A Korean Monster Thriller Movie 'The Host'

I don't really like movies that feature non-existent entities. However, the movie "The Host" was a film that completely changed that idea. It’s partly because it’s a film by director Bong Joon-ho, whom I admire, and partly because the monster’s appearance wasn’t overly childish. 

1. The Plot 

By the peaceful Han River riverside, Park Hee-bong, who runs a convenience store, and Park Kang-du, who helps his father, were spending time as usual. Then, hearing the murmurs of people, I looked ahead and saw a monster I had never seen in my entire life hanging onto the Han River monster, rushing toward me? While he is fleeing with his daughter Hyun-seo, she is captured by a monster and taken away. After that, the family’s desperate struggle to find Hyun-seo begins in the Han River, where everything is sealed away. 

2. The Cast and Director

 

Actor Byun Hee-bong plays Park Hee-bong, Song Kang-ho, one of Korea’s finest actors with a close connection to director Bong Joon-ho, plays Park Kang-doo, and actor Park Hae-il, who is also one of Korea’s top actors with a strong connection to director Bong Joon-ho, plays Park Nam-il, and actor Bae Doona, already well-known in Hollywood, plays Park Nam-joo. Also, actress Go Ah-sung played the role of Hyun-seo, and the director was Bong Joon-ho, one of South Korea’s top directors, who is best known to many as the director of Parasite. 

3. What to watch for 

 

It seems best to watch and look forward to seeing what form the “monster” will take, just as the movie title suggests. It was somewhat different from the monster I had imagined, and perhaps because of the setting of the Han River, it seemed to me that it had evolved somewhat from a fish.  In this film, the appearance of the monster is inspired by the “US Forces Korea Poison Discharge Incident into the Han River,” and I thought that anyone interested in the film might want to look up this incident as well. Also, true to Bong Joon-ho’s style, it is not entirely dark, and as seen in the teaser, the scene where the family screams and stomps around the room is so funny that it can still be considered the essence of black comedy. 

4. Personal review 

The film The Host is director Bong Joon-ho’s third feature film, but since I usually don’t enjoy monster or adventure movies, I came across this film very late. However, the premise that something terrible happens in an otherwise peaceful daily life was something I often think about, so it was interesting right from the start. And although the appearance of the monster, which seemed somewhat like a catfish, did not feel entirely grotesque. And the image of a family, somehow lacking, going to find Hyunseo also felt sad.  One of the other reasons I enjoyed this film was the film music; working with my favorite music director, Lee Byung-woo, made the film feel even more vivid. I think the “Hankang Hymn,” which many people imitate, might be a track that best represents the overall feel of this film. If you’re tired of those typical monster movies, I strongly recommend watching "The Host," a film where comedy, horror, and satire blend together in Bong Joon-ho’s distinctive style.