---
title: "Parasite"
year: 2019
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/parasite"
fi1m_id: "parasite"
imdb_id: "tt6751668"
tmdb_id: 496243
wikidata_id: "Q61448040"
fi1m_score: 91
critics_score: 93
critics_reviews: 16
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:41.290389+00:00"
region: "SE"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Parasite (2019)

Directed by Bong Joon Ho · 2h 13m · Statens medieråd 15 · Comedy, Thriller, Drama

## Identity

Parasite

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/parasite
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** parasite
- **IMDb ID:** tt6751668
- **TMDB ID:** 496243
- **Wikidata ID:** Q61448040
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6751668/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/496243, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q61448040

**Fi1m score: 91** · Critics 93 from 16 reviews

*In a sentence:* The rich have a lovely house and the poor have a worrying amount of initiative

> Bong Joon Ho makes a family con funny enough to compromise our judgement, then gives us good reason to regret it. The plotting and performances make this an unusually gripping thriller, despite occasional overemphasis in the music and writing.

## Synopsis

A poor family works its way into a wealthy household, finding opportunities in the gap between how people live and how they expect others to behave. Kim Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho), Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik), Ki-jung (Park So-dam) and Chung-sook (Jang Hye-jin) pursue a con involving the Parks. Park Dong-ik (Lee Sun-kyun) and Yeon-kyo (Cho Yeo-jeong) inhabit a mansion, far removed from the other family’s basement home. As the scheme develops, both households have reasons to protect their positions. Bong Joon Ho directs a story of money, deception and class, shifting between comedy, thriller and family drama.

## Review

*Parasite* is a sharp, funny thriller about a poor family getting into a rich household, and we recommend it without asking for patience or an interest in economics. Bong Joon Ho makes the con enjoyable enough that its ugliness can take a moment to register. We want these people to get away with it because they are resourceful and because watching them work is a pleasure. The screenplay, by Bong and Han Jin-won, keeps that pleasure uncomfortable.

The opening gives the cast a practical task: make deception convincing while letting us enjoy the effort. Song Kang-ho, as Kim Ki-taek, and Park So-dam, as Ki-jung, understand how much comedy comes from appearing to know exactly what one is doing. Their assurance makes the scheme feel possible even when we ought to be questioning it. We laughed at the family’s nerve, then felt uneasy about how readily we wanted the con to work.

Lee Sun-kyun’s Park Dong-ik and Cho Yeo-jeong’s Yeon-kyo give the wealthy household something more useful than simple villainy. The performances let us see people accustomed to being accommodated, with little reason to examine the convenience. Bong gives both families faults without suggesting that they have equal freedom to make mistakes. That distinction matters: the comedy can be cruel about individual behaviour while remaining clear about who has the money and who needs it.

Lee Ha-jun’s production design does much of the explaining through the Parks’ mansion and the poorer family’s basement home. The difference in space makes the disparity felt without needing a speech about inequality. Hong Kyung-pyo’s cinematography keeps us alert to how people fit into these homes, and how secure they look inside them. The rooms remain comprehensible as the plotting grows more complicated. In a thriller built around entry into somebody else’s house, that clarity is essential.

Editor Yang Jin-mo is especially good at preserving comic timing while allowing suspense to develop within the same passage. We are not made to wait through a solemn pause whenever the film wants to become serious; the unease grows out of the deception we have been enjoying. Jung Jae-il’s music is less persuasive when it presses the tension, because the situation already has our attention. That is a small objection, but there are moments when we would rather be left with the actors.

The script occasionally labours its points about class, making sure we have understood something the homes and performances have already told us. We noticed the repetition without losing interest in the people. A con thriller can become tiresome once it starts congratulating itself on its ingenuity. Bong avoids that by keeping the family’s need for money in view, even as its behaviour becomes harder to defend.

At 133 minutes, it gives the scheme room to develop without making the early comedy feel like a preamble to the serious business. The laughs matter, and so does the embarrassment of having enjoyed them. We will leave the developments beyond the opening alone: knowing the premise is enough preparation. Choose it for an evening when everyone can put their phones away, and do not read a fuller account of the plot first.

*Fi1m score 91, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The consensus is strongly positive, with praise centred on Bong Joon-ho’s control of tone, intricate plotting and treatment of class inequality. Most critics find the shifts between black comedy and suspense both surprising and carefully managed, with the social commentary sharpening the entertainment rather than interrupting it. The ensemble’s comic timing draws repeated approval, as does the production design, which makes the contrast between the families’ homes central to the film’s account of wealth and status.

