Hey folks, it’s that wonderful time of the year again, and with it comes my annual 31 Days of Horror Marathon. Every year for the last 4 years or so I’ve watched a new Horror film for every day in the month of October, ranging from Horror Classics like the original HALLOWEEN to modern Foreign Horror flicks like SWITCHBLADE ROMANCE…

Ok, so I took a few days off from my 31 DAYS OF HORROR Marathon. Every once in a while I have what resembles a social life. But I think I’m making my return to the marathon with a pretty cool flick: THE HOST, a critically acclaimed Monster flick from South Korea. Most mainstream audiences these days probably think that a Monster Movie should strictly be about spectacle, reserved to simply seeing a monster wreck havoc in some city or other setting. It never occurs to them, that perhaps a Monster movie could be a vehicle for a subversive message, a commentary on society that’s as biting as the monster itself. I guess folks forgot that a lot of classic Monster films like GOJIRA (or GODZILLA to us Yankees) were ingeniously disguised as such in order to get across an important message to a mass audience. In the case of GODZILLA, it was a cautionary tale that revealed the folly of Man’s continued attempts to harness the power of the atom, made more relevant with the filmmaker’s hints at the devastation suffered by the city and residents of Hiroshima. Bong Joon-ho’s THE HOST shares this same duplicitous nature, as the filmmakers dish out some major monster scares while always keeping their satirical guns aimed squarely at the heads of the U.S. and South Korean Governments.

When an American Military Pathologist commands a South Korean assistant (who makes little-to-no objections) to pour over a hundred bottles of formaldehyde down the drain because they’re dusty, the toxic chemical makes its way into the Han river and mutates a simple fish into a man-eating monster. When the monster surfaces and goes on the hunt, the dim-witted Gang-du (played by South Korea’s “Tom Cruise”, Song Kang-ho) and his family are dealt a tragic blow when Gang-du’s only daughter is seemingly eaten alive by the carnivorous creature. As they grieve for their loss, the government puts the family under quarantine, fearing a contagious and deadly virus having infected all who have come into contact with the monster. But when a static-y cell phone call leads them to believe that the young girl is still alive, the family makes a daring escape from the hospital. As the Gang-du and his family attempt to find his daughter, they must not only avoid the inept South Korean military, but also an insatiable monster that still roams the sewers they search.

THE HOST is a Monster movie that satisfies on multiple levels, a hybrid of genres that will constantly be throwing the viewer for a loop. One moment the film is as terrifying as JAWS with awe-inspiring CG effects worthy of JURASSIC PARK-like praise, the next its uproariously funny as the family hilariously go overboard with their “mourning”. Its all so overly silly and smartly-placed, its obviously done intentionally and planned accordingly. Which is no surprise, since Joon-ho’s last two films (BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE and MEMORIES OF MURDER) have all featured darkly comic undertones amidst deadly serious subject matter. And boy it must be hard in this day and age to come up with a creature design that is both unique and scary, but the folks behind THE HOST managed to achieve both in spades. And by keeping the monster at a relatively reasonable size, it allows the audience to more easily accept the probability of this creature and its ability to stay hidden from the authorities for as long as it does.

But by far the most entertaining aspect of the film for me personally was watching all of the satirical jabs thrown at various political and societal entities. Sure, the American Military is portrayed as pushy and blindly aggressive bullies, and the South Korean Government comes off as incompetent and terribly complacent, but Joon-ho also pokes some fun at the absent-minded and sanctimonious student protestors. It all comes down to a metaphorical story about the little guy stumbling under the weight of a natural and indifferent threat with no help from an uncaring bureaucratic machine, who finally overcomes these adversaries (or do they?) through sheer strength of will. Now this is a Monster Movie I can sink my own teeth into. Highly recommended for Foreign Film fans and Monster flick lovers.

THE HOST
Scare-O-Meter: 9
Blood & Guts: 8
Bobert’s Overall Score: 9 – Highly Recommended!