Thirst
The very
best

Pick #1,189

Thirst

Dir. Chan-wook Park & Park Chan-wook · South Korea, United States of America · English, French

In this vampire film, a priest is forced to leave his ascetic lifestyle in search of a cure for a deadly virus

8.9 Our score

2009 Movie Drama, Horror, Thriller

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Our take

A thirst for love, a thirst for recognition, a thirst for sympathy, a thirst for meaning, a thirst for life, and a thirst for blood. Director Park Chan-wook and actor Song Kang-ho, two of the biggest names in South Korean cinema, join forces for the first time in a modern take on the supernatural. In present day South Korea, Catholic priest Sang-hyun (Song) volunteers himself as a human experiment during the formulation of a vaccine against a deadly virus. When the experiment fails and he is thought to be dead, he resurrects as a conflicted vampire, one whose moral code continually goes against his intrinsic desires. Along with Song and long-time collaborator cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon, Park creates a riveting atmosphere that is both very scary and sad. By blending elements of horror and drama, he also achieves putting a fresh and unique spin on the time-honored vampire film.

Streaming arrival

  • Peacock
  • Fubo

What it won

Awards

Berlin

1 nom

Nominated: Official Selection

The story

What happens

A respected priest volunteers for an experimental procedure that may lead to a cure for a deadly virus. He gets infected and dies, but a blood transfusion of unknown origin brings him back to life. Now, he’s torn between faith and bloodlust, and has a newfound desire for the wife of a childhood friend.

Elsewhere

What the critics said

Notable Critics

"Red blood and black humour spurt hard as Thirst reveals itself to be one of the most deliciously skewed incisions into the vampire romance subgenre."

— Jonathan Crocker

"It's fun (if overlong), but for all the noisy slurping, there's no fresh blood."

— David Edelstein

The details

About this pick

Year
2009
Type
Movie
Director
Chan-wook Park & Park Chan-wook
Cast
Kim Hae-sook, Kim Ok-vin, Shin Ha-kyun, Song Kang-ho
Language
English, French
Country
South Korea, United States of America
Rated
R

Who picked it

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