Some horror films frighten us because of ghosts, monsters, or objects lurking in the darkness. ‘Parasite’ barely needs any of that. Bong Joon Ho’s 2019 masterpiece is terrifying because the monster is something far more familiar: class inequality.
It creates a constant tension between the rich and the poor, and how desperation can gradually erode morality, relationships, and the sense of security of people.
‘Parasite’ Turned Poverty and Privilege Into Something More Frightening Than Any Monster
The power of ‘Parasite‘ is that it never tells us that the rich are bad and the poor are good. Rather, it produces two families that are complicated, flawed, and painfully human. The Kim family is poor and struggling to survive, while the Park family lives in a beautiful modern house where money seems to solve every problem. Yet the closer these families get, the more uncomfortable the contrast becomes.
Related: 15 Best Eat-The-Rich Movies, Ranked
The Kim family’s introduction tells us nearly all we need to know. They reside in a small apartment in a semi-basement where they fold pizza boxes to earn cash and desperately look for ways to make it through. The location of their home is important, too. They live in a house below street level. Whereas the Parks live in a luxurious house above the city.
When Kim Ki-woo gets the opportunity to tutor Da-hye, the family’s life begins to change. The Kims, one by one, make their way into the Park household. Ki-woo becomes a tutor, Ki-jung becomes an art therapist, Ki-taek becomes the chauffeur, and Chung-sook becomes the housekeeper.
These scenes feel like comedy at first. It’s hilarious to see the family come up with elaborate lies and pull them off and replace the Parks’ employees. However, the humor slowly turns awkward as they have to pretend to be a part of a world that was never meant for them.
Next, the basement. The movie takes a turn for the worse when the former housekeeper Moon-gwang comes back and reveals that her husband has been staying under the Park house. The house, which appeared to be a symbol of wealth and comfort, turns into a labyrinth concealing another desperate person.
The Flood Turns Inequality Into Pure Horror
The most devastating sequence comes after the Parks leave for their camping trip. The Kims celebrate within the opulent mansion, living the life that they so desperately want. They have a moment of comfort where they don’t have to serve anybody. Then everything collapses.
The Parks return unexpectedly, forcing the Kims to hide throughout the house. Mr. and Mrs. Ki-taek, Ki-woo, and Chung-sook crawl beneath furniture while Mr. and Mrs. Park casually discuss them. Mr. Park’s remarks on Ki-taek’s smell are particularly heart-wrenching. He describes the odor associated with people who ride the subway, unknowingly humiliating the man hiding only feet away.
In case you missed it: Top 10 Movies To Watch When You Are Rained In
The true horror comes the following morning. The Kim family’s neighborhood is flooded as the Parks are getting ready for their son’s birthday party. Their home fills with filthy water, destroying nearly everything they own. Ki-woo even sits inside a flooded bathroom while trying to save his family’s possessions.
The difference is stark: the Parks are angry about the rain spoiling their camping trip, while the Kims are losing their house to a flood. The birthday party eventually turns into the film’s pent-up resentment. Ki-taek gets angry with Mr. Park’s constant disgust, and it finally reaches a breaking point. When Mr. Park recoils from the smell of the man dying in front of him, Ki-taek snaps and kills him.
That moment is horrifying, but the movie makes us understand where the anger came from without pretending the violence is justified. And that is what makes ‘Parasite’ so disturbing. It is not one monster. It’s a system that continues to push people into violence.
The movie ends with Ki-woo fantasizing about someday purchasing the Park house and saving his father, who hid in the basement after the killings. It’s a lovely but sad dream. The conclusion reminds us that escaping poverty cannot be just a question of hard work, when the whole system is set up to keep some people down.
The horror of ‘Parasite’ is that it doesn’t stop at the end of the film. You can walk away from a ghost story knowing the monster was fictional. With ‘Parasite‘, the uncomfortable realization is that the fear was real all along.
You might also like to read: 10 Movies That Were Nominated For Oscars And Razzies At The Same Time
