Return of the Repressed: Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite

In clinical psychiatric practice, the patient’s inner world may not emerge until years into treatment, an opportunity that may not always present itself to trainees. [...]a relevant film may provide a practical didactic introduction to psychodynamic theory. In this article, we explore the intrapsychic defense of repression, which is defined as blocking unacceptable ideas or impulses from consciousness. [...]we explore the potential damage repression can cause when left unexamined. The Kims celebrate their successful infiltration with a night of gourmet food and liquor in the Park home while they are away, only to be jolted by Moon-gwang’s return. In a remarkably symbolic turn of events, Moon-gwang reveals that her husband Geun-se has been secretly residing in a basement within the Park home. The Kim family, constricted in their small semi-basement home where the bathroom coalesces with the living room, cannot so easily hide their basic nature.