Review: "Thirst" (2009)

With “Thirst”, Korean director Park Chan-wook crafts a visually stylish twist on the vampire myth that succeeds both as a classic bloodstained horror movie and as a psychological drama that explores the dark depths of human nature.

Taking as its inspirational source the novel “Therese Raquin” by French author Emile Zola, “Thirst” focuses on the story of a good Catholic priest who, while volunteering for a dangerous medical experiment to treat a deadly disease, is accidentally transformed into a vampire. A reluctant vampire, he slurps blood from the IV tubes of comatose hospital patients rather than kill innocent people. Unfortunately for him, his bloodlust also manifests as an unquenchable “thirst” for the beautiful wife of his childhood friend. And so begins a time-tested tale of suffering, death and redemption.

Aside from a compelling story which is refreshed by being transported to modern day Korea, “Thirst” excels at conveying the intense feelings associated with desire and how they lead to complete destruction. Cinematography, set design and music work together to evoke a sense of claustrophobia and desperation.

The performances of the lead actors are also top-notch. Song Kang-ho captures the sense of forlornness appropriate for a priest turned vampire. But it is Kim Ok-bin who shines in the "Therese Raquin" role, transforming her character from innocence to sensuality and culminating in demonic rage.

Review: "Pulse" (2001)

What would happen if ghosts were to take over our world? That’s one of the key themes that “Pulse” explores. Visually inventive and chilling, it uses the Internet as metaphor to make a statement about urban loneliness and isolation.

“Pulse” follows two inter-connected story lines. One involves a young woman who works at a plant nursery and is investigating the mysterious suicide of a colleague. While searching his apartment, she finds a computer disk containing eerie images of shadowy apparitions. The other storyline focuses on a technologically-challenged university student who logs on to the Internet and is exposed to a computer virus which links to a website that invites him to “meet a ghost”. He enlists the help of a computer geek who is researching supernatural incidents on the Internet. They discover that the pictures appear to be linked to various disappearances, with victims either killing themselves or turning into dust. As the disappearances increase, the characters must bond in order to survive.

Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s eschews excessive gore and shock effects for more restrained psychological horror. Pacing is deliberately slow. Characters talk about death and contemplate the terrifying notion that the afterlife is nothing more than eternal loneliness. Shadows, dim lighting and framing are used effectively to create a mood of dread and melancholy. Kurosawa's vision of a post-apocalyptic Tokyo is deeply unsettling: preternaturally quiet and devoid of people, it's no more than an empty shell.

Review: "Painted Skin" (2008)

“Painted Skin” is a satisfying if melodramatic thriller that tells a tale of unrequited love and revenge involving demons and humans. Combining romance with comedy and kung-fu antics in the vein of old-school Hong-Kong supernatural action flicks like the “The Bride with White Hair”, “Painted Skin” is an enjoyable guilty pleasure.

Adapted from a short story by novelist Pu Song Ling, “Painted Skin” is about a fox spirit, disguised as a beautiful woman (Xiao Wei), who falls in love with a handsome warrior (Wang Sheng) and schemes to lure him away from his loyal wife (Pei Rong). Donnie Yen is a former army general and martial artist extraordinaire who teams up with a local demon buster to thwart the fox spirit's plans.

Those expecting visceral horror and fast-paced martial arts may be disappointed. The movie is fairly light on action and the fight scenes are mediocre at best. The romantic drama is compelling as it explores themes of fidelity, loyalty and true love. The showdown between Xiao Wei and Pei Rong is one of the film’s highlights. Cinematography, music and set design are also impressive.

Review: "The Host" (2006)

More than a chilling horror movie, “The Host” is also a taut drama and sometimes slapstick comedy about a dysfunctional family that comes together to battle both monster and man in order to save one of their own.

The story revolves around the Park family headed by the owner of a tiny snack stand on the banks of Seoul's Han River. He lives with his dimwitted, slacker son Gang-du and Gang-du’s teenage daughter, Hyun-Seo. Rounding out the family is Gang-du’s sister, an Olympic caliber archer, and younger brother, an angry unemployed college graduate. One bright sunny day, a squid-like monster from the river emerges to feed on humans, capturing Hyun-Seo and carrying her off to his lair for a later snack. When a call from a cell phone reveals that Hyun-Seo is alive and trapped in a large sewer, the family galvanizes to save her.

“The Host” delivers a unique twist on the chills and thrills expected of a monster movie. Sure the fish-like creature is horrific to look upon and preys on human flesh but it also has some fine acrobatic talents that enable it to dive gracefully off a bridge into the river with minimal splashing or execute a series of back flips worthy of an Olympic gymnast. The expected “monster chase” sequence at the beginning is visually stunning and truly scary even though all the action occurs in broad daylight.

Scary bits aside, some of the most poignant moments are the quiet scenes with Gang-du and his family as they begin to reconnect and learn to trust each other. Each character is fleshed out and has a unique obstacle to overcome and so we care about them and root for their success, especially as it becomes obvious that they can only rely upon themselves.

“The Host” is also unique is that it’s one of few horror movies that delivers biting social satire. Not only do the Parks have to battle their own inner demons, they have to dodge the clutches of the local authorities who think they’re contaminated by a virus. As officials round up the populace, disregarding civil liberties and all common sense in the process while fueling ever greater levels of panic and chaos, and unleash a dangerous plan to destroy the monster, we come to realize that the focus of our horror is not so much the creature but the inept and deceptive government and its disregard for humanity and the environment.