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Information

A.k.a.
Thirst
Year
2009
Runtime
134 min.
Director
Park Chan-Wook
Genres
Drama, Romance, Fantasy, Horror
Rating *
7.1
Votes *
33,789
Checks
3,018
Favs
304
Dislikes
48
Favs/checks
10.1% (1:10)
Favs/dislikes
6:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. fjcaetano's avatar

    fjcaetano

    What an outstanding movie. Not something you see everyday. I don't want to get too deep in it, but I loved how it's starts as a drama, then goes to horror, then romance and so on. It's many movies inside one and built perfectly to fit in the context. The whole story was very well created. I'd like to explain, but I would be giving details and I don't want to ruin it for future watchers.

    But not everything are roses. It is very slow sometimes and the third act is too long. Everything is very well explained in the beginning when you are being introduced to the story, but in the end it gets too slow.

    Although I don't understand a word of korean, I loved the acting. Kang-ho and Ok-bin worked really well together and Ha-kyun came to give that surreal/psychotic asian stereotype.

    Honestly, I don't understand how it wasn't nominated for the Academy Award. It's definitely in my top 5 vampire movies.

    9/10
    12 years 11 months ago
  2. idjutt's avatar

    idjutt

    Reminiscent of the swedish "Let the right one come in", but quite a bit more interesting. Partly drama, partly romance, partly horror and partly bizarre comedy this is quite something else! 11 years 7 months ago
  3. Siskoid's avatar

    Siskoid

    There's never been a Park Chan-wook movie I didn't like, and Thirst is no different. His take on vampirism is very original, and no surprise, visually arresting. Imbued with themes of guilt (the Catholic kind in particular), appetite and self-denial, Thirst tells the story of a priest who martyrs himself for a medical experiment, but survives as a saintly blood-sucker. But his saintliness is tested when he falls in love with a married woman whose own "thirst" at first seems to be sexual, but I think is more about the thrill of partaking in forbidden fruit. The insane, illicit romance will make them cross lines they should never have crossed and send us, the audience, into directions we didn't think were even available. Yes, I wish they'd done more with the ghost subplot that's triggered by their actions, as those are some of the most memorable bits, but this is a movie that doesn't play by the rules. You're never too sure what happens next and its mean streak of dark humor balances well the serious - even tragic - matter of people negotiating between their bodies and souls. Is it a satire on Christianity, or does it embrace its tenets? A little of both, I think. Worth reflecting on. 1 year 7 months ago
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In 2 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #34 in Korean Screen's 100 Greatest Korean Films
    Korean Screen's 100 Greatest Korean Films's icon

    Korean Screen's 100 Grea…

    34
  2. This movie ranks #418 in TSZDT's The 1,000 Greatest Horror Films
    TSZDT's The 1,000 Greatest Horror Films's icon

    TSZDT's The 1,000 Greate…

    418
View all lists this movie is in