Although monster films have a strong tradition in Japan and the U.S., they're typically relegated to bargain bins in Korea. When Bong Joon Ho, the critically acclaimed director of smash hit Memories of Murder, announced he was making a monster movie, the film industry was unsure of how to react. But this was the film Bong was always meant to make. Bong rounded together an illustrious cast led by Song Kang Ho (JSA), Byun Hee Bong (Crying Fist), Bae Du Na (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance), and Park Hae Il (Rules of Dating). Meanwhile, a monstrous budget and state-of-the-art CG technology gave birth to the proverbial beast. The result: The Host not only conquered the box office, it garnered almost universal acclaim, winning over critics and moviegoers alike from Cannes to Korea. More than just a creature feature, The Host delves into a raw, suspenseful world of unspeakable horrors, politics, conflicts, and emotions in one family's relentless fight against the monster that rose from the Han River.

Gang Du's (Song Kang Ho) family is the epitome of dysfunctional. His brother Nam Il (Park Hae Il) is a cursing, molotov-throwing unemployed college graduate; his sister Nam Joo (Bae Du Na) is a professional archer with self-esteem issues. Gang Du spends his days running a snack stall near the Han River, and his only hope, indeed the family's hope, is on the shoulders of his daughter, Hyun Seo (Ko Ah Sung). Unbeknownst to everyone, however, a horrible monster has been growing in the polluted waters of Han River, and it snatches Hyun Seo from their life. Unable to get any help from the authorities, the family is determined to get Hyun Seo back on their own, no matter what it takes.

The Host goes for the throat almost immediately. After a few short groundwork-laying interludes, the titular creature makes its presence known. Part slug, part Stan Winston creation, and ... [Read more]

Park Gang Du (Song Kang Ho) is the rather dim-witted proprietor of a food stall along the banks of the picturesque Han River. He's not a bad guy, just a little slow on the uptake, and very lazy - something his father constantly berates him about. The only thing that Gang Du really cares about is his teenage daughter Hyun Seo, who really can't stand her old man. Life seems relatively normal - until a giant mutant salamander e... [Read more]