Parasite

The less one knows about Bong Joon-ho’s extraordinary Parasite prior to seeing it, the better.

Set in modern-day South Korea, the insightful story offers plenty of dark comedic fun via the scrappy Kim family’s machinations to carve out a better life for themselves without their employers knowing their true identities.

Consistent with his socially-conscious catalog, which includes such varying works as Mother and Snowpiercer, Bong packs his frames with visual symbolism that speaks to contemporary times — especially in regard to wealth disparity — and writes characters on both sides of the economic divide that feel real, relatable, and well-rounded.

But just when the Kims think they’ve realized their dreams — and have potentially set themselves up for an even better existence — a wild card enters the tale and upends their progress, allowing Bong to gracefully play with genre conventions, stirring them into his own concoction that's wholly alluring.

With gorgeous, fluid camerawork, witty musical cues, and thick tension all operating in impressive unison, Parasite elicits fittingly complex emotions as the narrative unfolds and its trajectory takes shape — and yet Bong still has a wealth of surprises left to unveil.

All of the above coalesces into a complete cinematic package, one with enough arthouse and commercial appeal to break through on a true global scale and rightfully earn a spot in major awards contention.

Grade: A. Rated R. Now playing at the Fine Arts Theatre

(Photo: Neon)