‘Parasite’ will get under your skin

Posted on November 22, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

Ever since the Miracle 5 movie theater in Tallahassee closed (and was replaced with a Whole Foods grocery store), the number of foreign-language films appearing in area theatres dropped to nearly zero. (And, yes, I am not counting the admittedly numerous Bollywood movies from India that are shown at the AMC 20.)

However, there are almost always exceptions to the rules, and in this case, that exception is “Parasite,” from Korean writer/director Bong Joon Ho, who is probably best known in the U.S. for Netflix’s “Okja” and the sci-fi thriller “Snowpiercer.”

Unlike those films, “Parasite” is in Korean with English subtitles, a fact that I know will turn off a decent number of moviegoers. However, if you are willing to give reading a chance, “Parasite” is a very good movie, beautifully filmed, extremely well-acted and tightly written.

I went into the movie expecting more of a horror film, based solely on my limited knowledge of Korean cinema, or more specifically, the type of Korean cinema that typically makes its way into American theaters. Although “Parasite” doesn’t fall neatly into a single genre, I would call it a dramatic thriller with a definite comedic edge.

Subscribe to our e-Edition and read the rest of the story. Already a subscriber? Click here to sign in.