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 2.5/5 Stars •
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 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
11/09/23
Full Review
Courtney K
it's a compelling enough story, but it definitely could've been shorter. i also thought the actors looked uncomfortable for most of it which made it feel awkward. maybe that's not actually the case, but especially the "intimate" parts - neither party seemed like they were having a good time, haha. unsure if it was overexaggerated on purpose or not. at any rate, it's not a bad watch, but i probably wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
10/22/23
Full Review
S. C
Beautiful and brilliant! The direction, the acting.... The cinematography is to die for! Some shots are really thought out well. The whole cast is killing it at their job. So much development within the characters throughout... The practical effects and the blood is pretty to look at. I found the sets really nice. Script is entertaining and humourous. The CGI is a bit cheap but it's ignorable. While the jumping and levitation of the vampires doesn't look realistic either the difference is that it looks silly, and I like to consider it as part of the rest of the silly humour and its charm. The writing is creative, nearly perfect and gets into places that seemed unpredictable.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
10/08/23
Full Review
matthew d
Haunting and electrifying Korean horror!
Director Park Chan-wook's South Korean erotic horror drama Thirst (2009) is an artful vampire picture and passionate romance drama like few other films. I am stunned by Park Chan-wook after Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, so Thirst being phenomenal as well is no surprise. I love Thirst for its wicked Gothic romance, playful hero and heroine, contemporary vampire portrayal, visceral body horror, ruthless tone, and mesmerizing filmmaking. I was shocked by the sacrilege, repulsed by the grotesque body horror, enchanted by the tender romance, and delighted by the absurd black comedy. Thirst is a fearsome vampire film for the ages.
Park's direction is Gothic in style with miserable characters finding solace in sexual encounters at night in each other's company in darkness. The passionate sex sequences are ravishing and lustful with tasteful nudity and caring lovers. Thirst is adapted by writers Park Chan-wook and Chung Seo-kyung from author Émile Zola's novel with a bloodthirsty viciousness. Park Chan-wook blends romance drama with horror thriller and a mysterious vibe. Thirst is twisted with deeply unhappy heroes, dealing with depression with bloodlust as well as romantic lust. I found the mercy killing solution to the priest's bloody supply problem clever among other twists on vampire lore in a modern setting.
Thirst's themes of faith, guilt, self flagellation, self harm, suicide, infidelity, love triangles, spousal abuse, sexual promiscuity, sadism, bloodlust, trust, and freedom are fascinating. Having the guilt of stealing blood and life eat away at a priest's conscience is a twisted horror premise that's treated thoughtfully with respect. The manipulation of each of the lovers for their own satisfaction is intriguing to say the least. In Korean, the title literally means Bat, which is a fun nocturnal name for a modern Nosferatu movie. Thirst bears sick humor with plenty of black comedy over how best to kill and siphon blood out of the vampire's victims.
Editors Kim Sang-bum and Kim Jae-beom cut with a refined artistry and sense of humor. Their quick cuts keep things light with a humorous tone for the jokes among all the constant dread and horror. Thirst feels fast for a 134 minute long film. It flies by with a sweeping Gothic splendor and hypnotizing sense of wonder and eroticism. Scenes play out with striking cuts within for gorgeous close-ups from cinematographer Jeong Jeong-hun. Every shot looks magical with a breathtaking beauty to each close-up, medium shot, or wide shot in Thirst. Thirst is one of the best looking pictures in cinema with astounding blues and stunning close-ups. The smooth panning shots, sudden whip pans, careful framing, and long held sweeping camera motions are captivating. Park Hyun-won's moody lighting is lovely with a graceful blue glow.
South Korean actor Song Kang-ho continues to astound me as an amazing actor with his moving drama, touching romantic feeling, startling horror presence, and hilarious comedy skills in Thirst. Song Kang-ho's morally conflicted Catholic priest Sang-hyun is an intriguing hero. He believes in God, Heaven, and Hell, so he cannot kill others or commit suicide in his faith. His desire for a romantic partnership is an interesting commentary on priests and a lust for flesh being the perfect premise for a vampire horror film. Song Kang-ho is touching as he shows his emotional distress, deep depression, and passionate love like I had never expected from him in Thirst. Song Kang-ho is incredible in Parasite, Memories of Murder, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, The Good The Bad and The Weird, and now Thirst.
Kim Ok-vin is endearing, sympathetic, and ravishing as Thirst's heroine Tae-ju. Kim Ok-vin first enchanted me in The Villainess with her romantic drama and martial arts skills, so seeing her in a romantic erotic horror was somewhat of a surprise. She got me to feel empathy for an unloved and mistreated wife as Tae-ju, then delighted me with her zeal for sex and violence. Kim Ok-vin's bloodlust is a thing of beauty in Thirst. She's so playful and alive in Thirst. How can you not love Kim Ok-vin in Thirst?
Kim Hae-sook is hilarious as the overly dramatic and harshly demanding Mrs. Ra. She's a disgusting wretch and a fun villain of sorts. Shin Ha-kyun is excellent as Tae-ju's useless, sickly scumbag husband Kang-woo. He's funny and amiable until he's terrifying. Park In-hwan is touching and sincere as the forlorn and wise Priest Roh, who desperately wants vampirism to cure his blindness. Song Young-chang is great as the mean and judgemental retired cop Seung-dae. Oh Dal-su is funny as Kang-woo's friend Young-du. Ra Mi-ran is touching as the suicidal Nurse Yu, who comes to Sang-hyun in a confessional for spiritual guidance. Eriq Ebouaney is cautious and compelling as the Emmanuel Virus Research Director. Mercedes Cabral made me feel so sad for her as Young-du's frightened Filipino girlfriend Evelyn.
Ryu Seong-hie's production design creates cozy homes, dark corners, and striking white room sets. Every home around South Korea looks unique. Art direction from Ryu Seong-hie, Kwon Ju-hee, Lee Jae-sung, Jang Hee-chul, Han Ah-reum, and Cho Min Soo uses blue tinted lighting and dark shadows for a loving melancholic appearance to Thirst. Visual effects supervisor Yi Zeon-hyoung's CGI is realistic from bloody corpses being drained of their life giving blood to vampires burning up into ashes during the daylight. Set decorators Jiyeon Song, Kim Bo-gwan, Cho Sung-won, Ki Lee Seog, and Kim Jung-gon look meticulous with authentic furniture and belongings for the ornate homes.
Composer Cho Young-wuk's score to Thirst is haunting. He creates gentle melodies for an air of romance, a Gothic grandeur for the horror, and a pleasant calm for Thirst's magical atmosphere. The soft woodwind instruments, whimsical harpsichord, eerie strings, and melancholic piano are enthralling. Sound designers Kim Suk-won and Kim Chang-sub let ambience noises stir the night throughout Thirst. I loved hearing the blood splatter to the floor or screams of agony echo into the air.
Costume designer Cho Sang-kyung crafts contemporary dresses and suits that are carefully tailored to each actor. All the blues and greens fit Thirst's cool color scheme. The flowing hairstyles and haunting pale vampire make-up from make-up artist Song Jong-hee are amazing.
In conclusion, Thirst is all blood and love from South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook until the grisly, heartbreaking end to tragic vampire romance. Thirst is easily one of Park Chan-wook's greatest films and one of my new favorite horror movies ever.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I remembered about half way through this includes a subplot based on Zola's Therese Raquin, and you can't say that about most horror movies, and what I liked about this one was that it was impossible to know where it was going, or to classify the tone - Tragedy? Black comedy? Creepshow? All of these and more, and genuinely horrible at times , it is certainly a feast of the unpredictable
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/21/23
Full Review
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