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Parasite is a 2019 South Korean black comedy thriller film directed by Bong Joon-ho, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Han Jin-won. It stars Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, and Park So-dam, and follows the members of a poor family who scheme to become employed by a wealthy family by infiltrating their household and posing as unrelated, highly qualified individuals.
The film premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2019, where it became the first Korean film to win the Palme d'Or and the first to win with a unanimous vote since 2013's Blue Is the Warmest Colour. It was then released in South Korea by CJ Entertainment on 30 May 2019. It received universal critical acclaim, and has been hailed as one of the greatest South Korean films ever made and one of the best films of the 2010s. It has grossed $167.6 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing South Korean film. Among its numerous accolades, Parasite won a leading four awards at the 92nd Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film. It became the first South Korean film to receive Academy Award recognition, as well as the first non-English language film to win Best Picture. At the 77th Golden Globe Awards, it won the award for Best Foreign Language Film. It received four nominations at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards, winning Best Film Not in the English Language and Best Original Screenplay. It also became the first non-English language film to win the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
The Kim family—father Ki-taek, mother Chung-sook, daughter Ki-jeong and son Ki-woo—lives in a small semi-basement apartment, have low-paying temporary jobs, and struggles to make ends meet. One day Min-hyuk, a friend of Ki-Woo's and a university student, gifts the family a scholar's rock, which is meant to promise wealth to whoever possesses it. He suggests that, when he leaves to study abroad, Ki-woo should take over his job as an English tutor to the wealthy Park family's daughter, Da-hye. Ki-woo must pose as a university student to be hired, so Ki-jeong forges the necessary documents, though Ki-woo vows that he will someday attend university for real.
After Ki-woo successfully interviews for the tutoring job, the Kim family begins to infiltrate the home of the Parks by recommending each other's services, posing as unrelated but sophisticated and skilled workers. Ki-woo tutors and begins a romance with Da-hye. Ki-jeong poses as a renowned art therapist, who agrees to counsel the Parks' restless young son, Da-song. Mr Park's chauffeur is fired after Ki-jeong frames him for having sex in the car and Ki-taek, a former valet, is hired. Finally, Chung-sook takes over as the Parks' housekeeper after the Kims exploit the long-time housekeeper's severe peach allergy and convince Mrs. Park that she has tuberculosis.
When the Parks leave home to go on a camping trip for Da-song's birthday, the Kim family revel in the luxuries of the mansion. Unexpectedly, Moon-gwang, the former housekeeper, returns, saying she has left something in the basement. She reveals a hidden entrance to a secret underground bunker, created by the architect and previous owner of the mansion, whom Moon-gwang also worked for. Over four years ago, before the Parks moved in, Moon-gwang's husband, Geun-sae, began living underneath the home to hide from loan sharks. Moon-gwang pleads for Chung-sook to help Geun-sae survive in the bunker. However, after she finds out the truth about the Kim family, she threatens to tell the Parks if they do not, in turn, keep her secret.
Due to inclement weather, the Parks return home early from their camping trip, and the Kim family scrambles to clean up the home, while a brawl breaks out between Moon-gwang, Geun-sae, and the Kims. Geun-sae and a mortally injured Moon-gwang are trapped in the bunker. After Chung-sook serves her dinner, Mrs. Park reveals to her that Da-song had a traumatic experience years ago when he witnessed a 'ghost'—Geun-sae—emerging from the basement, and that the family has celebrated Da-song's birthday outside their house since. As the remaining Kims hide under a nearby table, Mr. Park complains to his wife about Ki-taek's smell.
When the Kims return to their apartment they find it completely flooded due to the raging storm. They sleep in a gymnasium with other displaced people. The next day, Mrs. Park decides to host a lavish party for Da-song's birthday. She invites Ki-jeong and Ki-woo, while Ki-taek and Chung-sook are required to attend as employees. Ki-woo heads down to the bunker with the scholar's rock. He finds Moon-gwang dead, but is attacked by Geun-sae, who bludgeons him with the rock and escapes. Seeking to avenge Moon-gwang, Geun-sae takes a kitchen knife and stabs Ki-jeong in front of the horrified guests. Da-song suffers a trauma-induced seizure upon seeing Geun-sae, and a struggle breaks out between Geun-sae and Chung-sook until she kills him with a skewer. While Ki-taek attempts to help Ki-jeong, Mr. Park orders him to drive Da-song to the hospital. In the chaos, Ki-taek, upset at Mr. Park's repeated insults and his disgusted reaction towards Geun-sae's smell, takes the knife and fatally stabs Mr Park before fleeing the scene.
Weeks later, Ki-woo has survived the attack and wakes up from his coma. He and Chung-sook are put on probation for fraud, while Ki-jeong has died from her injury and Ki-taek, who is wanted for Mr. Park's murder, has gone missing. Both Ki-taek and Geun-sae's motives for the attacks are unknown. Ki-woo continues to scope out the Parks' home, which has now been sold to a German family, and sees a message in Morse code from the flickering lights. It is from Ki-taek, who is now living in the bunker. Ki-woo writes a letter to his father, vowing that he will one day earn enough money to purchase the house, free his father, and reunite as a family.