A Discussion of Joker & Parasite

Do you feel stuck in your current situation and just want to break out? Joker feels you and shows you how that is possible, if you avoid some minor details expressed in the film. In Joker, we explore the dull life of the clown through an actual clown-for-hire, Arthur Fleck, and how he turns his world upside down with just a smile. We see a new side of Gotham, the bleak 70’s where a young Bruce Wayne grows up on the nicer side of town. We live in a society… or so Joker makes us think with its subliminal commentary on America. This film signals a new direction for director Todd Phillips, who is used to directing comedies such as the beloved Hangover series and Old School. His decision to step into a darker and more serious project stemmed out of the current state of comedy. Phillips stated, “Go try to be funny nowadays with this woke culture.” If there was one thing you could not avoid in October 2019, it was the discussions about Joker, from the feeling of uncomfort it evoked to Joaquin Phoenix's entrancing performance.

A review of societal class shown from the perspective of a poor family and spoken all in Korean with English subtitles sounds like a dream . . . maybe not to you, but once you watch this film you will understand. Parasite takes us on the journey of a struggling Korean family who gradually infiltrates the daily life of a rich family from the inside. It all starts with an opportunity for an unemployed young adult, still living with his family, to tutor a young girl when his friend, who is the current tutor, leaves to study abroad. Although he has no college experience, he accepts the offer and decides to fake it until he makes it. While tutoring the young girl he discovers the family, the Parks, are very well off. He tells his family, and they create a master plan for all of them to “become part of the family.” This is a genre-mixing experience filled with elements of drama, dark comedy and suspense. My personal favorite character from the film is the house . . . I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out:

It’s an extravagant mansion, but with much mystery as well. The house is able to make one feel like they have all the space in the world, or a sense of claustrophobia. It also has its own secrets unbeknownst to the owners. This subtitled psychological thriller constantly leaves the audience on the edge of their seat as it presents us with an inside look into the dark side of people’s true personalities.