Parasites 2020

Documentary

Box Office

$263M

Budget

$11M

Runtime

39 mins

Language

Russian

Made by

Test your knowledge of Parasites with our quiz!

Parasites Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Parasites (2020). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Kim Ki-taek and Chung-sook live in a cramped semi-basement flat (banjiha) in Seoul with their daughter Ki-jung and son Ki-woo, facing constant financial struggle and low-wage jobs. When a well-meaning friend named Min-hyuk leaves behind a scholar’s rock as a symbol of possible wealth, the Kim family dares to dream bigger. With Min-hyuk abroad for studies, Ki-woo lies about his qualifications to take over his job as an English tutor for Da-hye, the daughter of the wealthy but naïve Park family. Ki-jung helps forge a certificate for him, and Ki-woo, using the alias “Kevin,” lands a position with Mrs. Park after a successful first lesson.

The Kim scheme expands rapidly: Ki-woo recommends Ki-jung, who is actually herself, as an art therapist for the Parks’ young son, Da-song, who has been shaken by a disturbing sight in the house. By manipulating events, Ki-jung also helps frame Yoon, the Parks’ driver, for a supposed incident in the car, paving the way for Ki-taek to be hired as his replacement. They exploit the Parks’ peach allergy to manufacture a claim that Moon-gwang, the longtime housekeeper, has tuberculosis, which allows Chung-sook to take her place. Meanwhile, Ki-woo begins a covert romance with Da-hye, complicating the family dynamics as the deception deepens.

Everything changes when the Parks go on a camping trip. The Kims revel in the luxury of the Park residence, but their world begins to unravel when Moon-gwang returns, claiming to have forgotten something and slipping into a hidden underground bunker built by the house’s architect and kept secret from the Parks. There, Moon-gwang pleads for her husband Geun-sae to remain, as he hides from loan sharks. The truth about the bunker and Geun-sae’s presence is exposed when the four Kim family members, who have been listening in, are discovered, and Moon-gwang films them while threatening to reveal their deception.

The Parks cut their trip short due to a sudden, heavy rainstorm, forcing the Kims to destroy all evidence of their ruse and subdue Moon-gwang and Geun-sae in the bunker, though Moon-gwang is injured in the struggle. The Kim family escapes, but the torrential downpour floods their own basement, driving them to seek shelter in a gymnasium with other evacuees.

The next day, Mrs. Park hosts an impromptu garden party for Da-song’s birthday. The elder Kim siblings assist, while the younger ones are invited as guests. Ki-woo re-enters the bunker with the scholar’s rock, and the mood shifts from celebration to danger. Moon-gwang is already dead from the earlier injuries, and Geun-sae attacks Ki-woo with the rock, leaving him unconscious. Geun-sae then reappears and stabs Ki-jung in front of the stunned party guests as Da-song faints at the sight of what he believes is a ghost. Chung-sook defends herself and kills Geun-sae with a barbecue skewer, but the chaos continues as Mr. Park orders Ki-taek to drive Da-song to the hospital. In a final act of fury and frustration at the Parks’ oblivious privilege, Ki-taek stabs Mr. Park and flees.

In the weeks that follow, Ki-woo is recovering from brain surgery, while Ki-woo and Chung-sook are convicted of fraud and placed on probation. Ki-jung has died from her injuries, and Ki-taek has disappeared, now a wanted fugitive. Geun-sae is presumed to be a homeless man, and the exact motives behind the killings remain unresolved. Ki-woo spies on the Parks’ former home, now inhabited by a foreign family, and notices a Morse-code message visible from outside. Hidden in the bunker, Ki-taek sends daily messages and keeps Moon-gwang buried in the garden, hoping Ki-woo will someday see them. Back in the semi-basement, Ki-woo writes a letter to his father, Ki-taek, vowing that he will earn enough money one day to buy the house and win his freedom.

Parasites Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Parasites (2020) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Scholar's rock seeds the infiltration plan

Min-hyuk gives the scholar's rock as a symbol of promised wealth. Ki-woo lies about his qualifications and is hired as Da-hye's English tutor after forging a certificate. The Kim family vows to insert themselves into the Park household while keeping their identities secret.

At the start of the film Banjiha, Seoul

Ki-jung becomes Da-song's art therapist

Ki-woo persuades Ki-jung to pose as Da-song's art therapist, even naming her alias Jessica to fit the role. Ki-jung gains entry to the Park home and begins shaping Da-song's therapy sessions. Her presence helps cover the Kim family's growing ruse.

Shortly after Ki-woo is hired Park residence

A chain of hires expands inside the Park household

To fill every position, the Kims widen the deception by filling roles behind the scenes. Ki-taek is hired as the driver after the original chauffeur is sidelined, and the family members slip further into the Park home. The scheme relies on keeping their real identities concealed.

Soon after Ki-woo is hired Park residence

Moon-gwang TB ruse secures Chung-sook's job

The Kims exploit Moon-gwang's peach allergy to convince Mrs Park that Moon-gwang has tuberculosis. Chung-sook is hired as Moon-gwang's replacement, tightening the Kim presence in the household. The ruse is designed to protect the fraud while the Parks are away.

A period after initial infiltration Park residence

Ki-woo begins a secret romance with Da-hye

Ki-woo starts a clandestine relationship with Da-hye, the Park daughter. The romance gives him closer access to the family dynamic and deepens the deception. The personal tie complicates the boundaries of their deceit.

During the early infiltration phase Park residence

Camping trip reveals the hidden bunker and ghost

While the Parks are away camping, Moon-gwang returns and uses a hidden entrance to reach a bunker built by the house’s original owner. Geun-sae, Moon-gwang's husband, has been living there to evade loan sharks and is revealed as the ghost Da-song claimed to see. The Kim family overhears and realizes their cover is in danger.

During the camping trip Park residence, bunker

Parks return home, evidence is destroyed

The Parks cut their trip short because of a severe rainstorm. The Kim family hastily destroys evidence of their deception and subdues Moon-gwang and Geun-sae in the bunker, though Moon-gwang is injured in the struggle. The close call heightens the stakes of their fraud.

The day Parks return Park residence

Sewage flood forces the Kims to flee

A torrential rain floods the Kim family’s semi-basement apartment with sewage, forcing them to evacuate. They seek shelter in a gymnasium with other displaced residents. The disaster underlines the fragility of their improvised gains.

The day after the flood Banjiha, Seoul; gymnasium

Garden party erupts into violence

During Da-song's birthday garden party, the hidden bunker intrudes again as Geun-sae appears. Geun-sae brutalizes Ki-woo in the bunker and Ki-jung is killed in front of guests. Da-song faints, and Chung-sook kills Geun-sae to protect the family.

During the birthday party Park residence

Mr Park is murdered and Ki-taek flees

Mr Park orders Ki-taek to drive Da-song to the hospital, but Ki-taek turns on him and stabs Mr Park with Geun-sae's knife, fleeing the estate. The Park family is devastated as the Kim cover collapses and the social gap between them widens.

Immediately after the party Park residence

Aftermath and legal consequences

Weeks later, Ki-woo is recovering from brain surgery while Ki-woo and Chung-sook are convicted of fraud and placed on probation. Ki-jung is dead and Ki-taek is a fugitive; Geun-sae is presumed homeless. The Parks' former home passes to a foreign family, underscoring social divides.

Weeks after the party Seoul and Parks' former home

Hope of reclaiming the house and Ki-taek’s daily messages

Ki-taek, hiding in the bunker, buries Moon-gwang in the garden and sends daily Morse code messages, hoping Ki-woo will see them. Ki-woo observes the Parks' former home and writes to Ki-taek, vowing to earn enough money to buy the house someday. The ending lingers on their familial longing and the chance of reunion.

Weeks after the party Ki-taek's bunker; outside the Parks' former home

Parasites Characters

Explore all characters from Parasites (2020). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Ki-taek

The Kim family patriarch, Ki-taek is practical and resourceful, steering the family's plan to infiltrate the Parks' household. He balances parental loyalty with strategic deception to secure a better life for his family. As events unfold, his resentment toward the Parks' privilege grows, culminating in a violent act that alters everyone's fate.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family 🧠 Strategist

Chung-sook

The Kim matriarch who keeps the scheme together with pragmatic calm. She improvises to maintain the ruse and supports her husband’s plan, proving essential in navigating tricky social terrain. In the crisis, she plays a decisive role in protecting her family and managing the fallout.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family 🧠 Pragmatic

Ki-jung

Ki-jung helps forge documents and frames Moon-gwang's driver, stepping into a role as the Parks’ art therapist for their traumatised son. She deftly uses deception as a tool for her family's entry into the Park household. Her bold, improvisational nature keeps the scheme afloat even when things get risky.

🎨 Artist 🧠 Deceptive

Ki-woo

Ki-woo poses as a Yonsei student named Kevin to become the English tutor for Da-hye. His charm and quick thinking further extend the Kim family's foothold in the Parks' home, and he develops a secret romance with Da-hye. His ambition drives the plan forward, until consequences escalate beyond control.

