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Parasite (2019 film)

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Parasite
File:Parasite (2019 film).jpg
South Korean theatrical release poster
Directed byBong Joon-ho
Screenplay by
  • Bong Joon-ho
  • Han Jin-won
Story byBong Joon-ho
Produced by
  • Bong Joon-ho
  • Kwak Sin-ae
  • Moon Yang-kwon
  • Jang Young-hwan
Starring
CinematographyHong Kyung-pyo[1]
Edited byYang Jin-mo
Music byJeong Jae-il
Production
company
Barunson E&A Corp
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 21 May 2019 (2019-05-21) (Cannes)
  • 30 May 2019 (2019-05-30) (South Korea)
Running time
132 minutes[2]
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Budget₩13.5 billion[3]
(~US$11 million)
Box office$124.5 million[4][5]

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 has grossed $124 million worldwide, becoming Bong's highest-grossing release; it is currently the nineteenth highest-grossing domestic film in South Korea history.[6] It was chosen by Time magazine as one of the top ten films of 2019.[7]

Plot

Kim Ki-taek, his wife Chung-sook, son Ki-woo, and daughter Ki-jeong live in a small semi-basement apartment, working low-paying 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 which is supposed to bring them wealth. He suggests that Ki-woo pose as a university student to take over Min-hyuk's job as an English tutor for the daughter of the wealthy Park family, Da-hye. Once Ki-woo is hired, the Kims all 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 youngest son Da-song; Ki-taek is hired as a chauffeur after Mr. Park's driver is fired when Ki-jeong frames 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 a 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 badly. 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 basement 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 him 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
  • Jung Ziso 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)[8]

Production

Principal photography began on 18 May 2018[9][10] and ended 77 days later, on 19 September 2018.[11]

The Parks' house, said in the film to be designed by a fictional architect named Namgoong Hyeonja, was an entirely newly-built set.[12] Production designer Lee Ha-joon said the sun was an important factor with building the outdoor set. "The sun's direction was a crucial point of consideration while we were searching for outdoor lots," explained Lee. "We had to remember the sun’s position during our desired time frame and determine the positions and sizes of the windows accordingly. In terms of practical lighting, the DP [director of photography Hong Kyung Pyo] had specific requests regarding the color. He wanted sophisticated indirect lighting and the warmth from tungsten light sources. Before building the set, the DP and I visited the lot several times to check the sun’s movement at each time, and we decided on the set’s location together."[13]

"Since Mr. Park's house is built by an architect in the story, it wasn't easy finding the right approach to designing the house," he added. "I'm not an architect, and I think there's a difference in how an architect envisions a space and how a production designer does. We prioritize blocking and camera angles while architects build spaces for people to actually live in and thus design around people. So I think the approach is very different."[13]

Release

Director and stars at a press event.

The film had its world premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May.[14] It was released in South Korea on 30 May 2019.[2][11]

Neon acquired the North American rights to the film at the 2018 American Film Market (AFM).[15][16] The film's rights were also pre-sold to German-speaking territories (Koch Films), French-speaking territories (The Jokers Films) and Japan (Bitters End).[17] It was released in Russia on 4 July 2019, and in the United States and Canada on 11 October 2019.[18]

The film was originally scheduled to be screened as a closing film at FIRST International Film Festival Xining in China on 28 July 2019, but on 27 July, the film festival organizers announced that the screening was cancelled for "technical reasons."[19]

Reception

Box office

As of 9 December 2019, Parasite has grossed $19.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $105.1 million in other territories (including $70 million from South Korea), for a worldwide total of $124.5 million.[4][5]

In the film's United States opening weekend, the film grossed $376,264 from three theaters. Its per-venue average of $125,421 was the best since La La Land's in 2016, and the best-ever for a foreign-language film.[20] It expanded to 33 theaters in its second weekend, making $1.24 million,[21] and then made $1.8 million from 129 theaters in its third.[22] The film made $2.5 million in its fourth weekend and $2.6 million in its fifth.[23] The film's theater count peaked in its sixth weekend at 620, and it made $1.9 million.[24] It continued to hold well in the following weekends, making $1.3 million and $1 million.[25][26]

The film grossed US$20.7 million in its opening weekend in South Korea.[4]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 99% based on 309 reviews, with an average rating of 9.41/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "An urgent, brilliantly layered look at timely social themes, Parasite finds writer-director Bong Joon Ho in near-total command of his craft."[27] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 96 out of 100 based on 48 critics, indicating "universal acclaim."[28]

