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Not your typical horror monster movie
After Parasite and Memories of Murder, The Host becomes the third movie by Bong Noon Ho which I had the pleasure to watch. The film attracted my attention due to its premise but what made me especially curious was the way many people talked about it, describing it as not your typical monster movie. All the fuss around it piqued my curiosity and naturally, I decided to watch it whenever I'd have the opportunity.
The film opens with an American doctor forcing his South Korean colleague to throw a big amount of formaldehyde in the Han river, in the year of 2000. As a result, a horrifying monster is created through mutation and five years after the incident, it reveals itself and captures Park Hyun Seo, the only daughter of Park Gang Du.
The movie centers around the Parks' attempt to rescue Hyun Seo from the claws of the monster. Abandoned by the government and while being accused of being the hosts' of a deadly virus, Gang Du and the rest of the other family members decide to take matters into their own hands, no matter the cost.
Bong Noon Ho, who is known for his fondness of allegories and symbolisms in his works, proved yet again why his movies can produce so much food for thought. The origin of the creature was directly inspired by a real-life scandal in 2000 when an American mortician was found guilty of dumping formaldehyde into the Han River. From the get go, the involvement of American in South Korea's politics is addressed and as the story unfolds, the movie becomes bolder with this message. Bong Noon Ho showcases USA's power over South Korea's government and the great lengths both nations would go to in order to secure USA's presence in Korea.
The Host didn't fail to call out the government's incompetence when it came to handling national matters. Just like in the movie the government didn't take any actions to reduce the pollution in Hand River and thus, prevent the casualties of the beast, in real life the government doesn't take measure against national problems, prioritizing its own power instead of the netizens' safety. In times of despair and distrust, those with power will always try to direct people's attention and anger towards a different target. Media always prey upon a scapegoat and once the opportunity arises, they launch onto it, feeding people's fears with propaganda.
The theme of propaganda and misinformation is tackled directly by the movie. South Korean government representatives and the United States Forces Korea force the victims of the creatures attack to be quarantined, proclaiming the beast as the host of a deadly virus. By making a big deal of the virus, the governments were trying to distract the public from their negligence to protect the citizens and kill the monster. Among the people who were forced to be quarantined was the Park family, who broke out of the hospital they were forced to stay in, in order to go and save Hyun Seo.
Unlike other monster movies which usually put the chase of the creature in the spotlight, The Host highlighted the bond between the members of the Park Family and their desperation to save one of their own. The hardships and the obstacles the family had to cross in order to save Hyun Seo made me feel for the Parks, especially since no one was willing to help them after the government declared them as a threat. It was them against everyone and that emphasized their desperation and their bleak circumstances.
The actors did a good job showcasing their characters and the dynamic between them. Song Kang Ho proved yet again how amazing of an actor he is in this dark, comedic roles, adding more layers to Gang DJ's character. This was the first time I watched anything with Bae Doo Na and although her range was limited in the movie, I could see that she's a fierce actress. And the young Go Ah Sung did an excellent job portraying Hyun Seo.
The subtle comedic elements only enhanced the goal of the movie. Instead of adding unnecessary funny moments which would take the viewers out of the story, Bong Noon Ho utilized these bits in order to highlight the exaggerated tone of the story and add to the political commentary. Particularly in the lobotomy scene, I didn't laugh because I found it funny but because of how absurd it was and because it was laughable to watch the great lengths the government would go to in order to secure people's trust.
The movie wasn't without its flaws, however. I found the second part to be kinda weaker until the last quarter. My attention wasn't that devoted to the story compared to the beginning and I found myself kinda indifferent during some parts. Additionally, I would have liked to see even more interactions between the Park family in order to feel the emotional impact more, particularly towards the ending. Their relationship was complex and the film showed that, it's just that the movie would have benefited from more meaningful scenes between the family.
The Host might be marketed as a horror movie but it's not a horror movie in the classic way. The horror is not build around the monster. Nor it relies on cheap jumpscares. It's the fact that governments will not always do the best for the citizens and how quickly they'll try to shift the blame of their mistakes to someone else instead of taking accountability. It's the realization that people with power will always find a way to produce propaganda at the expense of others. In conclusion, the real horror is our society and the politicians who have been the real "monsters" all along.
The ending of the movie might be bittersweet but in my opinion, it ends in a hopeful note. It might not be possible to punish the people who are responsible for the tragedy of others but what we can do is try and live the best life possible, surrounded by people who we love. Contrary to the rest of the events before, the ending offers a more humane glance, one that filled me with a warm feeling, showing that while it's not possible to exterminate all "monsters", not all hope is lost.
