The Host is a family drama that takes the form of a sci-fi monster movie. It opens with a Korean medical worker at a U.S. military base being ordered by an American doctor to pour hundreds of bottles of formaldehyde down the drain. The Korean protests because the drain leads into the Han River, which is the major waterway of South Korea and passes right through Seoul. So we’re set up thinking this will be a regular monster movie with an evil military conspiracy covering up the United States’ complicity or their desire to control the monster or some other dark purpose. Fast forward to six years later and the monster emerges from the river, attacking and swallowing people. Park Gang-du (Song Kang-ho) is there working at his father Hee-bong’s (Byeon Hee-bong) food truck. The son admonished by his father for being lazy and drunk. Gang-du’s daughter Hyun-seo (Ko Ah-seong) has returned to the truck after school and, when chaos breaks out, is in the truck with her grandfather watching her aunt Nam-joo (Bae Doona) in a national archery competition on television. Hyun-seo emerges from the truck and is pursued by the monster. Gang-du tries to get her out of harm’s way, but she is consumed by the monster before it jumps back in the river and swims away. (By the way, the monster looks like an giant, reptilian tadpole).
Gang-du and his family members are quarantined along with others who were at the attack. They are told that the creature may have contaminated them with a virus and must be kept in isolation. In the middle of the night, though, Gang-du gets a phone call from Hyun-seo: the creature spat her out in a section of the Seoul sewer system it is using as a sort of nest. It has regurgitated other bodies and Hyun-seo is hiding in a small alcove. The family is resolved to set aside their differences and rescue Hyun-seo.
There is suspense, but unlike other monster movies, there’s little fear. The monster actually appears in the film very little. It definitely focuses on the journey of Gang-du and his siblings. They all have their personal demons to confront and this extreme situation forces them to do so. There are some light moments and I thought it would continue in a comedic vein for the entire film, but it gets especially serious for the last half-hour and that makes it a more compelling and interesting film.
3.5/5
Brian's Film Log 