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SummaryUtilizing state-of-the-art special effects, The Host is both a creature-feature thrill ride and a poignant human drama. (Magnolia Pictures)

The Host

Metascore
must-see
85
User score
Generally Favorable
7.2
My Score
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Metascore
97% Positive
34 Reviews
3% Mixed
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
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100
The New Yorker
I have seen The Host twice and have every intention of watching it again.
91
Christian Science Monitor
A cross between "Godzilla" and "Jaws," it manages to be both truly scary and truly funny – sometimes all at once.
User score
Generally Favorable
77% Positive
181 Ratings
15% Mixed
36 Ratings
8% Negative
19 Ratings
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
Aug 29, 2012
10
sammyramone
This movie takes a tired genre and makes it fresh **** Host has a assort met off genre all mixed together but the main one is the giant monster genre though,This movie is a satire/dramedy/horror/movie monster/thriller and **** acting in this film is amazing every actor feels right for the role in the get go, storyline isn't weak either it's start out simple than turns into a suspense **** Special effects even though it might look not all that good but it works.Great epic story of how a overly worried problem helps a family come together for once.
Apr 12, 2012
10
Halfwelshman
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.
90
Los Angeles Times
With a subversive streak as wide as the Han and a title open to interpretation, The Host confounds our expectations while providing top-notch entertainment. For Bong, the monster movie is an ample vessel, one that he can fill with social criticism while discovering exuberant amusement in the process.
88
TV Guide Magazine
Boon's film is both funny and heartbreaking, a supremely confident mix of political satire, free-floating paranoia, fractured family dynamics and the kind of comedy that regularly reconfigures itself into tragedy.
80
Salon
A thrilling ride and a sometimes dry, sometimes sweet comedy, but beneath all that is a humane and tragic view of life worthy of the greatest films. Even those without rubber monsters.
75
Charlotte Observer
I never thought I'd crack up watching a family mourn the death of a beloved daughter. But I've never seen a film quite like The Host, and that's far from the most bizarre thing in it.
58
Baltimore Sun
In "Jaws," you didn't know whether to laugh or to scream. In The Host, the yocks rarely mesh with the yucks.
See All 35 Critic Reviews
Feb 15, 2025
9
Dr_Ham
A real monster has appeared................................................
Oct 23, 2024
6
drqshadow
Poor chemical disposal practices cause mutations in the wildlife of Seoul’s Han River. Worst among these is the slimy thirty-foot monstrosity that surfaces near a waterfront park a few years later. Once ashore, this strange amalgam of mixed seafood shuffles its way around the riverside, aggressively claiming some unlucky passers-by for its next meal while retaining others for future dining experiences in a secluded sewer den. Much of the plot’s focus is reserved for the family of a school-aged girl who fits that second status. Hyun-seo is the rare instance of a live captive, dumped in a sort of holding cell with all manner of bile, bones and bodies, but she’s able to transmit a fuzzy voice message that sends her extended family scrambling to find her before the beast’s next case of the munchies. The Host’s monster scenes are great; far livelier and more convincing than the somewhat primitive, dated CG effects might imply. Writer/director Bong Joon-ho (Parasite, Snowpiercer) made it a sort of imperative to show the creature, in full, as soon as possible, to sidestep convention and allow tension to build elsewhere for a change. We catch quite a few unobstructed views, loud opportunities to show off its grotesque, unusual physique, but those details aren’t nearly as unsettling as its behavior and body language. There’s something different about watching this giant, cumbersome thing barrel into an overpass or swing across the underbelly of a bridge. Hints of animal familiarity, bred with exotic necessity, that tell us it might not fit into a taxonomic chart, but it’s found ways to thrive nonetheless. That big bad is present more often than one might think, but it only gets one or two chances to really cut loose. The rest of the time, it’s either threatening the cast and disappearing or brushing past them in a hurry to get someplace else. Just a reminder, I guess, that this is still a monster movie. While it’s away, we watch the family members squabble amongst themselves, the surrounding neighborhoods lash out in a panic, the government abuse the crisis to exert tighter controls and the World Health Organization fret over the biological ramifications. For as many themes as Joon-ho has packed in here, not to mention (again) the giant amphibian in the room, it’s surprising how often it feels like nothing is happening. Apart from those climactic attacks, the plot enjoys dwelling in the in-between and subverting expectations. That last point is a welcome change - no matter how many horror movies you’ve seen, The Host is going to surprise you - but the slower tempo often feels spacey and unnecessary. The good bits are really good, not to mention influential - the same pedestrian perspective and spontaneous fits of catastrophe are easy to spot in Cloverfield, two years later - but I found the narrative too erratic and inconsistent for full marks. I like a lot of what it says, just not the way it chooses to say it.
Jan 12, 2017
5
Broyax
Les films coréens sont bizarres en général et en particulier celui-ci, ce "drôle" de film avec un gros monstre dedans... un "drôle" de film, car on ne sait jamais si c'est de lard ou du cochon, une caricature à l'insu de son ignorance, une franche comédie ou un drame larmoyant mélodramatique violoneux comme les Coréens savent (aussi) le faire. Bref, on ne sait pas sur quel pied danser et c'est fort désagréable parce que du coup, on a bien l'air con. Quand le monstre bouffe des gens pour les régurgiter ensuite (!) on se dit que c'est pour rigoler (?) ; le coup de l'agent jaune (en référence sans nul doute à l'agent orange du Vietnam) est-ce du pur cynisme ou une simple pique à l'égard des Américains ? ; cette espèce de famille constituée de crétins complètement idiots qui partent à la chasse au monstre, la fleur au fusil, c'est bien pour rire, non ?... Putain, je suis perdu. C'est comme cette fin mi-figue mi-raisin. Mais bon, en dehors de ces considérations d'interprétations, le film bénéficie d'une mise en scène très correcte malgré un budget apparemment limité (les effets spéciaux sont pauvres, pour ne pas dire minables) et malgré ses presque deux heures, on ne s'y ennuie pas ! ce qui n'est déjà pas si mal, finalement.
Aug 18, 2025
2
ozzsoffy
I just finished watching the Korean film The Host (2006) and honestly, I didn’t like it at all. The pacing felt uneven, the acting was over-exaggerated, and the dialogue along with the overall plot came across as silly, with nearly every character making foolish decisions.Watching it almost 20 years after its release, the CGI has not aged well, and despite all the buzz surrounding the film, I couldn’t connect to any scene or moment. On the positive side, the film does manage to capture some striking atmosphere around the Han River, and the creature design itself was creative for its time.Still, to me it was a very disappointing experience, and while I’ll give it a few extra points for being a Korean production, I rate it only 2/10. Not recommended.
Dec 18, 2011
2
RobinsNest
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
See All 32 User Reviews
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Mar 9, 2007
1 h 59 m
R
It is Lurking Behind You
Blue Dragon Awards
• 6 Wins & 11 Nominations
Grand Bell Awards, South Korea
• 2 Wins & 11 Nominations
Cine21
• 4 Wins & 5 Nominations
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