Movies I Love #6

The Host

Going international for this one, The Host is the greatest in a long line on South Korean horror movies. I actually had this as my number 5 movie of the year back in 2006, and it's probably my favorite horror movie ever (even above 28 Days Later, which I praise so highly). The Host is a monster movie, but it brings the monster movie into the 21'st century. The movie starts out with some doctors, or scientists, or whatever pouring chemicals down a drain. You then see a compilation of sightings of some sort of creature in a major canal in South Korea. The movie follows the story of a family who owns a little shop by the canal (which has become a hot spot to hang out). There's a grandfather who owns the shop, his son (a layer), the daughter (a professional archer), a dead beat son (who works at the shop), and his daughter. One afternoon some people at the canal notice something hanging from a nearby bridge, it soon drops into the water. Moments later it attacks everyone by the canal, and it takes the daughter. The government declares a state of emergency and starts quarantine because it is believed that anyone who comes in contact with the monster is infected with some sort of disease. The family is thrown into disarray, but after the father gets a call from the daughter saying that she is in a sewer, the family gains an ounce of hope. After escaping the quarantine the family sets out to find the daughter and kill the monster. I have a problem with horror movies now a days, people don't try. Horror movies tend to be made with a low budget and designed to do nothing but make money, but you can tell they really tried with this movie. Another great aspect about is the acting, so many modern horror movies have terrible acting but in The Host it's actually good. Later on in the movie the father pours his heart and soul into this one scene. But the best thing going for it is that movie unique; it's different than your traditional monster movie. The Host is a fantastic film; I put it in my top 15 of the decade. And it being my favorite horror movie, I make it a habit to watch it every Halloween. It's a great movie in every way, and it may be my favorite foreign movie as well.