The Host (2006)

[Plain Old Tele]

Discuss.

[Sam]

This movie is my top movie of 2006. The acting are great all around, with wonderful performance by lead actor Song Kang Ho. Go Ah Sung was also very captivating in her role as the daughter. Another standout performance for me is Park Hae Il, who played the protagonist's young brother.

 

It's a nice mix of genres: monsters, comedy, thriller, and underlying political commentary. The Host shows Park family's struggle with a physical, real river monster; as well as the monster that is the government's dark/shady sides. At the same time, it's also about internal struggle with domestic conflicts, relationship issues; and the demons that existed within the family members themselves.

 

True to the style of director Bong Joon Ho, The Host is also very funny, filled with Bong's dark humor type. It also has heartwarming messages about love and sacrifices, between father-son, father-daughter, brother-sister, etc.. It's what family is about.

 

The special effect is surprisingly good with the low budget the movie got. It's nothing spectacular by any means, but for me, it holds up well.

 

I'll give this one an A+. It's also director Bong's best film to date, edging out Memories of Murder for me. I hope to see him continue to show quality in his work, starting with the upcoming movie Snowpiercer. 

Edited May 29, 2013 by Sam

[luna]

the melodrama was dreadful, the political commentary was rather doubtful, and there wasn't much action to speak of. it was kinda entertaining just to see what oddness it'd pull out next. humour was hit and miss but probably the best thing about this. didn't like.

 

D+

[Squaremaster316]

WAY better than the one that came out this year.

Edited September 5, 2013 by Squaremaster316

[baumer]

I almost feel bad for saying this as a horror lover but this film did nothing for me.  In fact, I kind of hated it.

[Deep Wang]

I almost feel bad for saying this as a horror lover but this film did nothing for me. In fact, I kind of hated it.

I must have been watching it wrong. I don't remember it being a horror movie.

[chasmmi]

I must have been watching it wrong. I don't remember it being a horror movie.

 

 

 

This happens a fair bit when trying to put KOrean films into genre. Directers like Bong Joonho just switch and play with genre however they choose and it makes it hard for Western reviewers/categorisers etc to decide what to class the film as.

 

The Host is a prime example of this. It has a killer monster and thus it must be a horror film. Yet the main foundation of this film is the family and how they come together to rescue the daughter. It is a drama with splashes of dark comedy. Of course the monster adds horror elements but if you come into the film expecting it to be a frightening horror classic then you are the wrong audience at this moment.

 

This is the brilliance and sometimes the failing of Korean film. They cannot be pidgeonholed into a shelf of the video store like 99% of Hollywood films. (I am not saying one fact is better than the other, just that it is the way).

 

For me the Host is a great family drama that uses the unique premises of a mutant river monster as the instrument for creating the drama. It has great dramatic moments, the ending is not what you would expect and the comedy touches suchas the grandfather making his moving and heartfelt speech about family only for everyone to fall asleep during it is brilliant. But it isn't a horror film.

 

 

It will be fun to see what the reaction to Bong's Snowpiercer is when it gets released considering that is an action, drama, black comedy, comic book thriller.

[baumer]

It was billed ON THE COVER as South Koreas JAWS. Doesnt get much more horror than that.

[luna]

the problem is that the family drama is the worst thing about this.

[Deep Wang]

It was billed ON THE COVER as South Koreas JAWS. Doesnt get much more horror than that.

I also remember Blown Away was supposed to make Speed look like a slow ride to grandmas house. Yeah...no.

[The Stingray]

A really good and fun flick, with one of the best monsters in a long time.

Edited March 30, 2014 by The Stingray

[JohnnyGossamer]

My favorite foreign film of the past decade. My favorite creature feature to date. I love this flick.

[Joel M]

The movie is almost a masterpiece and second best Joon Ho Bong movie.

 

A.

[JohnnyGossamer]

Bong's the man. Just caught Snowpiercer over the weekend. And, while not his best work as he's somewhat hamstrung by the budget, it's certainly his most ambitious. If I had to rate his catalog:

 

Barking Dogs Never Bite - N/A

Memories of Muder - A

The Host - A+

Mother - A

Snowpiercer - A-

[JohnnyGossamer]

Bumping it up due to Godzilla's recent release...

[RobinHood26]

Fuck yeah, Kang-ho Song murders it, I was on the edge of my seat and fully invested. Also just the way everything comes full circle is great. The dark humor just ties it altogether too, such a hard film to make tonally but they nailed it. 

 

B+ (88.5)

[JohnnyGossamer]