Writing for the New York Times, A.O. Scott described the film as "wildly entertaining, the kind of smart, generous, aesthetically-energized movie that obliterates the tired distinctions between art films and popcorn movies."[29] Bilge Ebiri of NY Mag wrote that Parasite is "a work that is itself in a state of constant, agitated transformation—a nerve-racking masterpiece whose spell lingers long after its haunting final image." [30] In his five-star review of the film, Dave Calhoun of Time Out praised the social commentary and stated that "This is a dazzling work, surprising and fully gripping from beginning to end, full of big bangs and small wonders."[31] Variety's Jessica Kiang described the film as "a wild, wild ride," writing that "Bong is back and on brilliant form, but he is unmistakably, roaringly furious, and it registers because the target is so deserving, so enormous, so 2019: Parasite is a tick fat with the bitter blood of class rage."[32] The A.V. Club's A. A. Dowd gave the film an A−, praising the fun and surprising twists.[33] On the website Letterboxd, Parasite has overtaken The Godfather as the most highly-rated narrative feature film on the site.[34]

Top-ten lists

Parasite appeared on many critics' year-end top-ten lists,[35] among them:

Parasite also appeared on many critics': Best-of-the-decade top ten lists[60] among them:

On Metacritic, Parasite ranked 8th among the films with the highest Metascores of the decade.[60]

Accolades

Main article: List of accolades received by Parasite

Parasite won the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. It was the first South Korean film to do so as well as the first film to do so with a unanimous vote since 2013's Blue is the Warmest Colour[64][65]. It was nominated for three awards at the 77th Golden Globe Awards, became the first Korean film to receive nominations at this award, including Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Foreign Language Film.[66]

It was selected as the South Korean entry for Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.[67][68]

Parasite became the second foreign film to ever be nominated for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture since the 1998 film, Life Is Beautiful.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ (Tie) with Marriage Story.
  2. ^ (Tie) with Knives Out.

