Synopsis

The story concerns a carnivorous mutant in Seoul's Han River that attacks city folk. The monster itself was created by Weta, Orphanage, and Creature Workshop.

Gang-du (SONG Kang-ho) works at a food-stand on the banks of the Han River. Dozing on the job, he is awakened by his daughter, Hyun-seo (KO A-sung), who is angry with him for missing a teacher-parent meeting at school. As Gang-du walks out to the riverbank with a delivery, he notices that a large crowd of people has gathered, taking pictures and talking about something hanging from the Han River Bridge. The otherwise idyllic landscape turns suddenly to bedlam when a terrifying creature climbs up onto the riverbank and begins to crush and eat people. Gang-du and his daughter run for their lives but suddenly the thing grabs Hyun-seo and disappears back into the river. The government announces that the thing apparently is the Host of an unidentified virus. Having feared the worst, Gang-du receives a phone call from his daughter who is frightened, but very much alive. Gang-du makes plans to infiltrate the forbidden zone near the Han River to rescue his daughter from the clutches of the horrifying Host…

Official Review

Probably the only Asian horror movies I’ve looked forward to in the past two years is Bong Joon-ho’s THE HOST, a Korean creature feature that has people all over the world talking. With the creature designed by Weta, Orphanage and Creature Workshop and the film inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, how could it go wrong? Unfortunately I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to, but in the end you still have one of the most ambitious and interesting creature features in decades. …Read More