Parasite

I hate watching characters buoy elaborate lies lol. I thought that in like middle school re: Meet the Parents and the thought rages now in Parasite. Surely the best parts of the movie are NOT the hijinks, though they consume ample screen time.

The hijinks do keep things moving though. All I dreaded tonight was another boring movie. I almost thought it was inevitable. I almost wondered if I'm fading on movie love nowadays. But Parasite was swift, with a satisfying ending.

I like how Saltburn didn't rely on any hijinks, it was pure manipulation. Parasite was manipulation on stilts, always on threat of toppling. I didn't like that energy. Too anxious. Saltburn was savory; Parasite spicy, like fish & chips vs buldak. I could relax at the repulsion of Saltburn; Parasite was a cringe. Until the end! See, I like when it all comes out into the light. I guess that's a valid arc though... draw out the anxiety to maximize the later relief. But I'd rather avoid the anxiety. I was surprised and pleased by how Blue Velvet revealed Jeffrey pretty quickly in Dorothy's apartment. Parasite drags on though. I mean the movie doesn't drag, but the anxiety does.

The final quarter was easily the best quarter -- just what I was waiting for.

90th best film ever in Sight and Sound 2022 is ridiculous, almost as ridiculous as where my recent watches L'Avventura and In the Mood for Love tend to fall on those silly lists. Parasite was easily the most enjoyable for me, of the three, but it wasn't that creative. It's sharp, in several ways, but it's not historic. Probably none of the critics in the ranking disliked it, so it surged up beyond more polarizing (and greater) films.

Why did the dad kill the other dad?