The differences are largely matters of enthusiasm, with little outright resistance to the film. The Hollywood Reporter offers a more qualified response, finding the class commentary heavy-handed and the plotting cumbersome enough to need trimming. Those reservations run against the prevailing praise for disciplined storytelling, though even that review considers the film mostly successful. Elsewhere, critics differ more in emphasis, some dwelling on the mischief and suspense, others on the compassion and economic anxiety.

## Straight answers

**Is Parasite worth watching?**

*Parasite* is worth watching for almost anyone who likes a thriller with a sense of humour, and we scored it 91. Bong Joon Ho makes a poor family's con on a wealthy household funny enough that its ugliness takes a moment to register, and the plotting holds a firm grip across its 133 minutes. The music and script occasionally press points the homes and performances have already made.

**How long is Parasite, and what is it rated?**

*Parasite* runs 2h 13m and is rated 15 by the Statens medieråd in Sweden. It is a comedy and thriller film.

**Where can I watch Parasite in Sweden?**

*Parasite* is available to rent from Apple TV from kr 19.00. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Parasite, and is it suitable for children?**

*Parasite* carries a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children. The early stretches are comic, but the film is a thriller about a deception that grows steadily more uncomfortable, and the certificate points to adult material a younger viewer should not see. Older teenagers who can take a 15 are the youngest audience we would suggest.

**How does Parasite compare to Shoplifters?**

*Parasite* is the more gripping of the two and [*Shoplifters*](https://film.one/film/shoplifters) the gentler, though both follow a poor family surviving through deception without excusing everything it does. Bong Joon Ho's film is a comedy that turns into a thriller, tightly plotted and occasionally overemphatic; Hirokazu Kore-eda's is a tender drama that sometimes lingers after its point has landed. Choose *Parasite* for suspense, *Shoplifters* for something quieter.

**What should I watch after Parasite?**

After *Parasite*, try [*The Servant*](https://film.one/film/the-servant) (1963, Fi1m 89): Domestic employment becomes a contest for control, with every courtesy worth questioning. Then [*Shoplifters*](https://film.one/film/shoplifters) (2018, Fi1m 89): Another family surviving through deception, treated with affection that never excuses everything; and [*Burning*](https://film.one/film/mississippi-burning) (2018, Fi1m 72): Money, envy and uncertain motives make ordinary encounters difficult to stop thinking about.

