7 Films That Make Interesting Points On Society
4. Parasite - The Social Classes That Feed Off One Another
So much has already been said about the multi-Oscar winning film, Parasite; but a recurring question that gets asked by critics and film buffs is "who is truly the parasite?".
In the context of the film itself, there are three distinct social groups (admittedly two are not far from being the same) and each of them feed off one another in deliberate and elaborate ways;
The lower-class Kim family infiltrates a wealthy family's home for basic but fruitful low-paid income, and the Park family openly admits that without the labor of low-paid workers they cannot function with day-to-day tasks. And then we have the former maid and her husband, burrowed in the basement of the Park house and enjoying their riches when the house is empty.
All three display parasitic behaviour on different levels.
What's curious about this distinction and why it reflects society today is that income brackets are masking social groups from one another more than ever; to the point where neither social group can admit they need the other to survive.
Social hierarchies are inherently bad, and when they're based off money it can be even worse; particularly when lives are at stake (see the birthday scene at the end).