The Host (2006 Film)

The Host (2006 Film)

The Host (Hangul: 괴물; RR: Goemul; lit. "Monster") is a 2006 South Korean monster film, directed by Bong Joon-ho. This movie is a combination of a blockbuster plot and political commentary. Members of the cast are Song Kang-ho, Byeon Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona and Go Ah-sung. The film sometimes deals with the implications of the American military presence in Korea.

First, the movie starts with the scene of American military pathologist’s dumping over 200 bottles of formaldehyde into the sewer system, leading into the Han River. Over the next few years, a strange amphibious monster emerges from Han River and attacks people at random. The monster snatches up the protagonist’s daughter and returns to its hideout under Wonhyo Bridge. Her family tries to rescue her from the monster to the indifference of people, going through all kinds of hardships. According to the director, his inspiration came from a local article about a deformed fish with an S-shaped spine caught in Han River. The Host had set a new Korean box office record by reaching 10 million tickets in just 21 days. In addition, it was ranked one of the top films of 2007 on Metacritic with a score of 85. In November 2008, it was announced that Universal Studios would be remaking The Host.

Following the success of the director's work, Memories of Murder, The Host was heavily anticipated. It was released on a record number of screens in its home country on July 27, 2006. By the end of its run on November 8, 13 million tickets had been sold, making it the highest grossing South Korean film of all time. The film was released on a limited basis in the United States on March 9, 2007, and on DVD, Blu-ray, and HD DVD formats on July 24, 2007. It won several awards including Best Film at the Asian Film Awards and at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.