### Reviews we read (30)

- **Little White Lies**, Hannah Strong (4/5/5): The review calls Parasite a sharp, deadly black comedy and social satire about greed, class warfare, and the gig economy that burrows under the skin. It singles out the gleefully unhinged characters, tonal pivots from farce to grotesque, and Bong’s technical mastery and fearless critique of capitalism. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/parasite)
- **Radio Times** (5/5): The review calls the film a flawless and consistently surprising satire that imaginatively tackles the gulf between rich and poor, with an air of mischief, trickery, and savage social commentary. It singles out the audacious con, farcical narrative alternating suspense and wit, sleek stylings, and devilish details as making it a wonderfully sneaky film. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-mnzzbq/parasite/)
- **The i Paper**, Demetrios Matheou (★★★★★): The review calls Parasite a deliriously dark and brilliant black comedy whose social satire, twisty plotting and Hitchcockian tension make it a masterclass in accessible mainstream filmmaking with wide resonance on class divides. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/parasite-review-film-release-bong-joon-ho-best-picture-oscars-395392)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (90/100, inferred): Bong Joon-ho’s satirical suspense thriller is a horribly fascinating, brilliantly written and superbly designed film with a glorious ensemble cast in an elegantly plotted nightmare about status envy and class resentment. It resonates as a scabrous black comedy about the suppressed horror of the overclass for its underlings and the idea of servants. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/feb/07/parasite-review-bong-joon-ho-south-korean-satire)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film the movie of the year for its biting portrayal of class and modern life. It singles out the director’s body of work and humane vision of rotting humanity as key context for why the story resonates. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/30/movies/bong-joon-ho-parasite.html)
- **Film Comment**, Mara Theodoropoulou (80/100, inferred): The critic describes Parasite as a film of deceptive first impressions that starts as an amusing satire of class divide before building to a delirious bloody climax, with the violent party sequence conveyed through clinical precision. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/parasite-portrait-of-a-lady-on-fire-and-fire-will-come/)
- **Empire**, John Nugent: The critic describes Parasite as a miracle of a film that is pure Bong Joon-ho, scratching every cinematic itch with astonishing craft, entertaining con-man caper plotting that subverts into something profound about inequality and class. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/parasite/)
- **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich: The critic calls it a giddy, brilliant, and unclassifiable work that proves the director has become a genre unto himself, delivering a devastating electric shock of economic anxiety. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/parasite-review-bong-joon-ho-1202143634/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang: The review deems it thrilling and devastating, one of the year’s very best movies. It singles out the note-perfect ensemble performances and the filmmaker’s disciplined, clockwork storytelling that fuses satire, suspense and tragedy. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-10-09/parasite-review-bong-joon-ho)
- **Screen Daily**: The review describes Parasite as a vigorous, tightly controlled black comedy in home-invasion mode with scabrous social satire, hailing Bong's return to top form. It singles out the cast's comic timing and the film's Machiavellian mischief and cinematic brio. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/parasite-cannes-review/5139675.article)
- **Sight and Sound**, Trevor Johnston: The critic praises the film's masterful plotting and genre shifts as a sharp satire on class divides in South Korean society, with the Parks' mansion and the poor family's basement home highlighting social inequality. The review singles out the brilliant production design and the cast's performances for creating moments of uncertainty and thematic depth. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/parasite-review-bong-joon-hos-masterfully-designed-crime-caper-comes-laced-with-satirical-venom)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Stephen Dalton: The critic finds it a mostly successful but heavy-handed detour into social realism with a timely punch on class issues. It is more coherent than the director's prior films like Snowpiercer or Okja, though plotted cumbersomely and in need of trimming. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/parasite-review-1212755/)
- **The Independent**: The critic highlights the film's intricate examination of class conflict, noting how Bong Joon-ho makes viewers feel at home before subverting expectations through playful genre-blending and revelations about capitalism and social dynamics. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/parasite-review-bong-joon-ho-cast-director-oscars-2020-best-picture-a9319656.html)
- **The Times**, Ed Potton (★★★★☆): Bong Joon-ho delivers another hilarious, strange and wildly imaginative concoction about a poor family insinuating themselves into a rich household. The film veers between comedy, social commentary and darker fare with confident control. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/review-parasite-at-the-cannes-film-festival-f2rc5dgvv)
- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (5 out of 5 stars): The review lauds it as a dazzling social satire and home-invasion drama that combines cinematic fireworks with commentary on inequality, calling it surprising and gripping from beginning to end. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/parasite-2019)
- **Total Film**: The review praises Parasite as a pitch-black comedy that grips from the first frame, showcasing Bong Joon-ho's genre-hopping skill with drama, social commentary, horror and heart while delivering a strong Oscar contender. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/parasite-review/)
- **Variety**, Jessica Kiang: The critic praises Bong Joon-ho on excoriating form in an exceptional pitch-black tragicomedy about social inequality. It singles out the flawless craft, dark humor and bleak final impression of systemic divides that leave everyone hungry and poor. [Read](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/parasite-review-1203221435/)
- **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri: The critic hails it as a nerve-racking masterpiece of constant agitated transformation that plays with identification and expectations, creating its own audience while remaining extremely moving and thrilling. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/bong-joon-hos-parasite-is-a-nerve-racking-masterpiece.html)
- **Den of Geek**, Lou Thomas (5/5): The critic calls it a riotously entertaining arthouse thriller that cleverly tackles class division with wit and invention, noting it is Bong's best work to date and easily accessible while sympathizing with both families. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/parasite-review-a-riotously-entertaining-arthouse-thriller/)
- **NME**, Rhian Daly (5/5): The critic hails it as a modern masterpiece and darkly comic thriller that burrows into Seoul's social hierarchy without picking sides, putting the flaws of both families on full display. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/parasite-review-bong-joon-ho-2602190)
- **The Skinny**, Jamie Dunn (★★★★★): The critic hails Parasite as the standout film and best Palme d'Or winner in at least a decade. They single out the shift from a sprightly heist comedy in the first half to a fierce, compassionate class satire in the second for praise. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/international-festivals/highlights-from-the-54th-karlovy-vary-international-film-festival)
- **Consequence** (A): Bong Joon-ho delivers another strong portrait of class warfare that rewards repeat viewings and reflection. The review commends the film's blend of comedy and tragedy without clear villains or easy moral answers. [Read](https://consequence.net/2019/10/film-review-parasite/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (95/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a flat-out masterpiece and socially conscious filmmaking of the highest order. He singles out the way it steers from funny, entertaining setup into unexpected territory with excellent ensemble acting and strong technical credits. [Read](https://deadline.com/video/parasite-review-bong-joon-ho-cannes-palme-dor-winner/)
- **Polygon**, Karen Han (95/100, inferred): Bong Joon-ho's film is hailed as potentially the best of the year for its masterful shifts in tone and structure that keep surprising viewers. It praises the exhilarating balance of tension and the director's command of cinematic storytelling. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/2019/5/25/18637592/parasite-review-bong-joon-ho-cannes-2019/)
- **Collider**, Gregory Ellwood (A-): The critic praises Bong Joon-ho's direction for its masterful handling of an elaborate con game that keeps viewers rooting for the underdogs. The review highlights how the film reveals layers of class dynamics beyond the initial setup. [Read](https://collider.com/parasite-review-bong-joon-ho/)
- **/Film**, Jason Gorber (9/10): The critic praises Bong Joon-ho's shift to a family drama wrapped in a grifter's guise that's blisteringly good, highlighting the radical shifts in tone, social commentary on class, and the masterful execution that keeps the audience engaged through surprises and thematic depth. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/566598/parasite-review/)
- **The Ringer**, Adam Nayman (90/100, inferred): Parasite is celebrated as a twisted parable on class warfare that mixes satire, comedy, and terror with sharp sociology. The critic highlights its inventive storytelling and ability to merge multiple tones into a cohesive package. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2019/10/11/movies/paranoia-review-bacurau-tiff)
- **HeyUGuys**, Jo-Ann Titmarsh (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's shift to a class comedy-drama that is laugh-out-loud funny yet deeply troubling, highlighting its brilliant writing, zinging jokes, superb ensemble cast, and analysis of inequality in Korean society. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/parasite-review/)
- **Paste**, Kyle Turner (8.5): The film is seen as an absurdist take on class performance and inequality, where characters navigate social roles with cognitive dissonance. It singles out the satirical edge and performances, especially in depicting the absurdity of wealth. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/bong-joon-ho/everyone-and-everything-is-a-performance-in-bong-j)
- **The Wrap**: The critic describes it as a stunning return to form and an ambitious, delightfully accomplished work with bold tonal leaps. He singles out the director’s unparalleled visual/spatial sophistication and unsparing social indictment. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/parasite-film-review-bong-joon-ho-tackles-disparity-with-delicious-dark-comedy/)

