12 Foreign Films That Show Hollywood How A Genre Film Should Be Done
5. The Host
Country: South Korea
Genre: Science Fiction
Plot: A monster from the Han River goes on the rampage, and the family of one of its victims tries to stop it.
The Host is a fascinating foreign blockbuster, and its deviations from Hollywood are very interesting. Like Train to Busan, the characters are the focus, not the monster. It's notable how the Korean poster shows the human characters, while the American poster just features the monster attacking one of its victims.
This is a perfect visual display of how South Korean blockbusters focus on developed characters who happen to be in a blockbuster narrative, while in American blockbusters the human characters are often just there to be killed by the monster and create suspense.
The Host is an excellent science-fiction film. The monster itself isn't the focus at all and the characters spend more time fighting government corruption. Thanks to its grounded thrills, fleshed-out characters and dramatic richness, The Host is not only a suspenseful thrill ride but one which feels rooted in the real world and will never fail to provoke thought.
The Host has pacing problems here and there and one of the dramatic scenes (Involving mourning) is unintentionally hilarious, but for the most part it's one of the best monster movies of the 21st century.
Remake?
A remake was announced back in 2011. Rather satisfyingly, it's still stuck in development hell.