a small semi-basement apartment, working low-paying temporary jobs and struggling to make ends meet. Ki-woo's friend Min-hyuk, who is preparing to study abroad, gifts the Kim family with a scholar's rock that is supposed to bring them wealth. Min-hyuk suggests that Ki-woo pose as a university student to take over his vacated job as an English tutor for the wealthy Park family's teenage daughter, Da-hye. Once Ki-woo is hired, the rest of the Kims successively pose as sophisticated skilled workers, unrelated to each other, and integrate themselves into the lives of the Parks: Ki-woo begins a romantic relationship with Da-hye; Ki-jeong poses as an art therapist and is hired to teach their son, Da-song; Ki-taek is hired as a chauffeur after Mr. Park's driver is fired when Ki-jeong plants her panties to frame him for having sex in the car; and Chung-sook is hired to replace the current housekeeper, Moon-gwang, after the Kims exploit her allergy to peaches, claiming that she has tuberculosis.
When the Parks leave on a camping trip, the Kims occupy the mansion, revelling in its luxuries. That night, Moon-gwang returns, claiming that she left something in the basement. She opens a secret bunker, revealing that her husband, Geun-sae, has lived there for years to hide from loan sharks. As she begs Chung-sook to keep their secret, the eavesdropping Kims accidentally stumble into view. Moon-gwang threatens to expose their scam after realizing they are a family, leading to a fight.
The Parks suddenly call, informing Chung-sook that heavy rain has ruined the trip and that they are arriving home shortly. The Kims force Geun-sae and Moon-gwang into the bunker; Moon-gwang attempts to escape but is kicked down the stairs by Chung-sook and suffers an eventually fatal head injury. When the Parks return, Mrs. Park tells Chung-sook that her son was traumatized years earlier by seeing a "ghost" emerge from the basement: Geun-sae. With the other three Kims hiding nearby, Mr. Park complains to his wife that while Ki-taek is a competent driver, he smells bad. The three Kims escape the mansion undetected, but find their apartment flooded by sewage water driven by the rain. They spend the night in a local gym, along with hundreds of others driven out by the rain.
The following day, Mrs. Park throws a birthday party for Da-song and invites the staff. Ki-woo returns to the bunker with the scholar's rock but is ambushed by Geun-sae, who hits him over the head with the rock. Geun-sae escapes the bunker and rushes into the party, stabbing Ki-jeong in the chest. Geun-sae's sudden appearance triggers Da-song's traumatic memory, causing a seizure. As Ki-taek rushes to help Ki-jeong, Mr. Park yells at him to drive Da-song to the hospital. Ki-taek throws him the car keys, which land under the struggling Chung-sook and Geun-sae. Chung-sook manages to kill Geun-sae with a meat skewer. As Mr. Park retrieves the keys, he recoils from Geun-sae's smell. Ki-taek, witnessing Mr. Park's reaction to the smell, fatally stabs Mr. Park before fleeing.
Weeks later, Ki-woo awakens from a coma and is sentenced, along with Chung-sook, to probation for fraud; Ki-jeong has died from her stab wound, while the whereabouts of Ki-taek, who is wanted for Mr. Park's murder, are unknown. While watching the Parks' recently sold mansion, Ki-woo notices a light flickering in Morse code – a SKATS message from Ki-taek, who now lives in the bunker. Ki-woo vows to one day earn enough money to purchase the mansion and free his father.
Cast
- Song Kang-ho as Kim Ki-taek
- Lee Sun-kyun as Park Dong-ik, CEO of an IT company
- Cho Yeo-jeong as Park Yeon-gyo, Dong-ik's wife
- Choi Woo-shik as Kim Ki-woo, Ki-taek's son
- Park So-dam as Kim Ki-jeong, Ki-taek's daughter
- Lee Jung-eun as Gook Moon-gwang, the housekeeper of the Parks
- Chang Hyae-jin as Kim Chung-sook, Ki-taek's wife
- Park Myung-hoon as Geun-sae, Moon-gwang's husband
- Jeong Ji-so as Park Da-hye, Dong-ik's daughter
- Jung Hyeon-jun as Park Da-song, Dong-ik's son
- Park Geun-Rok as Chauffeur Yoon
- Jung Yi-seo as Pizzeria manager
- Park Seo-joon as Min-hyuk (cameo)