## Details

- **Director:** Bong Joon Ho
- **Director:** Bong Joon Ho
- **Screenplay:** Han Jin-won, Bong Joon Ho
- **Story:** Bong Joon Ho
- **Cinematography:** Hong Kyung-pyo
- **Editor:** Yang Jin-mo
- **Music:** Jung Jae-il
- **Production design:** Lee Ha-jun
- **Costume design:** Choi Se-yeon
- **Producer:** Jang Young-hwan, Kwak Sin-ae, Moon Yang-kwon
- **Cast:** Song Kang-ho as Kim Ki-taek; Lee Sun-kyun as Park Dong-ik; Cho Yeo-jeong as Yeon-kyo; Choi Woo-shik as Ki-woo; Park So-dam as Ki-jung; Lee Jung-eun as Moon-gwang; Jang Hye-jin as Chung-sook; Park Myung-hoon as Geun-se
- **Runtime:** 2h 13m
- **Certificate (Statens medieråd):** 15
- **Release (Sweden):** 20 December 2019
- **Genres:** Comedy, Thriller, Drama
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Winner, 2019); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 2019); [Palme d'Or winners](https://film.one/collections/palme-dor.md) (Winner, 2019)
- **Budget:** $11 million
- **Box office:** $258 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhPROyE0OaM

## Where to watch in Sweden

- Apple TV: rent kr 19.00, hd
- Apple TV: buy kr 49.00, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IN, IT, JP, KR, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PT, SE, TR, UA, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- AACTA International Award for Best Film 2020: AACTA International Award for Best Film (won)
- Academy Awards 2020: Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Production Design (nominated); Best Director (won); Best International Feature Film (won); Best Picture (won); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won)
- BAFTA Film Awards 2020: Best Direction (nominated); Best Film (nominated); Best Film Not in the English Language (won); Best Original Screenplay (won)
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film 2020: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film (won)
- Critics' Choice Awards 2020: Best Director (won)
- Golden Globes 2020: Best Director (nominated); Best Screenplay (nominated); Best Non-English Language Film (won)
- International Submission to the Academy Awards 2020: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated)
- SAG Awards 2020: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (won)
- Cannes Film Festival 2019: Palme d'Or (won)
- Dorian Award for Film of the Year 2019: Dorian Award for Film of the Year (won)
- Gilde Film Price 2019: Gilde Film Price (won)

## If you liked this

- *The Servant* (1963), Fi1m 89: Domestic employment becomes a contest for control, with every courtesy worth questioning. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-servant.md)
- *La Cérémonie* (1995): Class resentment makes the household tense long before anyone admits there is trouble.
- *The Maid* (2009): A domestic worker guards her place in a household with uncomfortable comic determination.
- *Shoplifters* (2018), Fi1m 89: Another family surviving through deception, treated with affection that never excuses everything. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/shoplifters.md)
- *Burning* (2018), Fi1m 72: Money, envy and uncertain motives make ordinary encounters difficult to stop thinking about. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/mississippi-burning.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/parasite