The Host (Gwoemul) (2006)

Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  This was a top notch monster movie and even though the dubbing was pretty bad and it more than likely added to the confusion it was a pretty solid thrill ride.

• Liam G

  
  Just....awesome! A great monster film with its own subtle sense of humour to it. Bong Joon-Ho's direction is superb, which shows in the way he directs some of the most intense monster attack scenes I've seen and providing us with a few memorable shots. This is not only one… More
  Just....awesome! A great monster film with its own subtle sense of humour to it. Bong Joon-Ho's direction is superb, which shows in the way he directs some of the most intense monster attack scenes I've seen and providing us with a few memorable shots. This is not only one of my favourite monster movies, it might be one of my favourite movies of the past decade.

• Melvin W

  
  The Host is at times very odd. But overall it is a fun and entertaining creature feature. It belongs to a genre where it is easy to fail miserably. The Host doesn't fail, but rises above many other creature features because the movie isn't a pure horror comedy like many of… More
  The Host is at times very odd. But overall it is a fun and entertaining creature feature. It belongs to a genre where it is easy to fail miserably. The Host doesn't fail, but rises above many other creature features because the movie isn't a pure horror comedy like many of the others. It's balance between seriousness and total absurdness is well managed.

• Lewis C

  
  The Host is a pretty cool, if uneven, South Korean monster flick. The premise is simple enough. Dangerous chemicals intentionally leaked into the Han River produce a freakish aquatic mutated animal that goes on a rampage, apparently eating a lot of people. Including the daughter of… More
  The Host is a pretty cool, if uneven, South Korean monster flick. The premise is simple enough. Dangerous chemicals intentionally leaked into the Han River produce a freakish aquatic mutated animal that goes on a rampage, apparently eating a lot of people. Including the daughter of a seemingly slow-witted man, who later receives a call from the girl and becomes convinced that she is still alive. The man and his two adult siblings and father escape from the military authorities that have taken control of the area, and set out to find the girl. The Host is an action-packed monster feature, but it's also hilarious and tragic. And occasionally dull, if only for brief periods of time. The inconsistent pacing of the movie was really my only big complaint, and did hurt it some in my eyes. The beginning and ending are strong, but the middle lags a bit. The creature itself is incredibly well-designed, which is good because we see a lot of it. It looks more like a living animal than a CGI creation. The actors interact with it nicely in a way that helps immerse it even more into the "reality" of the movie. The combination of thrills, humor, and poignancy make The Host something I definitely recommend. There's even some political commentary here for those who like to think a little deeper while they're being entertained. Not a perfect movie, but certainly an enjoyable one.

• Lee ?

  
  Epic Korean creature-feature. I found this to be entertaining, original and totally unpredictable. Special effects were very good and the mutant amphibious monster unique looking and very menacing. It is quite an odd film though with a mixture of slapstick humour and serious emotional… More
  Epic Korean creature-feature. I found this to be entertaining, original and totally unpredictable. Special effects were very good and the mutant amphibious monster unique looking and very menacing. It is quite an odd film though with a mixture of slapstick humour and serious emotional drama, that may be off-putting to some as you try to adjust to the different emotions of the film. A memorable movie overall, I really enjoyed it!

• Cynthia S

  
  Don't ask me why, but I got the biggest kick out of this movie. It was a riot! I don't think that it was ever meant to be a serious movie, but instead more of a dark comedy. I just thought the whole thing was hysterical.

• Dead A

  
  It was not entirely enjoyable because there were some dull moments which was hard to avoid, but it was not that bad either. I did liked it. But I found one odd scene which was where the whole family gathers and cry and roll on the floor. Was that a joke? Didn't found that funny… More
  It was not entirely enjoyable because there were some dull moments which was hard to avoid, but it was not that bad either. I did liked it. But I found one odd scene which was where the whole family gathers and cry and roll on the floor. Was that a joke? Didn't found that funny though. The ending was unexpected. I was hoping they will find the girl at the end but dead? That was not what I expected (especially after all those dramas). But it was nice to see that the dad found another kid to live with.

