Parasite (2019)
Act like you own the place.
All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 30 May 2019 |
| Genre | Comedy, Thriller, Drama |
| Director | Bong Joon Ho |
| Starring | Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun and Cho Yeo-jeong |
| Runtime | 133 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 9.4/10 · Metacritic 97/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 99% · IMDb 8.5/10 · TMDB users 8.5/10 |
| Budget | $13 million |
Where to watch Parasite
Parasite is streaming on Paramount+ ($13.99 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Paramount+ is $13.99 at list price.
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What kind of watch this is
Bong Joon Ho directs this 2019 thriller with a relentless shift in gears. It starts as a sharp comedy about a family scheming their way into a wealthy household. Then the floor drops out. The tone turns dark, tight, and very personal. You will not see the turn coming, which is the point. The film runs 133 minutes, a long enough stretch to make you feel the ground shift under your feet. It asks you to sit with the discomfort of class collision. The humor is there, but it has teeth.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes reports a 99% approval rating based on 485 reviews, with an average score of 9.4/10. Metacritic assigns a 97/100 Metascore from 56 compiled reviews, a score that places the film seventh among the highest-rated of the decade. Critics consensus describes it as a layered look at social themes where Bong Joon-ho commands his craft. The New York Times' A. O. Scott found it "wildly entertaining," noting it erases the line between art and popcorn cinema. Vulture's Bilge Ebiri called it a "nerve-racking masterpiece." Michael Wood of the London Review of Books noted the class themes felt familiar, comparing them to Snowpiercer.
How it did with audiences
The $13 million budget met a worldwide gross of $205 million, or $263 million depending on the ledger you trust. That math yields a net profit of $46.2 million, a figure Deadline Hollywood did the arithmetic on. In South Korea, it pulled in over 10 million admissions, roughly one-fifth of the population. It was the first Bong film to clear $100 million globally. TMDB users rate it 8.5 out of 10. Audiences did not need a calculator to see the value.
Awards
Parasite collected 14 major awards and received 8 nominations. It swept the 2019 Palme d'Or and the Gilde Film Price. At the 2020 Academy Awards, it claimed 4 statues, including Best Picture and Best Director for Bong Joon-ho. It also took home the 2020 BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay. The numbers are impressive. The fact that it was a South Korean film makes them stranger.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Parasite.
Sources
- Parasite on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q61448040 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Parasite (2019 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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