The Host

The Host is a South Korean movie that had gained some buzz for the monster in it (shown early and often) and a compelling story. My wife loves a good monster movie, and I knew she hadn't even heard of this one, so I took a chance on it.

The monster lived up to his billing, for the most part. Some of the effects were a bit suspect, but the Lovecraftian look of the beast really worked for me. The source of the monster is only hinted at, but that wasn't really the point. The story is actually about how one family is touched by the actions of the monster.

I have to admit to laughing at most of the acting. I suspect that it boils down to cultural difference, as most of the performances seemed way over the top to me.

The pacing was slower than I'm accustomed to seeing in American movies, but that's a typical difference for most films made elsewhere. The family drama was just okay to my tastes, and I don't think you really learn that much about the characters.

I've read that there's supposed to be an American remake in the works, and as usual, I think that's a very bad idea. There are at least two plot points that I'm sure will be handled differently in the American version, and those two points are almost all of what makes this movie interesting apart from the monster itself. Much of the story focuses on a family coming together to rescue a little girl taken by the monster, and I just can't see an American family placing the same value on family that a South Korean family does. An American family would almost have to be motivated by some serious guilt to take the actions shown here.

Call it a 5 on a scale of 1-10, adding one or two if you have a particular love for well executed monsters or a particular appreciation for South Korean culture.