Parasyte: Part 1 (2014 Film)
Parasyte: Part 1 (Japanese: 寄生獣, Hepburn: Kiseijū) is a 2014 Japanese science fiction horror film directed by Takashi Yamazaki. The screenplay, written by Ryota Kosawa and Yamazaki, is based on the manga series Kiseiju by Hitoshi Iwaaki, which was serialized in Kodansha's Afternoon magazine from 1988 to 1995.
Plot
The story follows the arrival of mysterious, worm-like extraterrestrial organisms that descend to Earth. These parasites infiltrate human bodies through the ears or nose, eventually consuming the brain to take full control of the host. Once established, they assume a human appearance and live among the general population, often preying on other humans.
Shinichi Izumi, a high school student, becomes a target when a parasite attempts to enter his brain. He successfully prevents the invasion, but the organism becomes trapped in his right hand. The parasite, which Shinichi names Migi, develops its own consciousness. The two form an uneasy alliance as Shinichi discovers the truth about the hidden threat and attempts to protect those around him, including his friend Satomi Murano. Meanwhile, a parasite successfully takes over a teacher named Ryoko Tamiya, who begins observing Shinichi for her own purposes.
Production
Principal photography for the film commenced in January 2014 and concluded five months later. The film was distributed by Toho in Japan. It held its world premiere on October 30, 2014, at the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival, followed by a general theatrical release on November 29, 2014.
Cast
- Shota Sometani as Shinichi Izumi
- Eri Fukatsu as Ryoko Tamiya
- Sadawo Abe as the voice of Migi
- Ai Hashimoto as Satomi Murano
- Masahiro Higashide as Hideo Shimada
- Nao Omori as Kuramori
- Kazuki Kitamura as Tsuyoshi Hirokawa
- Pierre Taki as Miki
- Hirofumi Arai as Uragami
- Jun Kunimura as Detective Hirama
- Kimiko Yo as Nobuko Izumi
- Tadanobu Asano as Goto
Related Works
The film is the first part of a two-part adaptation. The conclusion, Parasyte: Part 2 (Kiseijū Kanketsu Hen), was released in 2015. A separate live-action series, Parasyte: The Grey, was released on Netflix in 2024.
