Review of The Host (2006) by Halfwelshman — 11 Apr 2012

To shamelessly appropriate and warp the catchphrase of a beloved cartoon character, The Host is smarter than the average monster movie. As is the case with all truly great monster films, the narrative isn't about the monster at all, not really, it only serves as a device to move the story along.

Also, the creature itself does not present the real threat to our heroes, rather it stands in for a greater evil of society, in this case, the corruption of the Korean government and state-run institutions and the morally questionable invasive interference by the USA in Korean affairs.

Writer/director Bong Joon-ho has not only created a smart and entertaining thriller, but a tender family drama and a rip-roaring comedy. The hilariously dysfunctional Park family are all great characters, and you can really empathise with their plight as they frantically search for their youngest, Hyun-seo (Ko Ah-seong) who has been taken by the monster.

Son Kang-ho as always makes a compelling central protagonist, and makes the perpetually napping failure Gang-doo a comical but incredibly sympathetic character, and he is reunited with fellow regular Bong Joon-ho collaborators Byeon Hee-bong, Park Hae-il and Bae Doona playing the rest of the constantly bickering Park family.

Their squabbles and ever-increasing desperation in failing to find Hyun-seo, though undeniably poignant, also provide plenty of opportunity for humour. Bong is a true master of black comedy, extremely skilled at getting a laugh out of the most unexpected situation - take, for instance the scene where the Parks gather around the shrine for the dead and missing post-monster attack.

In most films, this scene would be a solemn one, but here Bong uses the family's extreme reaction to their plight, the unanimous blame of Gang-doo for the accidental loss of his daughter, and the insults the family trade with each other for their various shortcomings to provide the funniest moment of the film.

It's a perfect balance of tone, of the dark and the light, of tragedy and comedy as the Park family clumsily grapple with each other in their hysteria and collapse, wailing on the floor in a heap. The more restrained, emotionally sensitive moments in the film are handled no less skillfully (particularly the lip-wobbling moment when the family patriarch Hee-bong finally opens up to his children and confesses how much he truly cares for his eldest son Gang-doo while said son is apparently fast asleep) and the action is thrilling, with the CGI holding up remarkably well considering the film's modest budget.

Bong Joon-ho continually pushes boundaries and challenges filmmaking conventions, but never loses sight of what really matters - character, story and entertainment. You'd have to be a complete moron to dismiss The Host as just another dumb creature feature.

It's incredibly intelligent, political, and despite its sci-fi trappings, it is grounded in believable human experience. Most directors, if they're lucky, will produce a single masterpiece in their career.

Bong Joon-ho has thus-far only directed four feature films, and two of those - Memories of Murder and The Host, in my humble opinion, are masterpieces.