• Jens S

  
  Like a mix of Little Miss Sunshine and Cloverfield, this South Korean genre mix follows a rather dysfunctional family through their battle against a mutated river creature who kidnapped their youngest. Most scenes including the monster are actually pretty exciting and well done.… More
  Like a mix of Little Miss Sunshine and Cloverfield, this South Korean genre mix follows a rather dysfunctional family through their battle against a mutated river creature who kidnapped their youngest. Most scenes including the monster are actually pretty exciting and well done. Unfortunately, the movie falls back to somewhat out of place humor and a red herring sub-plot that could easily have been left out. The movie is everything but predictable, though. Some parts have you scratch your head, maybe due to cultural differences, but at least you never know what's gonna happen next. Fans of Asian cinema and unusual monster films should definitely have a look.

• Tim S

  
  An exquisite piece of monster movie cinema. If King Kong created the genre, I would have to say that The Host perfects it. There are some tricky spots with the dubbing, but that aside, this is hands down a unique approach to a genre that is still considered B-movie fodder. To that… More
  An exquisite piece of monster movie cinema. If King Kong created the genre, I would have to say that The Host perfects it. There are some tricky spots with the dubbing, but that aside, this is hands down a unique approach to a genre that is still considered B-movie fodder. To that end, it's one of the few genres that is still lying on its back and hasn't really made much of a comeback with modern audiences. Yeah, I know there was the over-embellished remake of King Kong and the POV-style (and nausea inducing) Cloverfield, but it's never really been reborn for modern audiences (I'm just going to discount those atrocious SyFy original movies). I would have to say that this film takes a step in that direction, which is the right one, and should be the forerunner and the formula for films like it to follow.

• Alexander W

  
  Problem being is the poor CGI to film transition and a slightly strange translation (or a bad script) but if you like world cinema and subtitled movies and enjoy trhller suspense in a good humoured fashion then watch! I really enjoyed it, laughed A LOT (at the jokes) and really didnt… More
  Problem being is the poor CGI to film transition and a slightly strange translation (or a bad script) but if you like world cinema and subtitled movies and enjoy trhller suspense in a good humoured fashion then watch! I really enjoyed it, laughed A LOT (at the jokes) and really didnt mind the bad SFX.

• Anthony L

  
  Excellent monster movie! Much better than Cloverfield or any other Hollywood blockbuster come to think of it. Great acting, direction, character attention, SFX and a brilliantly written with an unpredictable story, make this a joy to watch. If Godzilla was a metaphor for the atom bomb… More
  Excellent monster movie! Much better than Cloverfield or any other Hollywood blockbuster come to think of it. Great acting, direction, character attention, SFX and a brilliantly written with an unpredictable story, make this a joy to watch. If Godzilla was a metaphor for the atom bomb and Cloverfield was a metaphor for 911, than this one is definitely, albeit subtly, a metaphor for the disaster that is waiting to happen due to pollution and our governments slow reaction to do anything about it (Joon-ho Bong also seems to have a problem with Police big time, his films seem to be laden with his obvious anger at the Korean Government too). Joon-ho Bong is becoming one of my favourite directors only after seeing two of his films, I do however, really hope they keep this film as it is and don't do a sequel!