References

  1. ^ "BONG Joon-ho's PARASITE Claims Early Sales". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b "기생충". Naver Movie. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  3. ^ 영화 '기생충' 흥행 질주…손익분기점 400만명 눈앞. 3 June 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "Gisaengchung (2019) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Parasite (2019)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  6. ^ "'Parasite' Sets New Record for Director Bong Joon-Ho at Indie Box Office". TheWrap. 3 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  7. ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (25 November 2019). "The 10 Best Movies of 2019". Time. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  8. ^ 박서준 측 “봉준호 ‘기생충’ 특별출연” 2019년 스크린 열일(공식입장). entertain.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  9. ^ Kil, Sonia (30 May 2018). "Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' Starts Shooting (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  10. ^ "BONG Joon-ho's PARASITE Enters Production". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  11. ^ a b "BONG Joon-ho's PARASITE Wraps Production". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  12. ^ Nast, Condé. "Inside the House From Bong Joon Ho's Parasite". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  13. ^ a b "How Bong Joon Ho Designed the House in "Parasite"". IndieWire. 29 October 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  14. ^ "The Screenings Guide 2019". 9 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  15. ^ McNary, Dave (31 October 2018). "Bong Joon-Ho's Drama 'Parasite' Bought by Neon". Variety. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  16. ^ "AFM: Neon Nabs Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' From CJ Entertainment". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  17. ^ Noh, Jean. "Bong Joon Ho thriller 'Parasite' sells to US, Japan, France". Screen. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  18. ^ Galuppo, Mia (30 May 2019). "Bong Joon Ho's Palme d'Or Winner 'Parasite' Will Release in Time for Awards Season". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  19. ^ Davis, Rebecca (28 July 2019). "Bong Joon-ho's Palme d'Or Winner 'Parasite' Pulled From China Festival". Variety. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  20. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (13 October 2019). "'Joker' $55M+ Scores 2nd Weekend October Record, 'Addams Family' Rich $30M+, 'Gemini Man' Still Not Dazzling $20M – Sunday B.O. Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  21. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (20 October 2019). "'Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil' No Magic With $36M+, 'Joker' Still Stealing 2nd Place From 'Zombieland 2' With $28M+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  22. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (27 October 2019). "'Synonyms' And Kanye West's 'Jesus Is King' Have Solid Premieres, 'Frankie' Debuts Soft – Specialty Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  23. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (10 November 2019). "Amazon's 'Honey Boy' Tops Netflix's 'Marriage Story' In Select Theaters". IndieWire. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  24. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (17 November 2019). "'Waves' Makes Box Office Splash as Amazon and Netflix Stay Quiet". IndieWire. Retrieved 17 November 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (24 November 2019). "'Dark Waters' Leads Tepid Arthouse Openers at Crowded Box Office". IndieWire. Retrieved 24 November 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (1 December 2019). "'Harriet,' 'Jojo Rabbit,' and 'Parasite' Reap Holiday Box Office Bounty". IndieWire. Retrieved 1 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ "Parasite (Gisaengchung) (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  28. ^ "Parasite Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  29. ^ A.O. Scott. "Old Masters and Fresh Surprises at the New York Film Festival". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  30. ^ Bilge Ebiri. "Bong Joon-ho's Parasite Is a Nerve-Racking Masterpiece". New York Magazine. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  31. ^ Dave Calhoun. "Parasite". Time Out. Time Out. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  32. ^ Jessica Kiang. "Film Review: 'Parasite'". Variety. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  33. ^ Dowd, A. A. (10 October 2019). "Parasite May be Bong Joon Ho's Most Thrilling Ride on the Genre-Hopping Snowpiercer Express". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  34. ^ "Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films". letterboxd.com.
  35. ^ "Best of 2019: Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic.
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  37. ^ "The 10 best films of 2019". Mashable. 9 December 2019.
  38. ^ "The Globe and Mail's Top 10 films of 2019". The Globe and Mail.
  39. ^ "The Best Movies of 2019 (So Far), Ranked". 6 December 2019.
  40. ^ "The 25 Best Films Of 2019". theplaylist.net.
  41. ^ "Justin Chang's best movies of 2019: 'Parasite,' 'Knives Out' stand at the head of the class". Los Angeles Times. 6 December 2019.
  42. ^ "Exclaim!'s 15 Best Films of 2019". Exclaim!. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  43. ^ Goldberg, Matt (9 December 2019). "Matt's Top 10 Films of 2019". Collider. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  44. ^ Nast, Condé. "The 10 Best Movies of 2019—Richard Lawson's List". Vanity Fair.
  45. ^ Mancuso, Vinnie (10 December 2019). "Vinnie Mancuso's Top 10 Films of 2019". Collider. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  46. ^ "'The Souvenir,' 'Parasite' Top Sight & Sound's Top 20 Films Of 2019". theplaylist.net.
  47. ^ Fennessey, Sean (5 December 2019). "The Best Movies of 2019". The Ringer.
  48. ^ a b "Best Movies of 2019". The New York Times.
  49. ^ a b c Ebiri, David Edelstein, Alison Willmore, Bilge (2 December 2019). "The Best Movies of 2019". Vulture.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  50. ^ "Amy Taubin: 10 Best Films of 2019". www.yearendlists.com. 1 December 2019.
  51. ^ Sims, David (5 December 2019). "The 10 Best Films of 2019". The Atlantic.
  52. ^ Singer, Matt. "The Best Movies of 2019". ScreenCrush.
  53. ^ "10 Best Movies of 2019". Rolling Stone. 5 December 2019.
  54. ^ a b "'Once Upon a Time,' 'Portrait' top AP's 2019 best films list". AP NEWS. 5 December 2019.
  55. ^ "Us Picks the Top 10 Movies of 2019". 6 December 2019.
  56. ^ "The 10 Best Movies of 2019". Time.
  57. ^ Kohn, Eric; Kohn, Eric (2 December 2019). "The 19 Best Movies of 2019".
  58. ^ "The 20 best movies of 2019". Time Out New York.
  59. ^ Truitt, Brian. "The 10 best movies of 2019 definitively ranked, from 'Avengers: Endgame' to 'Jojo Rabbit'". USA TODAY.
  60. ^ a b "Best Movies of the Decade (2010-19)". Metacritic.
  61. ^ "The 100 Best Movies of the Decade8". Film School Rejects. 12 November 2019.
  62. ^ "The 10 best movies of the 2010s decade".
  63. ^ Nast, Condé. "The 10 Best Movies of the 2010s: Richard Lawson's List". Vanity Fair.
  64. ^ Mumford, Gwilym. "Cannes 2019: Bong Joon-ho's Parasite wins the Palme d'Or – live". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  65. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; D'Alessandro, Anthony (25 May 2019). "'Parasite' Palme d'Or Winner Bong Joon-Ho On Pic's North Korea Jokes – Cannes".
  66. ^ "Golden Globes 2020: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. 9 December 2019. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  67. ^ Kim, Hye-Ju (21 August 2019). "제92회 아카데미영화상 국제장편영화 부문 한국영화 출품작 선정결과 (Selected Results of Korean Films for International Feature Films at the 92nd Academy Film Awards)". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  68. ^ "Oscars: South Korea Selects Palme d'Or Winner 'Parasite' for International Feature Film Award". Variety. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
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