Parasite is one of the strongest international films of the year. Managing to gross $160 million worldwide and even nab a Best Picture nomination from the Academy, this movie has proven itself to be a force to be reckoned with. It was definitely one of our favorites of the year.
One of its best attributes was managing to almost constantly surprise us and keep us on our toes the entire movie. We’re going to look at the most jaw-dropping WTF moments of the film. For those of you who haven’t seen the movie yet, go watch the movie now and come back. Major spoilers lie ahead.
Fumigating The Kim House
Parasite opens with a focus on the Kim family. They live in poverty making money only by folding pizza boxes for a local pizza company and whatever odd jobs may pop up. In one of the first scenes we see, the Kim family is huddled together discussing their plight when a bug exterminator appears outside fumigating the streets.
Rather than imploring his kids to shut the windows, Ki-taek, the father, asks them to leave the windows open so they can get free extermination to rid them of their stink bugs. At first, it may seem like he’s joking, but as the fumes begin coming in, we see he clearly isn’t. It is jarring to watch as Ki-taek folds boxes furiously while the fumes cover him and his family. It clearly illustrates how dire their situation is.
Ki-Woo Kissing Da-hye
When Ki-taek’s son Ki-woo takes over the tutoring of a rich girl, Da-hye, for his friend in college, Min-hyuk, the one thing he asks Ki-woo to do is not fall for her. Min-hyuk has plans to make a move once she is no longer in high school. Of course, we know that once Min-hyuk has said this, the love triangle has essentially been created.
Even still, it is shocking when just 20 minutes into the movie, Ki-woo can’t resist Da-hye and kisses her for the first time. Really, Ki-woo? You couldn’t even make it a week? Min-hyuk truly underestimated you.
Underwear In The Car
Once Ki-woo has solidified his position as tutor to Da-hye, he realizes he can take advantage of an opportunity for his sister, Ki-jeong, to serve as an “art therapist” to the Park family’s son, Da-song. Ki-Jeong wastes no time in establishing herself as the right fit for Da-song and gets herself hired as well.
On her ride home with the Park family’s chauffeur, she quietly slips off her underwear and tucks it beneath the passenger seat. It seems so bizarre at the moment because she doesn’t try to make any kind of romantic advances on the chauffeur. Within a few scenes, though, we realize its part of a bigger, remarkable plan.
Peach Fuzz
As the Kim family’s plan to get everyone working in the Park family home, they run into the problem of getting rid of the housekeeper, Moon-gwang. Unlike the removal of the chauffeur, a more nefarious plan is hatched. We come to find out that Moon-gwang is deathly allergic to peaches to the extent that even the fuzz can send her into a serious spiral.
Together, the Kim family plants just enough on her to make it seem like she has tuberculosis, thus ensuring her removal from the Park family home. It was one thing for the chauffeur to basically disappear, but it is very uncomfortable watching Moon-gwang have a major reaction to the peach fuzz.
The Basement
This may be the biggest twist of the whole movie. We know that the seemingly perfect situation the Kim family has worked out can’t last forever and we know it will somehow be undone before the end of the movie. But how it unravels is truly fascinating.
Just when they have gotten comfortable one night while the Park family has gone out of town, Moon-gwang returns to the Park home. Chung-sook, the mother of the Kim family, unwisely allows Moon-gwang to come into the home, opening up an entirely new part of the home that the Kims were unaware of. It turns out that Moon-gwang has secretly been hiding not just any random possession beneath the Park family’s home, but her husband!
Pushing Moon-gwang Downstairs
The Kim family finds their plan completely upended by the discovery of Moon-gwang’s husband in the basement. As if that wasn’t enough, the Park family announces that they are returning in a few minutes from their rained-out camping trip, leaving the Kim family to scramble to reset the house.
As they furiously tidy and try to hide, Moon-gwang escapes Ki-taek’s clutches just as the Park family walks through the door. Hearing Moon-gwang coming up the stairs, Chung-sook literally kicks her back down the stairs sending her head-over-heels and her head thumping against the concrete wall. That particular sound makes it seem the Kim family may have an even bigger problem on their hands if they even manage to get out without the Park family finding out.
Flood In The House
With no time to spare, the Kim family, minus Chung-sook, returns to their home, only to discover it is completely flooded by the rains. It is jarring to see such a quick reversal of fortune once again. One moment the Kim family is enjoying the comforts of the Park home all to themselves, and in the next, they are trying to wade through their now practically destroyed home. Bong-joon Ho clearly wanted to hit home just how difficult it is for those in poverty to escape.
Moon-gwang’s Husband On A Rampage
When an impromptu party is thrown together for Da-song, Ki-woo descends back into the basement in hopes of finishing off Moon-gwang and her husband. Instead of managing to maintain the upper hand, Moon-gwang’s husband manages to overtake Ki-woo, smashing his head with the rock originally intended for him.
Rather than simply escape the house, he then proceeds outside to the throngs of people gathered for Da-song and stabs Ki-jeong. Again, our eyes cannot believe what they’re seeing as we hope that Ki-jeong will be able to make it out of the house alive.
Murder Of Dong-ik
Unfortunately, things continue to spiral downward after Ki-Jeong is stabbed. Everyone is naturally in a frenzy trying to escape and avoid Moon-gwang’s homicidal husband except Ki-taek and Chung-sook.
We now know there is no way that the Kim family can possibly keep their secret from the Park family. But rather than attacking Moon-gwong’s husband, Ki-taek stabs Mr. Park! If there is a worse possible ending for either family at this point, we couldn’t possibly think of it.
Ki-taek Hiding In Basement
Ki-woo miraculously survives his head injury, leaving him and his mother the only ones left from the horrible incident. Or so we think! One night when Ki-woo decides to revisit the Park home, he sees a light imitating Morse code. Eventually, he deciphers the message and discovers that his father is still in the house!
Ki-woo writes a letter to Ki-taek mapping out an eventual plan for Ki-taek to remain safe. It remains ambiguous at the very end as to whether this plan will come to pass, but it seems unlikely. Might it be the starting point for the eventual TV series? We’ll just have to wait and see.
