Center for Korean Studies

One of the biggest blockbusters in Korean film history, The Host is, on the surface, an edge-of-your-seat monster movie in the tradition of Jaws. But beneath the suspense and thrilling action scenes lies a devilishly witty critique of US-Korea relations (the monster is the result of the US Army dumping chemicals in Seoul’s Han River, and the authorities of both nations collude to cruelly manipulate the populace’s fear of the beast). More than that, it is also a critique of Hollywood itself. In the end, heroes are not tough guys with muscles and guns, but a squabbling family who just happen to get caught up in the crisis.

The Host Trailer