The Host

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🎙️ EPISODE 412: 03.02.22 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝙾𝙽𝙶 𝙹𝙾𝙾𝙽-𝙷𝙾 𝙳𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛 𝙵𝚘𝚌𝚞𝚜 Ed. Note: This is a joint review with Snowpiercer: The Host is a truly unique film that might be a masterpiece for how it blends no less than four major genres together seamlessly: monster movies, comedy, sci-fi, and drama. And those are just the first that come to mind. If you wanted to get down to it, you could probably dissect it even further as well, as there are elements of horror, action, geopolitics, virus outbreaks and more. But the reason this potpourri doesn't end up smelling like a garbage dump is that its core it's a film about family. And while they couldn't be more dissimilar on the surface, it's the one film which most reminded me of his magnum opus, Parasite, and not just for the obvious Host/Parasite connection. Snowpiercer doesn't necessarily fool around with genres to the extent of The Host but it does ramp up the satirical energy to uncharted territories. Both films are tonal enigmas and seem to exist in a vocabulary all to themselves.

Snowpiercer doesn't necessarily fool around with genres to the extent of The Host but it does ramp up the satirical energy to uncharted territories. Both films are tonal enigmas and seem to exist in a vocabulary all to themselves.

These films tackle an array of political issues in such overt and transparent ways they feel like parody. In the hands of a lesser director they could've been really annoying if not downright bad. But BJH is an expert maximalist when he wants to be, and can somehow weave together sociopolitical commentary on climate change with the class struggle, American exceptionalism and global influence with... the class struggle. OK, so there's one constant throughout the filmography but it doesn't stop him from branching out and taking on other issues. And, hey!, it's almost as if capitalism has hand in all of these problems (you're all nodding along, cautiously, I know; I see you.)

But if even you were a braindead moron, there's plenty here to enjoy. These are both exceptionally paced, action-packed, thrill rides, with outstanding visuals. Sure, you might not think that 2006's monster in The Host has aged well (I think it looks great) and the shaky handheld camerawork of some of the fight scenes in Snowpiercer feel a tad grating. But ultimately these are popcorn flicks disguised as social commentary. Or the other way around. That's the thing, that's the trick, and it's why Bong Joon-ho is a genius.

For a director who, to some extent, frames all of his movies as a mystery or a puzzle, the most violent film in the repertoire by a solid margin, Snowpiercer, might also have the most layers at all. By the final act, the constant plot twists and reveal feel a tad like Scooby Doo, but who cares. Like the train, racing to its fiery end, it's pure movie magic.

CHRONOLOGICALLY
⫷ EPISODE 411H - (YOU ARE HERE) - EPISODE 413 ⫸

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The Host (Korean: 괴물, lit. "Monster") is a South Korean monster film directed by Bong Joon-ho and starring Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona and Go Ah-sung. The film concerns a monster kidnapping a man's daughter, and his attempts to rescue her. According to the director, his inspiration came from a local article about a deformed fish with an S-shaped spine caught in the Han River.[2] It was released on July 27, 2006.