• Cassandra M

  
  Scream for me Seoul! Gwoemul (or The Host) sees South Korea put into a state of hysteria normally reserved for 1950s b-movies. This delightful creature feature is an interesting Asian take on the monster movies of old, with a lot less stagey shtick and a lot more in the way of… More
  Scream for me Seoul! Gwoemul (or The Host) sees South Korea put into a state of hysteria normally reserved for 1950s b-movies. This delightful creature feature is an interesting Asian take on the monster movies of old, with a lot less stagey shtick and a lot more in the way of contemporary concerns and classy film-making. The film, excellently constructed by director Bong Joon-Ho, centres around the premise that a few years previously an arrogant American official ordered toxic chemicals to be poured down the drain. Thus, said pollutants find their way into the Han River and a mutant is spawned, the 'thing' then goes on to wreak havoc upon the panicked park-goers of Korea's capital city. Poor Seoul isn't only blighted by this watery beast, but also by American scaremongering, secret agendas and monsoon rain; the latter makes the film look all the more bleak and beautifully tragic. All sounds very appealingly apocalyptic, but what about the monster? Frankly, it's 'orrible: a kind of octopussified-scaly-tentacled-fishfaced-squid-beast that likes to drag schoolkids off to the sewers. A Harryhausen model may be prettier to look at, but it must be admitted that "The Host" in all its CGI sliminess looks the part and shoots the film lightyears away from its papier-mâché and puppet predecessors. Combined with the biting socio-political commentary on offer and the affecting acting performances (as best exemplified by Hie-Bong Byeon and Kang Ho-Song as father and lazy son respectively), Gwoemul manages to root itself in distressing realism. It may be grey and gruesome, but it's also an enjoyable escapade: a good old-fashioned disaster smash. There's also a little bit of something for everyone, whether it be in the family drama, the social statements, the chase or just purely in the finned fright of 'The Host' itself. South Korea keeps on pumping out vital films and Gwoemul is no exception. With superb special effects and sharp film-making, Gwoemul is something of a modern monster masterpiece.

• Randy T

  
  Fans of <i>Cloverfield</i> will love this Korean offering. Both have similar premise but <i>The Host</i> is much more humorous and, consequently, much less pretentious.

• Luke B

  
  Monster movies fucking rule as do Korean movies so it's no surprise that this film absolutely rocks. After building up the film too much for myself it was great but a bit unsatisfying. Every watch since has been absolutely supreme. The desaturation is stunning and is what… More
  Monster movies fucking rule as do Korean movies so it's no surprise that this film absolutely rocks. After building up the film too much for myself it was great but a bit unsatisfying. Every watch since has been absolutely supreme. The desaturation is stunning and is what I'm all about recently. The comedic moments are perfectly timed and always a bit heart wrenching at the same time. Bong Joon-ho has made a monster movie more about a specific family affected by the event and shows how families however much they are considered losers can triumph. The monster generally looks great, and considering it is photographed in harsh sunligh quite a lot it's even more impressive. The ending has a few dodgy shots but nothing to ruin the momentum. Gets better and better.

• Arash X

  
  Has its flaws & the social & political commentaries it tries to make don't exactly work & I also didn't like some sequences like the opening one but it's still a brilliant fun movie with a great cast & impressive perfs, Unconventional & refreshing… More
  Has its flaws & the social & political commentaries it tries to make don't exactly work & I also didn't like some sequences like the opening one but it's still a brilliant fun movie with a great cast & impressive perfs, Unconventional & refreshing as expected fom the director of Memories Of Murder, I'm becoming a fan of Bong Joon Ho, Can't wait to see Barking Dogs Never Bite

• Bruce B

  
  A Korean Film entering the realm of Horror. Has one of the best lake / river monsters that I have seen in any film to date. My recommendation is to listen to it in Korean and read the English subtitles, as with most Asian films the English track has some goof balls dubbed in and it… More
  A Korean Film entering the realm of Horror. Has one of the best lake / river monsters that I have seen in any film to date. My recommendation is to listen to it in Korean and read the English subtitles, as with most Asian films the English track has some goof balls dubbed in and it takes away from the flix. My only question is after all the Godzilla movies do Asians still run to the shore line to see the monster rather then run away?????? In the beginning when the creature is hanging from the bridge it is awesome. And late in the film a scene that can't be missed is when the creature spits up all the bones and a beer can. Great but over all have to give it only a 3 1/2 stars. I am sure you might want to add it to your collection, but I am going to pass this one up as a collectable and settle renting it.

• Mike S

  
  Quite good and exciting in the beginning, but then the movie got progressively slower and duller. As for the special effects, they were pretty okay, altough the design of the monster looked annoyingly ugly. Usually, I look to Asian movies for a breath of fresh air, or just to get away… More
  Quite good and exciting in the beginning, but then the movie got progressively slower and duller. As for the special effects, they were pretty okay, altough the design of the monster looked annoyingly ugly. Usually, I look to Asian movies for a breath of fresh air, or just to get away from the seldom-original Hollywood products, but in this case I kind of regret that I had the thought. It doesn't help either that the acting goes overboard in some scenes, verging on pure cheesiness. A note of warning: whatever you do, don't watch the dubbed English version, as it ruins the movie even further.

