Celebrated South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is no stranger to high praise, his seminal film Oldboy constantly being lauded as one of the best thrillers ever made, and reviewers observing that he can’t seem to fail. That said, the director’s 2009 erotic vampire film Thirst received mixed reviews upon release, and hasn’t garnered the dedicated cult following that his other wild and stylish films have.
Thirst tells the tale of a devout Catholic priest who selflessly involves himself in a dangerous medical experiment that could save thousands of lives. The experiment fails, resulting in his death and subsequent rebirth as a bloodthirsty vampire. Further complications ensue when the priest becomes known as a miracle worker and later falls for a married woman, all while secretly satisfying his appetite for human blood. If any of this sounds like old hat for vampire movies, you can be assured it is not; Park’s stylish flourishes, mesmerizing editing, and sweeping camera carry the viewer through the deranged vampire love story, which constantly diverges into unexpected directions. Thirst is an underrated horror-comedy-thriller-romance cocktail full of humor and beauty. Here’s what makes Thirst the most original vampire film in decades.
Horror, Thriller, and Forbidden Love All Rolled Into One
Thirst is first and foremost a horror movie, but to label it as simply as that would not do it justice. Masterfully interwoven between the blood-soaked scares are tense moments of ever-building suspense and a heartbreaking tale of forbidden romance. While vampire romance is nothing new, the complex relationships which lead to murder and manipulation in Thirst make it stand out as a uniquely ambitious and ultra-pulpy erotic thriller. Lead actor Song Kang-ho’s stellar performance brings realism and emotional weight to this story of a Catholic priest torn between his desire to do good and his overwhelming urge to drink blood.
A conflict of heart and body, or, more specifically, of belief and survival is the central theme of the film, and makes for a memorable tragic love story, with plenty of thrills and scares to satisfy horror hounds. It’s an eccentric genre and tonal blend that might not work if it wasn’t directed by the great Park Chan-wook. As IGN reviewer Joe Utichi said in his review, “Thirst may not be the greatest vampire movie ever made, but Park’s willingness to try something different makes it a decidedly fresh take on the genre.”
A Wonderfully Dark Sense of Humor
Thirst has a unique tone that seems to polarize audiences. One such critic who did not appreciate the tone was Roger Ebert, who remarked in his review that “Park descends too enthusiastically into sensation and carnal excess, and it’s a disappointment.” While the film does become rather excessive, fans of Park’s outrageous films are sure to appreciate the way he rounds out the violence, horror, and intimate romance with a subdued and strategically employed sense of humor. Despite the inherently unrealistic subject matter, Park never pokes fun at the idea of vampires or of a priest turned savage. That would be too easy. Instead, Park’s dark sense of humor is littered throughout the film in small, subtle doses.
One such example is when the lead vampire lovers discuss their plan of murdering someone right in front of the intended victim, who sheepishly proposes that they spare him. It’s silly, but not in a way that feels out of place. Park’s films have a way of inspiring a kind of edge-of-your-seat nervous laughter, and many scenes in Thirst exemplify this signature trait of the director perfectly.
Vampire Romance with a Grim Twist
While Park’s 2016 film The Handmaiden is deservedly praised as one of the steamiest thrillers of all time, his equally steamy vampire film doesn’t often get the credit it’s due. Thirst ingenuously melds the horrific with the erotic, and takes blood sucking to a new, overtly-sexualized extreme. Park holds nothing back in depicting the pains and pleasures of vampire intimacy; there is so much biting, licking, and gentle blood-drawing in this film that is as sexy as it is disturbing, and is unlike any film romance ever made. It’s all so delightfully weird and perverse, so singular in its kinky and horrific vision, that it must be seen to be believed.
Finds Beauty in the Darkest of Places
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By focusing on a selfless priest turned vampire with a selfish desire to satiate an unquenchable thirst, Park creates a fascinating character study full of conflicting emotions and dangerous urges. The way the film depicts a person’s desire to do good being consumed by savage primal instincts is both grim and deeply affecting. The doomed romance at the center of the film begins as two people give into an unholy lust, but, even through the deception and tragedy it causes, glimmers of tenderness and genuine joy shine through. Characters who are pure of heart are helplessly corrupted, but Park makes sure to include the tiniest indications of hope for a change and for redemption. This is Park’s genre-bending mastery at work; underneath the pulpy vampire madness lies a beautifully tragic story. Thirst is a terrific vampire movie and is ripe for a reappraisal as one of the best and most original films of its kind.
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