Gwoemul (The Host). 2006. Directed by Bong Joon-ho

Film

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Gwoemul (The Host). 2006. South Korea. Directed by Bong Joon-ho. Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

Gwoemul (The Host). 2006. South Korea. Directed by Bong Joon-ho. Written by Joon-ho, Ha Won-jun, Baek Chul-hyun. With Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona, Go Ah-sung. In Korean; English subtitles. 119 min.

A monster emerges from Seoul’s Han River, snatching the daughter of a family running a riverside snack shack before disappearing back into the depths. In Bong Joon-ho’s hands, this vignette expands into a combination of monster movie, domestic comedy, and social commentary, as the family battles government and monster alike on a quest to save their daughter. Emblematic of Bong’s characteristic wit and nuanced social takes, and starring Song Kang-ho, longtime Bong collaborator and star of Parasite (2019), The Host similarly centers on the socially adrift in Korean society and the looming specter of American imperialist intervention.

This film accompanies Messaging the Monstrous: Creatures.
This film is part of Horror: Messaging the Monstrous.

Past events

Sat, Sep 3, 2022, 1:30 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2/T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1
Fri, Sep 2, 2022, 7:00 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2/T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1

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