• Jason S

  
  While the setting and the mood were pretty good the story was drawn out and pretty boring. I was drawn to none of the poorly set up characters and it really felt as though we weren't getting most of the story due to the writers not really having much of a plan past showing us the… More
  While the setting and the mood were pretty good the story was drawn out and pretty boring. I was drawn to none of the poorly set up characters and it really felt as though we weren't getting most of the story due to the writers not really having much of a plan past showing us the creature here and there. If you want to check out a creature feature then I suggest any of the Godzilla movies and the most recent, Cloverfield.

• Aaron N

  
  Park Hie-bong: Have any of you heard it? The heartbreak of a parent who's lost a child... When a parent's heart breaks, the sound can travel for miles. A fun, strange and entertaining Korean monster movie. This is a movie that mixes multiple themes, monster movie, comedy,… More
  Park Hie-bong: Have any of you heard it? The heartbreak of a parent who's lost a child... When a parent's heart breaks, the sound can travel for miles. A fun, strange and entertaining Korean monster movie. This is a movie that mixes multiple themes, monster movie, comedy, family melodrama, and social commentary into a great, entertaining flick. Young Korean Doctor: Excuse me? US Doctor in Morgue: Just empty every bottle to the very last drop. Young Korean Doctor: It's just - They are toxic chemicals, and the regulations state - US Doctor in Morgue: Pour them right down the drain, Mr. Kim. Young Korean Doctor: If I pour them in the drain, they'll run into the Han River. US Doctor in Morgue: That's right. Let's just dump them in the Han River. Young Korean Doctor: But, you know, this is not just any toxic chemicals - US Doctor in Morgue: The Han River is very broad, Mr. Kim. Let's try to be broad-minded about this. Anyway, that's an order. So, start pouring. This movie takes almost no time to get started. We see how a creature is formed, are introduced to some of the lead characters and are then witness to the first attack of this creepy, slimy fish monster in broad daylight. This is no Jaws, we don't reveal the monster slowly, here we see it in full the first time around. As I said it is slimy, creepy, a fairly good acrobat and of course...Hungry. For characters we have Gang-Du, who is a little...Special, his daughter, Grandpa, and Gang-Du's brother and sister. When Gang-Du's daughter is taken by the monster, only to reassure that she is still alive inside a sewer somewhere due to a single cell phone call, the whole family sets out to find her, escaping a hospital and putting all of their assets up to get the supplies they need. Hired help: All the passwords are 1234? But wait! the government has come, and quarantined the area because of a possible virus and have their own solutions in mind. The family now has to get past them, slay the beast and find the girl. There is so much going on with so many different genres and themes getting some attention, that the pacing is affected, but that doesn't hurt this film too much. The score is very well done and the way the filming captures a certain look of the film, especially when dealing with water and rain gives this film a certain effective emotional impact when needed. The special creature effects are very well done, with the exception of a couple spots, but besides those, the beast is given a good look and some fluid movements throughout. The epic finale also gives this film some added greatness and hero moments. The characters are all well handled. Grandpa has enough Obi Wan moments to help move things along. Brother and Sister both work in their roles. The little girl is great at being everything but cliche cute kid. Gang-Du makes his character so sympathetic for all the things that he goes through during this film making him very effective in his role. This is a very fun, slimy, and entertaining movie that messes with the genre to great effect. Gang-Du: It's watching us...

• Emily A

  
  I think that Korean filmmakers have a real understanding of the importance of audience connection with characters, as well as remarkable talent for establishing this connection. The family in this movie seems so familiar (despite the cultural divide), so you really care about what… More
  I think that Korean filmmakers have a real understanding of the importance of audience connection with characters, as well as remarkable talent for establishing this connection. The family in this movie seems so familiar (despite the cultural divide), so you really care about what happens to them. This is vital in a horror movie. The great monster effects are just kind of icing on the cake in this one, what with the great story and characters. The ending was relatively unhappy, but I would have preferred this believable one to a big Hollywood extravaganza.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings