Though he directed some masterful films in the early 2000s, Bong Joon Ho truly launched onto the international scene in 2006 with his stunning thriller THE HOST. Part monster film, part family drama, sometimes scary, sometimes hilarious, it’s a film that defies description, and it announced the arrival of an important voice in world cinema.
Park Gang-doo (Song Kang-ho, PARASITE) is a slightly dim-witted man who runs a snack bar near the river with his father. When a giant river creature attacks people at the banks, Gang-doo’s daughter, Hyun-seo (Asung Ko, SNOWPIERCER), is taken, and he and the rest of his family are quarantined. To try and save his daughter, Gang-doo embarks on a journey that will put him against everything from the monster to a devious government.
With his sharp wit and masterful eye, Bong Joon Ho crafts a creature movie that is as much about character, humor, love, and anguish as it is about spectacle.
“Rarely plays out the way you expect. Director Bong is careful to deliver the promised scares, but he is also willing to overlook plot formulas to explore his own interests.” — Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
English
South Korea
Magnolia Pictures