Skip to content
MovieCove
Parasite

Parasite

Act like you own the place.

2019132 minRMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
Bong Joon Ho
Starring
Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-sik

All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Parasite?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Parasite streaming on Paramount+ via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Parasite?

Parasite earns 9 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Universally Loved.

Show 1 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Parasite worth watching?

Parasite's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 7.2M ratings across 6 sources. 93% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)99th
Approval (how many liked it)99th

88 /100

99th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2010s

Critics 97 · Audience 87

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

93% liked it

99th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2010s
93% rated it 7–107% rated it 1–6

Critics 99% · Audience 90%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 52 wins / 42 noms overall

  • WonGolden Globes· Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language
  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Director - Motion Picture

99th percentile

7.2M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 40 days to Oct 26Up 10% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$11M
Opening weekend$393K
Domestic gross$54M
Worldwide gross$263M

Returned 23.1× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A well-crafted, genre-mixing film about class conflict with strong performances and striking visuals.

Fans praised

  • masterful tonal shifts blending comedy, suspense, and tragedy
  • brilliant acting and nuanced character work from entire cast
  • sharp social satire on class divide with rich visual symbolism

Detractors panned

  • overhyped and not the masterpiece claimed
  • plot relies on implausible character decisions and conveniences
  • uneven pacing with slow first half and messy tonal identity

What stands out

ActingDivisive88

superb across cast; Song Kang-ho's subtle turn especially praised

TensionDivisive88

nail-biting suspense in second half

OriginalityDivisive85

fresh genre mashup; detractors see derivative or familiar

AtmosphereDivisive85

immersive tone; rich vs poor worlds starkly contrasted

Emotional impactDivisive80

devastating and cathartic; detractors feel unearned

PacingDivisive72

tense and well-edited; detractors find first half slow

Plot and storyDivisive68

twisty and layered; detractors call it implausible and messy

CharactersDivisive65

morally complex but detractor say unlikable and thinly written

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s even
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Parasite like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark comedy: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want to laugh at things you probably shouldn't.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark comedy.

Moods
TenseAbsurdDreadContemplative
Heaviest: middle
Dark humor
The answer rests on this: Register
Satirical · 5% of filmsAbsurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneBong Joon-ho presents the class satire with a blend of absurdist comedy and mounting tension, playing the increasingly desperate situation straight while undercutting it with dark humour.
The rideThe mood shifts violently from comedic scheming to suspenseful infiltration to shocking violence, with the rainstorm scene as the emotional and narrative pivot.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically in a clear three-act structure: the con, the revelation, and the climax.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingDevastating · 3% of filmsHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film lingers as a devastating critique of class inequality, leaving you unsettled and pensive.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rags
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3% (this title): Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% (this title) · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rags to riches: A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition. · Rise and fall: Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).

3% of films fit this archetype

with Tragedy underneath

Why this archetypeThe Kim family's scheme to infiltrate the Park household through deceit drives the narrative, rising to luxury before a catastrophic fall.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfClassPower
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% (this title) · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Class · 3% of filmsDeception · 9% of filmsSurvival
Satirizes its theme: Attacks its theme through ridicule.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film uses a darkly comic household infiltration to expose the vast distance between social classes and the lies necessary to bridge it.
StanceDespite its global implications, the film is a domestic chamber piece where the Kim family's scheme and the Parks' obliviousness are held up for satirical critique of class inequality.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticStylized realism
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Jung Jae-il
SettingSeoul, contrasting a modernist mansion and a cramped semi-basement apartment
MusicThe score uses a recurring harpsichord motif that underscores the characters' performance and the film's baroque, layered conflicts.

Content guide

Is Parasite okay for kids?

R

Parasite is rated R: “Rated R for language, some violence and sexual content” (MPAA). As of October 26, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (86/100), sexual content at moderate (51/100), language at moderate (58/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (39/100) and frightening material at intense (72/100). Overall it is heavier than 61% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 36 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland16
  • New Zealand13
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceΚ-18
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Hungary16
  • ID17+
  • IndiaA
  • Italy14+
  • LTN-16
  • MexicoB-15
  • MOC
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/14
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeM18
  • SK15
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland14
  • Taiwan12+
  • TH15
  • Türkiye16+
  • VNC18
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 77% of all filmsHeavier than 61% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 75%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 57%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 34%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 47%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 68%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Parasite have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Parasite?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; 5 award-winning performances in the cast.

Song Kang-ho
as Ki Taek
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Lee Sun-kyun
as Dong-ik
SAG win: Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Cho Yeo-jeong
as Yeon Kyo
SAG win: Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Choi Woo-sik
as Ki Woo
SAG win: Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Park So-dam
as Gi-jeong
Lee Jeong-eun
as Moon Gwang
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Jang Hye-jin
as Chung Sook
SAG win: Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Park Myeong-hoon
as Geun Se
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jung Ji-so
as Da Hye
SAG win: Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Jung Hyun-jun
as Da Song
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Parasite?

Movies like Parasite include The Host (2006), Memories of Murder (2003) and Seoul Station (2016). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films set in Seoul, and several are films with Song Kang-ho.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Bong Joon Ho wrote and directed 5 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Parasite?

997 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: con artist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.