Film Snail

7.0

The Host

R·2006·120m

Horror

Drama

Science Fiction

Horror

Drama

Science Fiction

Summary

A teenage girl is captured by a giant mutated squid-like creature that appears from Seoul's Han River after toxic waste was dumped in it, prompting her family into a frantic search for her.

Cast

Song Kang-ho

Park Gang-du

Byun Hee-bong

Park Hie-bong

Park Hae-il

Park Nam-il

Bae Doona

Park Nam-joo

Ko A-sung

Park Hyun-seo

Oh Dal-su

The Monster (voice)

Lee Jae-eung

Se-jin

Lee Dong-ho

Se-joo

Yoon Je-moon

Homeless Man

Yim Pil-sung

Fat Guevara

Kim Roi-ha

Yellow Suit at Funeral

Koh Soo-hee

Hostage nurse

Kim Hak-seon

Civilian Military Kim

Scott Wilson

Douglas

Brian Rhee

Young Korean Doctor

Paul Lazar

American Doctor

David Anselmo

Donald

Baek Do-bin

Fumigation Truck Skinny Man

Martin Lord Cayce

U.S. Senator (uncredited)

Choi Dae-sung

Man from Duck Boat (uncredited)

Choi Doo-yeong

Man on Blind Date (uncredited)

Choi Jae-sup

Detective Agency Subordinate 1 (uncredited)

Jung Seo-yoon

Woman with Long Hair (uncredited)

Philip Hersh

Additional Voices (voice) (uncredited)

Jeong In-gi

Isolation Ward Doctor (uncredited)

Jeong Hyeong-Ho

4th Mat 3 (uncredited)

Ji Ha-geon

Camera Phone Man (uncredited)

Moon Hee-Ra

Camera Phone Woman (uncredited)

Jeong Kang-hee

Mr. Yoon's Employee (uncredited)

Kim Bi-bi

Isolation Ward Nurse 1 (uncredited)

Kim Choo-wol

Woman crying (uncredited)

Kim Da-yeon

5th Mat Woman (uncredited)

Kim Hyo-sun

Quarantine Hospital Nurse 2 (uncredited)

Kim Jin-seon

Woman from Couple (uncredited)

Kim Nan-hee

Woman from Duck Boat (uncredited)

Kim Sang-jo

Old Security Guard (uncredited)

Kwon Bang-hyeon

Bride-to-be (uncredited)

Kwon Byung-gil

Doctor from Isolation Ward 1 (uncredited)

Kwon Hyeok-pung

Fisherman 1 (uncredited)

Lee Dong-yong

4th Mat 2 (uncredited)

Lee Eung-jae

Man from Couple (uncredited)

Lee Hoon-jin

Fat Man (uncredited)

Lee Jong-yoon

4th Mat 1 (uncredited)

Lee Seung-jin

Girl's Father (uncredited)

Min Kyung-jin

Altar Security (uncredited)

Clinton Morgan

Agent Yellow (uncredited)

Park Jeong-gi

Fumigation Truck Dyed-hir Man (uncredited)

Park Kyeong-mok

Groom-to-be (uncredited)

Park No-shik

Inquiry Officer

Ra Mi-ran

Woman Stomping Her Feet (uncredited)

Seo Ha-neul

Exchanged Girl (uncredited)

Shin Seung-ri

Donald's Girlfriend (uncredited)

Shin Hyeon-jong

Mr. Yoon's Friend (uncredited)

Son Young-soon

Grandmother from Bus (uncredited)

Son Jin-ho

Doctor from Isolation Ward 2

Song Kyeong-ha

Woman on Blind Date (uncredited)

Yoo Seung-mok

Taxi Driver

Yoo Yeon-soo

District officer Mr. Jo (uncredited)

Seo Young-ju

Protester

Ko Chang-seok

Nurse

Park Jin-woo

Isolation Ward Constable (uncredited)

Crew

Director, Screenplay

Bong Joon-ho

Adaptation

Joo Byeol

Screenplay

Baek Chul-hyun

Screenplay

Hah Jun-won

Reviews

narrator56

December 13, 2021

This is a monster horror movie that really tries, to the point where they don’t give a clear view of the creature in the previews, presumably not to ruin the initial shock moment for the viewer. It is in Korean with English subtitles, with a few bursts of English with Korean subtitles when the speaker is American.

The movie focuses on one family’s ongoing battle: not merely against the monster but also struggling against the authorities who want to capture them, suspecting they have been infected with a virus by coming in contact with the creature.

The dialogue is pretty ordinary. I seem to recall a few unintentionally funny moments, though I cannot say for sure that it wasn’t due to the translation. I don’t intend to be hyper critical here: I sort of let the movie wash over me to get to the end, and you may or may not need to do the same.

I found I was a little confused as to the final fate of one of the family members at the end. Perhaps I was inattentive and it would have been cleared up if I backed it up and watched again, but unfortunately I wasn’t quite inversted in the movie enough to do that. I put in my time and that was sufficient unto the day.