Unveiling the Hidden Secrets: A Scene-by-Scene Dissection of “Parasite” That Will Change How You See the Film Forever

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

After a first pass, it’s time to crack open the script for a deeper analysis and you can do that by creating a scene-by-scene breakdown. It is precisely what it sounds like: A list of all the scenes in the script accompanied by a brief description of the events that transpire.

For purposes of this exercise, I have a slightly different take on scene. Here I am looking not just for individual scenes per se, but a scene or set of scenes that comprise one event or a continuous piece of action. Admittedly this is subjective and there is no right or wrong, the point is simply to break down the script into a series of parts which you then can use dig into the script’s structure and themes.

The value of this exercise:

• We pare down the story to its most constituent parts: Scenes.
• By doing this, we consciously explore the structure of the narrative.
• A scene-by-scene breakdown creates a foundation for even deeper analysis of the story.

This week: Parasite (2019). You can download the script here.

Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho and Jin Won Han, story by Bong Joon Ho.

Plot Summary: All unemployed, Ki-taek and his family take peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks, as they ingratiate themselves into their lives and get entangled in an unexpected incident.

Parasite
Scene by Scene Breakdown
By Olivia Ramirez
GoIntoTheStory.com

1–3 We meet Ki-Woo (son), Ki-Jung (daughter), Chung-Sook (mother), and Ki-Tek (father) as Ki-Jung moves around their semi-basement apartment looking for a wi-fi signal. Chung-Sook is miserable and berades her husband, demanding he take action to fix the many issues affecting their lives. Ki-Woo and Ki-Jung successfully find Wi-Fi while huddling on top of the toilet. The toilet is set on a platform unnaturally close to the ceiling to accommodate the septic tank in their semi-basement apartment.

3–4 The family is folding pizza boxes together — one of their odd jobs. A fumigation truck inches closer to their home. They start to close the window but…