The Kim family—father Ki-taek, mother Chung-sook, son Ki-woo and daughter Ki-jung—live in a small semi-basement apartment (banjiha), have low-paying temporary jobs as pizza box folders, and struggle to make ends meet.[11] University student Min-hyuk, a friend of Ki-woo's, gives the family a scholar's rock meant to promise wealth. Leaving to study abroad, he suggests that Ki-woo pose as a university student to take over his job as an English tutor for the daughter of the wealthy Park family, Da-hye. Ki-woo poses as a Yonsei University student and is hired by the Parks.
The Kim family recommends one another as unrelated and highly qualified workers to take over as servants of the Parks. Ki-jung poses as "Jessica" and, using Ki-Woo as a reference, becomes an art therapist to the Parks' young son, Da-song. Ki-jung frames Mr Park's chauffeur for having sex in the car, then recommends Ki-taek to replace him. Finally, Chung-sook takes over as the Parks' housekeeper after the Kims exploit the peach allergy of the long-time housekeeper, Moon-gwang, to convince Mrs Park that she has tuberculosis.
When the Parks leave on a camping trip, the Kims revel in the luxuries of their residence before Moon-gwang appears at the door, telling Chung-sook she has left something in the basement. She enters a hidden entrance to an underground bunker created by the architect and previous homeowner, where Moon-gwang's husband, Geun-sae, has been secretly living for over four years, hiding from loan sharks. Chung-sook refuses Moon-gwang's pleas to help Geun-sae remain in the bunker, but the eavesdropping Kims accidentally reveal themselves. Moon-gwang films them and threatens to expose their ruse to the Parks.
A severe rainstorm brings the Parks home early, and the Kims scramble to clean up the home and subdue Moon-gwang and Geun-sae before they return. The Kims trap Geun-sae and Moon-gwang in the bunker. Mrs Park reveals to Chung-sook that Da-song had a seizure-inducing traumatic experience on a previous birthday, when he saw a "ghost"—actually Geun-sae—emerging from the basement at night. The Kims manage to sneak out of the house, but not before hearing Mr Park's off-handed comments about how Ki-taek smells bad. They find their home flooded with sewer water and are forced to shelter in a gymnasium with other displaced people.
The next day, Mrs Park hosts a house party for Da-song's birthday with the Kim family's help. Ki-woo enters the bunker with the scholar's rock to face Geun-sae. Finding Moon-gwang has died from a concussion she received during the earlier fight, he is attacked by Geun-sae, who bludgeons his head with the rock and escapes, leaving Ki-woo lying in a pool of blood in the basement. Seeking to avenge Moon-gwang, Geun-sae stabs Ki-jung with a kitchen knife in front of the horrified party guests. Da-song suffers another seizure upon seeing Geun-sae, and a struggle breaks out until Chung-sook fatally impales Geun-sae with a barbecue skewer. While Ki-taek tends to a severely bleeding Ki-jung, Mr Park orders Ki-taek to drive Da-song to the hospital. In the chaos, Ki-taek, upon seeing Mr Park's disgusted reaction to Geun-sae's smell, takes the knife and kills him. Ki-taek then flees the scene, leaving behind the rest of the Kim family.
Weeks later, Ki-woo is recovering from brain surgery. He and Chung-sook are convicted of fraud and put on probation. Ki-jung has died and Ki-taek, wanted by the police for Mr Park's murder, cannot be found. Geun-sae has been assumed to be a homeless man, and neither his nor Ki-taek's motive for the stabbings are known. Ki-woo spies on the Parks' home, now sold to a German family unaware of its history, and sees a message in Morse code from a flickering light. Ki-taek, who escaped into the bunker via the garage, has buried Moon-gwang in the backyard and now raids the refrigerator at night and flickers the light every day, hoping Ki-woo will see it. Still living in their original basement apartment with his mother, Ki-woo writes a letter to Ki-taek, vowing to earn enough money to one day purchase the house and reunite with his father.
Comments
Post a Comment