Parasite

"I can't stand people who cross the line." Brilliant. Every shot, every chance word, and every slight action emphasizes the inherently divided nature of these two groups of people. From fundamental living differences to an endless host of microaggressions, it never lets up for one single second. A dream for a better life is never more than that, as our characters turn to the worst versions of themselves (and against each other) in a futile attempt at becoming that which they can never be in their societal construct. A violent eruption serves as a cathartic release, an outpouring of buried anger and fundamental indignation that encapsulates the entire work. I especially loved Geun-Se's character, a man so used to his position of gross inferiority that it has become the norm, a learned natural state that lends him a perverted since of thankfulness and respect for the one that represents all that he isn't. He is the destroyer, a representation of lower-class infighting that is both caused by an inevitably self-serving and overwhelming desire for something greater and those who have too much "respect" for the upper glass for their own good. These two kinds of people destroy each other, a depressing view into Bong Joon Ho's outlook on a deeply classist society that likes to pretend it isn't. Really funny, super clever dialogue that is on the nose and direct without verging into parody. Despite the dark themes and complete sincerity of the presentation, it lends itself to an air of the whimsical that really makes the film, despite it being one of the most stressful things I've ever seen. Undeniable. 2019