The Chaotic, Creature-Filled 'Parasyte: The Grey' Is the Ideal Antidote to Prestige TV Fatigue

By Dustin Rowles | TV | April 10, 2024 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | April 10, 2024 |

This is not a review of Netflix’s Patricia Highsmith adaptation, Ripley, except to say that Ripley is not a show that should be binged. The pacing is slower than molasses, and you’ll need a palate cleanser between episodes to reorient yourself. Enter last week’s other new release, the Korean sci-fi drama Parasyte: The Grey, the perfect antidote to that methodical Highsmith nonsense.

Parasyte: The Grey is a live-action spin-off of the manga series Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki, which I admittedly knew little about before watching (and probably would have avoided had I known). But no prior knowledge is required to enjoy a goofy premise about parasitic alien creatures invading human hosts. What is required is a strong stomach and an appreciation for delightfully gruesome fight scenes:

Fun, right? The creatures look like something Guillermo del Toro crossed with Large Marge and stacked on top of human bodies. These parasitic creatures and their bonkers battle sequences are the real stars of Parasyte: The Grey — the story itself is pretty generic stuff about humans vs. parasites. But the visuals are so good, who cares?

The main wrinkle comes in the form of Jeong Su-in (Jeon So-nee), a grocery store cashier who’s only partially taken over by the parasite Heidi (as in Jekyl and Heidi). These two have to coexist in the same body, which leads Heidi to start developing pesky human emotions. Meanwhile, the Grey Team task force just wants to put poor Su-in/Heidi down for good. But Su-in finds an unlikely ally in small-time gangster Seol Kang-woo (Koo Kyo-hwan).

Look, there’s nothing particularly profound happening in Parasyte: The Grey — it’s a gloriously schlocky, B-movie-esque escape from reality. Director Yeon Sang-ho (of Train to Busan fame) serves up six episodes of gory creature designs and fight scenes that will have you simultaneously wincing and cheering. It’s the perfect antidote to the slow burn of Ripley, a hell of a palate cleanser before diving back into more prestige fare.

Good stuff, would mainline a second season.

‘Parasyte: The Grey’ is currently streaming on Netflix.