'Parasite' Trailer: Bong Joon-Ho's Latest Film Is An Unnerving Family Thriller

With the English-language releases Snowpiercer and Okja, Bong Joon-Ho has made some of the wildest and boldest cross-cultural films in recent memory. Now, the South Korean director makes a return to his home country — and what appears to be a return to his darker, genre-defying style — for his latest film, Parasite. Watch the trailer below.

You may have noticed that this trailer is in Korean. And in case you don't speak Korean, like I don't, this unfortunately keeps Bong Joon-ho's mysterious thriller veiled in mystery. However, this trailer does its job in communicating an escalating sense of frightening tension and violence, with some breathtaking shots that befit Bong's striking directorial style. The film seems to follow a working-class family who are in dire straits, until the son gets access to the elite world of the wealthy and kicks off...some turn of events. I don't know what's going on, but I'm excited!

Thankfully, The Playlist has some details on the plot, describing Parasite a film "about one family with 'unique characteristics.'" The story apparently "follows a young man and his unemployed family as they become obsessed with another family. Then when something happens (probably involving blood and violence, as seen briefly in the trailer), the young man and his family become entangled in a bit of a mess."

It all sounds very intriguing, with shades of another South Korean masterpiece, last year's Burning, in this plot synopsis. The elements of class tension, paranoia, and obsession are all there and excellent fodder for a family-centric thriller that will likely be as visually astonishing and boundary-pushing as Bong's other films. We'll find out more once Parasite makes its rumored debut at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, or any other prestigious festivals in the coming months.

The cast stars Song Kang-ho, a frequent collaborator with Bong on The Host and Snowpiercer, as well as, Jang Hye-jin, Park So-dam and Choi Woo-shik (Okja, Train to Busan) as the family at the center of the story. Rounding out the cast are Lee Sun-kyun and Jo Yeo-jeong."