Parasite (2019)

For once the hype is justified and the Oscars got it right. Parasite is a brilliant, unsettling and completely unpredictable work.

Set in modern day Korea, the story revolves around two families, from polar opposite ends of the social spectrum, whose lives intertwine by chance. There is no point saying much else about the plot, as you should watch Parasite with as little prior knowledge as possible.

Director Bong Joon-ho effortlessly switches between gears and genres. He mixes unsettling horror, with black comedy and heartbreaking tragedy, wrong-footing the audience expectations. He backs it with characters that are complex, believable, and very sympathetic, even when this sympathy is challenged.

It is also, I suspect, a richly layered work with plenty of rewards for repeat viewing.