It’s almost cruel to write anything about this movie other than simply, “Go see it,” as coming in with no pretext is the best surprise here. I was very lucky to see the movie “cold” with a film friend who insisted on the outing for his birthday before the critical accolades had reached sonic boom levels. I had no idea what to expect, like a child at an amusement park being talked into a “train ride” that turns out to be the most stomach-dropping ride in the park, no turn is expected and each is more heart-stopping than the next. Literally everything about this movie is perfect. At first, it feels much like last year’s Japanese film, Shoplifters, but Bong Joon-ho’s masterpiece is much more nefarious. You’ll chuckle at the plainness of the characters daily foibles in what seemingly begins as a satirical comedy character study, then rapidly paces into dark corners as iniquitous thriller, before crescendoing into a biting social commentary. The film is beautifully shot, with the house actually being built for filming with an obsessive attention to lighting. Bong Joon-ho has made a nearly perfect film that defies classification into easy genres, it is a must see.