In the blink of an eye, everything can change.
Parasite is a Korean thriller film depicting two families as the major actors - one is the wealthy Park family who lives in a big mansion in an upscale part of the city. The other is the poor Kim family who resides in shanty conditions prone to flooding. The two families meet when the Kim household only manages to make a meager amount from folding pizza boxes, until they get hired one by one by the Parks. Unbeknownst to them, the caregiver, the maid, the art therapist, the tutor, and the driver they hired actually belong to one family.
Though the Kims, genuinely wanted to work for the Parks, they only achieved it by manipulating the couple through so-called "recommendations" and framing the existing maid and driver. They made it appear as if the driver had messed with someone in the car and faked a tuberculosis diagnosis for the maid.
In a real world application, this shows the extent to which the less fortunate resort to when driven to desperation. Whereas the end goal was clear and seemed morally right, the same can't be said for the means by which they successfully attained their goal.
Parasite shows the reality of many families - that one can be as good as he can be; but change when the situation calls for it and that many situations end in the way we expect them the least. It also highlights the wide disparity between the rich and the poor and how it affects their outlook on life. For instance, the sudden heavy rain was a blessing for the Parks, allowing their yard to be nourished and giving them a good night's sleep, whereas it wreaked havoc on the Kims' small family home. Flooded chest high, the items in their first floor were all soaked in floodwater and the toilet about the burst with sewage, prompting them to flee to an evacuation center to pass the night. It subtly shows the grim reality the disadvantaged poor have in contrast to the more well-off families.
Story by Patrick Lo
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