She's deceased but she's not dead

Imagine a mucky hybrid of Aliens, Finding Nemo, Little Miss Sunshine and The Manchurian Candidate (either version). It sounds mental and weird doesn't it? Not sure if it's cute or terrifying. Well, last night I finally watched the biggest ever box-office hit in South Korea, The Host, and it reminded me of all of the above.

I really enjoyed it - it's a monster movie that defies all the conventions of monster movies. Firstly, it's focused on a fragmented family, trying to band together to save a little girl trapped by the massive part-guppy-part-walrus thing that came out of the river. And they break the golden rule by showing the beast, full-on, in the first ten minutes. Dare I say it, the film also goes against the spirit of most monster movies by, erm, not being shit.

There are plenty of twists and turns that I wouldn't dream of revealing, and much has been made of the film's not-too-thinly-veiled anti-American sentiment. The cinematography and especially the score are fantastic - combining Hitchcockian violin riffs with fuller, warmer flourishes during the scarier parts. Some shots, like one of Nam-Joo climbing out of a bridge, are breathtaking. There's plenty of great comedy moments between the family members, plus a homeless guy, an orphan, some roast squid... Basically, give it a look. It rocks.

As ever, here's a completely unrelated song that I'm putting up because a) it's great, and b) its title is appropriate.

[download The Crocketts - Host]


[pre-order 'The Host' on DVD]