Thirst

Name: Thirst
Genre: Drama, Horror, Romance
Released: July 31, 2009
Duration: 133 min
Rating: 73
Cast: Kang-ho Song, Ok-bin Kim

2009

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Critics

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 49 Ratings

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7.5

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7.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 49 Ratings

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THIRST

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Movie Details & Credits

Focus Features | Release Date: July 31, 2009

Starring: Kang-ho Song, Ok-bin Kim

Summary: Sang-hyun is a priest who cherishes life; so much so, that he selflessly volunteers for a secret vaccine development project meant to eradicate a deadly virus. But the virus takes the priest, and a blood transfusion is urgently ordered up for him. The blood he receives is infected, so Sang-hyun lives – but now exists as a vampire.Sang-hyun is a priest who cherishes life; so much so, that he selflessly volunteers for a secret vaccine development project meant to eradicate a deadly virus. But the virus takes the priest, and a blood transfusion is urgently ordered up for him. The blood he receives is infected, so Sang-hyun lives – but now exists as a vampire. Struggling with his newfound carnal desire for blood, Sang-hyun’s faith is further strained when a childhood friend’s wife, Tae-ju, comes to him asking for his help in escaping her life. Sang-hyun soon plunges into a world of sensual pleasures, finding himself on intimate terms with the Seven Deadly Sins. (Focus Features)… Expand

Director: Chan-wook Park

Genre(s): Drama, Horror, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 133 min

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Awards & Rankings

91	#91 Best Movie of 2009

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Salon - Andrew O'Hehir

A brilliant and gruesome work of cinematic invention as well as a passionate and painful human love story. Read full review

Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum

A gaudy, daring, operatic, and bloody funny provocation of a melodrama from Park Chan-wook. Read full review

Film Threat - Nick Antosca

A terrific film. Loosely based on Emile Zola's novel "Therese Raquin." Read full review

Village Voice - Jim Ridley

The most intriguing aspect of Thirst is the steady erosion of Sang-hyeon's ethics, slackened from "do not" to "do not kill" to "do not kill the undeserving" by the lure of those O+ cocktails. Read full review

The Hollywood Reporter - Maggie Lee

Stunning production quality and the story's extremity should arouse interest beyond the specialty Asian market. Read full review

Christian Science Monitor - Peter Rainer

What the film is saying, so far as I can tell, is that, if cut, you will bleed. And bleed. As the vampire's kindred Seven Deadly Sinner, wild-haired Kim Ok-vin looks like she's having a high old time. Read full review

Austin Chronicle - Marc Savlov

Taken as a whole, Thirst meanders too far from the crossroads of life and death; it gets outright dull in spots, although they are few and far between. Read full review

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User Reviews

Rolento

Jun 25, 2014

Ultimately not a supernatural vampire movie, but a movie about very human themes such as morality and temptation. Well made on so many levels: I loved it.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Zarathesus

May 2, 2011

Chan-Wook Park.
Need I say more?
The guy is brilliant in suspense and toying with it. This is more of a date movie compared to his other films though. But even so, he put a great twist on the Vampire concept. This Twilight craze is getting out of hand, and Park shows you can still haveChan-Wook Park.
Need I say more?
The guy is brilliant in suspense and toying with it. This is more of a date movie compared to his other films though. But even so, he put a great twist on the Vampire concept. This Twilight craze is getting out of hand, and Park shows you can still have romance in with such a back story, yet still make it horrifying. Not jump out of my seat kind of frightening, but calm, intimate, and spine-chilling. Awesome movie. Never regretted paying 5 bucks to rent it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Tetsuo

Aug 3, 2011

Another vampire flick that takes the mythology seriously since Let The Right One In and it works. It's similar to Twilight but more gruesome and has a sad ending. Being infected with an incurable disease and force to drink blood is an interesting concept. Park Chan-Wook is not only deliversAnother vampire flick that takes the mythology seriously since Let The Right One In and it works. It's similar to Twilight but more gruesome and has a sad ending. Being infected with an incurable disease and force to drink blood is an interesting concept. Park Chan-Wook is not only delivers a good story and well-developed characters, it's an ingenious alternate to New Moon.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JonnyFendi

Jan 17, 2011

A great Chan-Wook Park film, after the weird and awkward I AM CYBORG BUT THAT IS OK (2006). Park is one of reputable Directors in South Korea. Thiz time he absolutely back in right track, brought strange and unique vampire story. Previously Park known by his vengeance trilogy comprisesA great Chan-Wook Park film, after the weird and awkward I AM CYBORG BUT THAT IS OK (2006). Park is one of reputable Directors in South Korea. Thiz time he absolutely back in right track, brought strange and unique vampire story. Previously Park known by his vengeance trilogy comprises SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE (2002), the powerful OLDBOY (2003) and LADY VENGEANCE (2002). Two main Casts blend into fabulous chemistry. Kang-Ho Song delivered one of his best performances. Song successfully represented the vampire aura very well. His pair, Ok-Bin Kim also showed terrific performance, gained with complicated character. Devout in the beginning and turned out mischief in the end. Couple of scenes contain some vulgar sex scenes, but still perceivable to describe the relationship between. I like the camera angles, sometimes dynamic and other times just go conventional. It is effectively supports the story-telling. In my notes, the special effects were efficient but effective and believable. The story is about a priest that volunteering in sort of medical experiments. The consequence, he turned to be some kind of vampire. Afterward, he involved in forbidden affair with his friend wife. The relationship becomes intimate and deathly for everybody, including both of them. It is a contemplation that sometimes desire could turn out to be havoc. It is well-executed movie. Bravo! Welcome back, Mr. Park.

Visit My Blog on JONNY'S MOVEE: http://jonnyfendi.blogspot.com… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

lasttimeisaw

Jun 3, 2015

A vampire love story loosely based on Émile Zola's THERESE RAQUIN, Chan-wook Park’s THIRST (its original Korean title literally means: bat) is a blood-soaked psychological thriller about a Catholic priest Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), after experiencing a death-defying recovery owing to anA vampire love story loosely based on Émile Zola's THERESE RAQUIN, Chan-wook Park’s THIRST (its original Korean title literally means: bat) is a blood-soaked psychological thriller about a Catholic priest Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), after experiencing a death-defying recovery owing to an undisclosed blood transfusion during his volunteer mission to find a vaccine for a deadly virus, he becomes the only survivor among all the infected, which attracts many devotees to worship him as a miracle from God. But the reality is that a craving for human blood has been commenced after the incident, the virus is still plaguing him, his skin is afflicted with blisters, only human blood can prohibit the symptoms and turn him into a nighttime creature endowed with all its well-established trappings like self-recovery, human-exceeding agility and strength.

keep reading my review on my blog, please google: cinema omnivore, thanks!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

matthewa.

Aug 1, 2009

The Variety review is the most spot-on. This sadly pales in comparison to any of his films in the revenge trilogy (even the mostly mediocre Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance). Good performances (not surprisingly) but an uneven script that really went nowhere and had more than a few holes in the The Variety review is the most spot-on. This sadly pales in comparison to any of his films in the revenge trilogy (even the mostly mediocre Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance). Good performances (not surprisingly) but an uneven script that really went nowhere and had more than a few holes in the plot. His films are always beautiful to look at though and there are some scenes of brilliance. Just not as consistent as Lady Vengeance and especially Old Boy.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful

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