Watch and judge for yourselves.
The film opens with an American doctor forcing his South Korean colleague to throw a big amount of formaldehyde in the Han river, in the year of 2000. As a result, a horrifying monster is created through mutation and five years after the incident, it reveals itself and captures Park Hyun Seo, the only daughter of Park Gang Du.
The movie centers around the Parks' attempt to rescue Hyun Seo from the claws of the monster. Abandoned by the government and while being accused of being the hosts' of a deadly virus, Gang Du and the rest of the other family members decide to take matters into their own hands, no matter the cost.
Bong Noon Ho, who is known for his fondness of allegories and symbolisms in his works, proved yet again why his movies can produce so much food for thought. The origin of the creature was directly inspired by a real-life scandal in 2000 when an American mortician was found guilty of dumping formaldehyde into the Han River. From the get go, the involvement of American in South Korea's politics is addressed and as the story unfolds, the movie becomes bolder with this message. Bong Noon Ho showcases USA's power over South Korea's government and the great lengths both nations would go to in order to secure USA's presence in Korea.
The Host didn't fail to call out the government's incompetence when it came to handling national matters. Just like in the movie the government didn't take any actions to reduce the pollution in Hand River and thus, prevent the casualties of the beast, in real life the government doesn't take measure against national problems, prioritizing its own power instead of the netizens' safety. In times of despair and distrust, those with power will always try to direct people's attention and anger towards a different target. Media always prey upon a scapegoat and once the opportunity arises, they launch onto it, feeding people's fears with propaganda.
The theme of propaganda and misinformation is tackled directly by the movie. South Korean government representatives and the United States Forces Korea force the victims of the creatures attack to be quarantined, proclaiming the beast as the host of a deadly virus. By making a big deal of the virus, the governments were trying to distract the public from their negligence to protect the citizens and kill the monster. Among the people who were forced to be quarantined was the Park family, who broke out of the hospital they were forced to stay in, in order to go and save Hyun Seo.
Unlike other monster movies which usually put the chase of the creature in the spotlight, The Host highlighted the bond between the members of the Park Family and their desperation to save one of their own. The hardships and the obstacles the family had to cross in order to save Hyun Seo made me feel for the Parks, especially since no one was willing to help them after the government declared them as a threat. It was them against everyone and that emphasized their desperation and their bleak circumstances.
The actors did a good job showcasing their characters and the dynamic between them. Song Kang Ho proved yet again how amazing of an actor he is in this dark, comedic roles, adding more layers to Gang DJ's character. This was the first time I watched anything with Bae Doo Na and although her range was limited in the movie, I could see that she's a fierce actress. And the young Go Ah Sung did an excellent job portraying Hyun Seo.
The subtle comedic elements only enhanced the goal of the movie. Instead of adding unnecessary funny moments which would take the viewers out of the story, Bong Noon Ho utilized these bits in order to highlight the exaggerated tone of the story and add to the political commentary. Particularly in the lobotomy scene, I didn't laugh because I found it funny but because of how absurd it was and because it was laughable to watch the great lengths the government would go to in order to secure people's trust.
The movie wasn't without its flaws, however. I found the second part to be kinda weaker until the last quarter. My attention wasn't that devoted to the story compared to the beginning and I found myself kinda indifferent during some parts. Additionally, I would have liked to see even more interactions between the Park family in order to feel the emotional impact more, particularly towards the ending. Their relationship was complex and the film showed that, it's just that the movie would have benefited from more meaningful scenes between the family.
The Host might be marketed as a horror movie but it's not a horror movie in the classic way. The horror is not build around the monster. Nor it relies on cheap jumpscares. It's the fact that governments will not always do the best for the citizens and how quickly they'll try to shift the blame of their mistakes to someone else instead of taking accountability. It's the realization that people with power will always find a way to produce propaganda at the expense of others. In conclusion, the real horror is our society and the politicians who have been the real "monsters" all along.
The ending of the movie might be bittersweet but in my opinion, it ends in a hopeful note. It might not be possible to punish the people who are responsible for the tragedy of others but what we can do is try and live the best life possible, surrounded by people who we love. Contrary to the rest of the events before, the ending offers a more humane glance, one that filled me with a warm feeling, showing that while it's not possible to exterminate all "monsters", not all hope is lost.
Watch and judge for yourselves.
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