Editor’s note: With movie theaters closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, Micheal Compton’s reviews will focus on films available for streaming or on demand.

When writer/director Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” was the surprise winner for best picture at the Academy Awards in February, it was a historic occasion – becoming the first non-English film to win best picture.

If any film was going to make history, “Parasite” is certainly worthy of that praise; it was the best film of 2019 and one of the best movies of the past decade. Ho crafted a film that is genre-defying and free of the restraints of conventional storytelling.

“Parasite” tells the story of a poor South Korean family, the Kims, struggling to make ends meet. When the son Ki Woo (Choi Woo Shik) gets a job as a tutor for the daughter (Jung Ji So) of the wealthy Park family, he hatches a plan to have his father (Song Kang Ho), mother (Jang Hye Jin) and sister (Park So Dam) con their way into working for the family.

Just when it looks like the Kims’ social status has taken a turn for the better, their whole con is threatened by someone who could expose them for who they really are.

Part of the fun of “Parasite” is how Joon Ho’s screenplay begins in one direction but takes a dramatic turn about halfway through that makes the journey completely unexpected for the audience. This is a film where the less you know going in, the better the experience, because the twists are truly surprising (although additional viewings provide the kind of bread crumbs you likely won’t see the first time around).

The twists are as natural as the melding of tones throughout. “Parasite” is all at once a dark comedy, an edge-of-your-seat thriller, a homage to Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese, and a social commentary on class warfare. The script makes these transitions mesh seamlessly, while Joon Ho’s direction is outstanding. This is a visually stunning film, with some first-rate production design – particularly in the use of the Parks’ exquisite home – a glass house that is beautiful on the surface but full of dark secrets – a perfect parallel to the two families.

The cast is outstanding, especially Kang Ho and So Dam.

Even after it won best picture, there were still some people who were hard to convince to see “Parasite,” with the film being subtitled the main reason people balked at my suggestion. While the film may be in another language, the themes are universal – transcending the language barrier.

This is a film that deserved to be seen – multiple times perhaps – then discussed and dissected for years to come. It’s a special experience that is worthy of all the praise it has received.

Starring: Song Kang Ho, Choi Woo Shik

Directed by: Bong Joon Ho

Rating: R for language, some violence and sexual content

Playing at: Now streaming on Hulu

Grade: A