Thirst

Play trailer

Thirst

R

Released Jul 31, 2009

2h 13m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

119 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a respected priest, volunteers for an experimental procedure that may lead to a cure for a deadly virus. He gets infected and dies, but a blood transfusion of unknown origin brings him back to life as a vampire. Now, Sang-hyun is torn between faith and bloodlust, and has a newfound desire for Tae-ju (Kim Ok-bin), the wife of his childhood friend.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

The stylish Thirst packs plenty of bloody thrills to satisfy fans of both vampire films and director Chan Wook Park.

Read Critics Reviews

Hank Sartin

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 18, 2011

Full Review

Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

Park is clearly an exceptional director capable of being weirdly funny, quirkily fantastical, brutal and sexy, sometimes at one and the same time. There's no one quite like him.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 20, 2009

Full Review

Alisha Mughal

The Asian Cut

In turn beautiful and repugnant, saintly and devilish, Thirst is a feast, a ball, an extravaganza of bodies, blood, and life; but it takes its time in getting to it, in the way that we take our time in getting sick.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 8, 2024

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

He just wants to save people but he emerges as a bloodsucker... a man torn between morality and instinct, faith and desires of the flesh (and blood).

Oct 27, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Over time, Thirst will no doubt be considered one of the best vampire films ever made.

Rated: 4/4

Aug 30, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Christian K

Off the rails crazy. With enough bloody and sexual imagery to more than support its runtime. This was awesome.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/23/24

Full Review

Emilliano Jr S

Overlong for a vampire romance movie.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/16/24

Full Review

Hargie M

One aspect of "Thirst" that I particularly appreciated was its blend of genres. It’s not just a horror film; it’s also darkly humorous and tragically romantic. This mix keeps the story engaging and unpredictable. The film’s use of religious symbolism and ethical dilemmas adds layers to the narrative, making me reflect on themes of sin, redemption, and the complexities of human desire.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/13/24

Full Review

Prabudhjeet A

It's Park Chan Wook. Even when he's not at his best, he's at better. Just watch and have your view on this just like how Park Chan Wook showed his vision of the timeless urban legend

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/22/24

Full Review

Alec B

Great elements are here (i.e. having the vampire be a Priest, the ways control and desire are intertwined) but I think that ultimately Chan Wook Park couldn't find a compelling way to connect these ideas.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/09/24

Full Review

Jerod S

South Korean film where a priest is turned into a vampire. It's interesting to see how the culture juxtaposes being devout with being erotic and bloodthirsty.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/09/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Park Chan-wook

Director

Song Kang-ho

Sang-hyeon

Kim Ok-bin

Tae-ju

Shin Ha-kyun

Kang-u

Kim Hae-sook

Lady Ra

Oh Dal-su

Yeong-du

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

The Final Destination

28%

35%

The Final Destination

Watchlist

The Midnight Meat Train

70%

50%

The Midnight Meat Train

Watchlist

Final Destination 5

63%

53%

Final Destination 5

Watchlist

Black Death

72%

49%

Black Death

Watchlist

They Wait

40%

38%

They Wait

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Critics Consensus: Funny People Is Ambitious But Uneven

Director Park Chan-wook Talks Thirst – RT Interview

Cannes 2009: The Tomato Report – Haneke’s The White Ribbon Scoops Palme d’Or

View more photos

Synopsis

Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a respected priest, volunteers for an experimental procedure that may lead to a cure for a deadly virus. He gets infected and dies, but a blood transfusion of unknown origin brings him back to life as a vampire. Now, Sang-hyun is torn between faith and bloodlust, and has a newfound desire for Tae-ju (Kim Ok-bin), the wife of his childhood friend.

Director: Park Chan-wook
Producer: Park Chan-wook, Ahn Suhyeon
Screenwriter: Park Chan-wook, Jeong Seo-kyeong
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Moho Film
Rating: R (Graphic Bloody Violence|Disturbing Images|Language|Nudity|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 31, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $296.4K
Runtime: 2h 13m

Most Popular at Home Now