🧭 Schemer 💬 Charmer

Moon-gwang

The Parks' housekeeper, Moon-gwang is cunning and protective of her own family, including her hidden husband in the bunker. She becomes entangled in the Kims' deception and is a pivotal figure in the tension of the household. Her confrontation with the Kims reveals the fragility of their ruse.

🧹 Housekeeper 🧠 Subtle Threat

Geun-sae

Moon-gwang's husband, Geun-sae is hiding in a basement bunker, living a precarious second life while evading loan sharks. He erupts into the Park party, turning the tension into violent chaos. His presence exposes the precarious balance between those who are seen and unseen in the city’s social spectrum.

🕳️ Hidden 🗡️ Violent

Da-hye

Da-hye is the Parks' naïve daughter, whom Ki-woo begins secretly dating. Her interactions with Ki-woo illuminate the personal costs of the social divide, blending affection with ignorance of the Kim family's true situation. She becomes a catalyst for the plot's emotional stakes.

💖 Young Love 🧒 Privilege

Da-song

Da-song is the Parks' young son who is traumatised after an encounter with a 'ghost' in the kitchen. His fragile psyche contributes to the Park family's vulnerability, prompting protective actions from the Kims. He later experiences a moment of shocking revelation that escalates the narrative toward tragedy.

🧒 Child 👻 Trauma

Parasites Settings

Learn where and when Parasites (2020) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

Late 2010s

Set in contemporary Seoul, the story unfolds in a society driven by consumer culture and sharp income disparity. The Kims manipulate appearances and craft fake qualifications to infiltrate the Parks' world, illustrating how wealth shapes access and respect. The film uses the late 2010s as a backdrop for rising tensions, rainstorms, and upheavals that destabilize both families.

Location

Seoul, Banjiha (semi-basement), Park family home

The Kim family lives in a cramped semi-basement in Seoul, a stark contrast to the Parks' upscale residence. The banjiha's dim, below-ground space highlights their precarious economic position. The Park home represents wealth and social privilege, while the Kim dwelling underscores vulnerability and resilience.

🌆 Seoul 🏚️ Banjiha 💼 Class divide

Parasites Themes

Discover the main themes in Parasites (2020). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

💼

Class Divide

Parasite centers on a stark class divide between the Kim family's precarious, low-income life and the Parks' opulent household. The Kims manipulate appearances and craft fake qualifications to infiltrate the Parks' world, illustrating how wealth shapes access and respect. The film shows how survival instincts collide with hypocrisy and privilege, leading to escalating consequences.

🎭

Deception

The entire family fabricates identities to secure jobs, blurring lines between truth and performance. Each successful ruse reveals how carefully constructed roles can sustain a fragile balance of power, until loyalty and need give way to suspicion and violence. The narrative transforms deception into a social critique rather than mere crime.

🏠

Space & Privilege

The physical spaces—the dank banjiha, the designer Park house, and the hidden bunker—stand as symbols of power and vulnerability. The basement becomes a concealed refuge for the marginalized, while the Park home embodies status and exclusion. The juxtaposition of spaces reveals how environment shapes opportunity, danger, and envy.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Explore the mobile app

Parasites Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Parasites (2020). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a cramped semi‑basement of Seoul, a modest family lives under the weight of dwindling prospects. The house, illuminated by the flicker of streetlights and the distant hum of traffic, feels both a sanctuary and a reminder of the socioeconomic walls that keep its occupants confined. The atmosphere blends quiet desperation with a sly, almost mischievous optimism, suggesting that survival often requires a mix of ingenuity and daring.

Kim Ki‑taek and his wife Chung‑sook raise their two children, Ki‑woo and Ki‑jung, each of whom harbors a restless yearning for a better life. When a chance encounter with a well‑meaning friend presents an unexpected opening, the siblings find themselves on the brink of an unusual opportunity that promises to bridge the gap between their world and the polished realm of a wealthy household. Their dynamic is a delicate balance of affection, ambition, and the quiet humor that surfaces when they navigate the absurdities of their everyday struggles.

The affluent family they become entangled with—headed by the dignified patriarch Park Dong‑ik and his graceful wife Yeon‑kyo, with their teenage daughter Da‑hye and young son Da‑song—embodies a lifestyle of comfort and obliviousness to the hardships just below their doorstep. Their immaculate home, with its pristine design and serene garden, stands in stark contrast to the cramped, damp living space of the Kims. This juxtaposition fuels a narrative that is at once sharp‑edged and darkly comic, hinting at the fragile illusions of both classes while inviting the audience to ponder the invisible lines that separate them.