The Host: Review

Over the years, the monster movie has devolved into something of a self-parody, a genre that has lost its edge in favor of over the top ridiculousness. It is due to this that The Host is perhaps one of the most interesting and different films of the year, a monster movie that when all is said and done, doesn't feature many of the genre's trademarks. Instead, the film is a closely-knit family drama that happens to feature a giant, mutated monster. For the most part, this South Korean import's blend of humor, drama, horror and political vigor pays off, leaving a fascinating journey in its wake.

The Host begins with an American scientist dumping waste into a sink, which we soon learns is routed to the Han River in Seoul and it is with that event that the film embarks on a surprisingly vitriolic political assault. The waste quickly births a mutant of huge scale, and it is within the first 15 minutes that the initial attack occurs. It is during that attack that Hyun- seo, a small girl, gets taken by the monster and from there on out, it is up to her family (Father, Grandfather, Aunt and Uncle) to rescue her from the clutches of monster. While this may seem fairly generic for a monster flick, the rest of the film is startling different. While it stays inside most of its genre's conventions, the film never feels conventional per say, focusing much more on the family emotional struggles than it ever does on the threat the monster poses.


Thankfully, the film is carried by a number of good performances, particularly from Hie-Bong Byeon, who plays the family's patriarch Hie-bong and from Ah-sung Ko, who plays Hyun-seo. Byeon superbly toes the line between dramatic and comedic acting, resulting in a performance that feels humane and trusting. Ko is a revelation, ably handling the dramatic weight of the kidnapped child. She is a definite standout and anyone, regardless of one's experience with Korean cinema, will find her performance endlessly moving. The rest of the cast really give themselves to the material and at times, the acting seems to go a bit overboard, but never distractingly so.

One of the film's best performances comes not from a human, but the CGI that brings the antagonistic beast to life. Done by The Orphanage, a special effects house located in San Francisco, the effects are superb and organic, providing the beast with a natural movements and actions. While the name may not ring a bell, The Orphanage's resume might. Over the past 10 years or so, they have quietly carved a niche for themselves in the industry, fighting off stalwarts ILM and WETA to gain some of the best projects, all of which they have handled admirably. The Host is a wild achievement and deserves all the praise it brings to this lesser known firm. I suspect that in the coming years, they'll become more of a household name.


While there are parts of the film that don't work (there are too many weird shifts in tone and emotion throughout), more often than not, The Host's unique blend of genre and politics work well. By film's end, consider this writer surprised by just how political the film was. Harkening back to the classic satire of Gojira, The Host is a searing indictment of the United States and its foreign policy. To be honest, it was surprising the fervor in which the ideas are presented and it is a fresh alternate view as to what America's actions mean to other parts of the world. Anyone going into the film looking for a brainless monster film should eject the disc before it starts and return it as quickly as possible. This is an intelligent, passionate film with political statements to spare and it deserves your time and thought.

That being said, The Host is not going to be for everyone. At the very least, the film is somewhat of an odd duck, an intelligent, emotional film in the trappings of a big budget adventure film. Unfortunately, the two styles don't always mesh together and at times, the viewer is left confused, not narratively but thematically. The mood shifts too often to be a complete success and while it is anchored by two wonderful performances, it was ultimately slightly disappointing given the hype. Had the film blended its moods and tones with a little more subtlety, I may have been singing a different tune. This is certainly one for fans of monster movies and horror films, if for nothing other than its unique take on the genre. For others, approach it lightly and with an open mind. Otherwise, you might be left as emotionally conflicted as the review you are currently reading.

***