Parasite is a movie about the huge differences between rich and poor people. It was directed by Bong Joon-ho and it tells the story of the Kim family, who are poor and live in a small basement apartment. Their lives change when Ki-woo, the son, gets a tutoring job for a wealthy family called the Parks. At first, the story seems funny and clever as the Kims slowly work their way into the Park household, but as the movie continues, it becomes darker and more tense.

One of the biggest themes in the movie Parasite is social inequality. The Kims are poor, struggling to pay rent, while the Parks live in a huge modern house with all the luxuries money can buy. Through a Marxist lens, the movie shows how the poor are trapped in a system that favors the rich. Even though the Kims are clever and hardworking, they can never fully escape their situation. The house itself is a symbol of social class. The Parks live comfortably “above ground,” while the Kims’ home is half-buried in the basement and they even have to go to the bathroom for signal. Even when the Kims start enjoying the Parks’ wealth, the story reminds us that wealth alone doesn’t guarantee happiness or safety.

The movie also shows human desires and hidden fears, which can be analyzed through a Psychoanalytic lens. The Kims want a better life, but their dream sometimes leads them to lie and manipulate. The Parks, on the other hand, are naive and unaware of the world below them. The basement in the Parks’ house can be seen as a symbol of the unconscious, holding secrets and hidden dangers. The movie shows that when people suppress problems instead of facing them, those problems can come back in violent and unexpected ways.

The movie uses a lot of  techniques that make the story more interesting. Symbolism is used a lot. The scholar’s stone, which at first gives the Kims hope for a better life but later ends up causing danger, showing that dreams don’t always work out. The stairs, which show how the Kims try to move up in society but also remind us how hard it is to escape poverty. Lastly is the smell which shows the differences between the rich and poor because the Parks are always clean while the Kims have strong odors that mark them as lower class. The movie also showed irony because the Kims’ tricks seem funny at first but later lead to serious and even tragic consequences, which makes the story feel tense and keeps you thinking about how trying to cheat through life can backfire you big time. 

Overall I could say that the movie Parasite is more than just a story about a poor family getting rich. It’s a shocking look at society, class, and human nature. By the end, you are left thinking about inequality, and the hidden consequences of our choices. It’s a movie that entertains you but somehow makes you reflect on the world we live in.