A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Positive Messages
a little
Messages have complex layers, but movie asks pointed questions about the rich and their tendency to insulate themselves from others' problems and the yearning of the poor to become just like the rich. The poor must scheme, ask for help to get by, but as soon as anyone gets the upper hand, they attempt to crush the poor and stop them from advancing. Why are we like this? Is it possible to change, become more aware of suffering and needs of fellow humans?
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Positive Role Models
very little
While clever and often likable, most characters here are satirical in nature. They are capable of unsavory deeds, though there are consequences.
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Violence & Scariness
a lot
Brief scenes of intense gore. Stabbing, skewering. Characters fight and hit each other with blunt objects. Lots of blood. A fall down concrete stairs. A character gets a concussion; another is briefly trapped in a noose. Characters die. A character suddenly swipes all the food and drink from a table, smashing it on the floor. A man grabs his wife by her shirt in pretend anger.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
A married couple engages in sexual activity on a couch; he touches her breast, and she touches his crotch, moaning and saying sex-related things. A young man kisses a teen girl. A young woman removes her underwear in the back of a car. A man grabs his wife's buttock. Strong sex talk.
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Language
a lot
Multiple uses of "f--k," "s--t," "a--hole," "bitch," "piss," "screwed," "scumbag," and "oh God," all translated in the English subtitles.
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Products & Purchases
very little
Mention of WhatsApp.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
An entire family drinks heavily in one scene, whiskey and other kinds of liquor. Some of them become slurring drunk. Young character smokes cigarettes. A staggeringly drunk character urinates in an alleyway. Mentions of hard drugs (meth, cocaine).
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Parasite is a brilliant social satire from acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer, The Host). It's alternately funny, shocking, and thoughtful, but it's also quite mature. Expect a few scenes of extremely strong violence, blood, and gore, with stabbing, fighting, hitting with blunt objects, and death. One character gets trapped in a noose, and another is knocked down concrete stairs. English subtitles include multiple uses of "f--k," "s--t," "a--hole," "bitch," and more. A married couple gets frisky on a couch; he rubs her breast, and she grabs his crotch. There's also kissing, plus other sexual situations and sex-related talk. One scene shows an entire family drinking heavily and getting drunk; a young woman smokes cigarettes, and a staggeringly drunk man urinates in an alleyway. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
In PARASITE, the Kim family -- father Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho), mother Chung-sook (Hyae Jin Chang), daughter Ki-jung (Park So-dam), and son Ki-woo (Choi Woo-sik) -- are all unemployed, folding pizza boxes in their dumpy, basem*nt-level apartment to earn a little cash. Through a friend, Ki-woo gets the chance to tutor Park Da-hye (Jung Ziso), the daughter of a wealthy family, even though he's not a student. Turning on the charm, Ki-woo gets the job. Then, he and Ki-jung scheme to score a position for her, too, as an art therapist for the family's precocious youngest son. More plotting results in the firing of the family's driver and maid, providing jobs for Chung-sook and Ki-taek. Things seem to be looking up at last for the Kims -- until a bizarre secret turns everything totally sideways.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Parasite's violence. Is it shocking, or thrilling? How did it make you feel? How did the filmmakers achieve this effect? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
What does the movie have to say about class differences? How do the rich and poor view each other? How do they relate to one another?
How is sex depicted? What values are imparted?
How is drinking depicted? Is it glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
Are any of the characters admirable? Can non-admirable characters still be interesting?
Movie Details
- In theaters: October 11, 2019
- On DVD or streaming: January 14, 2020
- Cast: Kang-ho Song, Park So-dam, Choi Woo-sik
- Director: Joon-ho Bong
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Asian actors
- Studio: Neon
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 132 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language, some violence and sexual content
- Awards: Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe
- Last updated: May 7, 2024
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