Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is stricken with vampirism and is forced to abandon his ascetic ways.Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is stricken with vampirism and is forced to abandon his ascetic ways.Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is stricken with vampirism and is forced to abandon his ascetic ways.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 17 wins & 20 nominations total
- Tae-ju
- (as Kim Ok-vin)
- Emmanuel Research Director
- (as Eriq Ebouney)
- Emmanuel Research Nun
- (as Onthatile Peele)
- Investigator
- (as Cheol-woo Han)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Trusting the latest Hollywood fad, vampires these days are supposed to be rather nonviolent, asexual, love-lorn chevaliers instead of the evil rampantly sexual blood-sucking mind-manipulating man-beasts of yore. This is the film you want to see if you want to remember the sticky thrills of the past... well, at least in the second half.
'Thirst' starts out with a lengthy character exposition culminating in a slightly different love story. The vampire transformation of a priest is, over quite some time, sidelined by the romantic and sexual aspects of the story, which makes for some awkward viewing. But the last 40 minutes or so are surprisingly gory. Well, maybe not so surprisingly if you know 'Oldboy' and 'I'm a Cyborg but that's OK', but I guess it's fair to say that 'Thirst' beats Park's earlier films in terms of in-your-face violence.
All in all, be warned that this is neither art cinema nor a horror flick. It may be too disgusting for many and too tame for some. 'Thirst' is original, entertaining and fortunately a little less weird than Park Chun-wook's earlier endeavors.
I honestly came close to not finishing the movie because I was looking for scary and this isn't much of that, but there is A LOT of blood and violence. The only reason I kept watching was because even though it wasn't creepy or scary, it was a beautifully shot and very well made film. The story feels different than other vampire movies it's not just a bunch of the same old vampire clichés. the acting is good for the most part, personally i think the 2 main characters were amazing. It's kind of long, but the movie gets better as it progresses, the ending is nothing less than what You would expect(considering who directed the film).
So in short, if you're looking for scary in the traditional sense You won't find it here, but if You're a fan of the Vampire and gore genres or just want to watch a good movie You'll certainly enjoy it.
Put simply, THIRST holds your attention. The storyline, about a priest who finds himself infected with a blood virus and then is slowly transformed into a bloodsucker, is never less than thoroughly entertaining. It goes without saying that the direction is flawless – every scene and sequence is expertly crafted, leaving no margin for error. Emphasis is on characterisation throughout, which is always a strong point, and the actors have the talent to fully bring their roles to life; the main actress is particularly fascinating.
Overall, this is a gruesome, gripping, melancholic look at the world of the vampire. Be warned, it's explicit and often in your face, but as with the rest of the director's output, this is a film that sets out to challenge assumptions and overcome cliché. It works a treat.
Did you know
- TriviaThe movie borrows many elements from Émile Zola's novel Thérèse Raquin. Tae-ju is named after Thérèse and Lady Ra is named after Madame Raquin.
- Quotes
Priest Sang-hyeon: Grant me the following in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Like a leper rotting in flesh, let all avoid me. Like a cripple without limbs, let me not move freely. Remove my cheeks, tht tears may not roll down them. Crush my lips and tongue, that I may not sin with them. Pull out my nails, that I may not grasp nothing. Let my shoulders and back be bent, that I may carry nothing. Like a man with tumor in the head let me lack judgment. Ravage my body sworn to chastity leave me with no pride, and have me live in shame. Let no one pray for me. But only the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.
- Alternate versionsOn the South Korean and French Blu-ray editions, there is a director's cut featuring 13 minutes of new footage, including extended versions of many scenes.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Ugly Truth/G-Force/Orphan (2009)
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Thirst
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $5,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $318,574
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $55,889
- Aug 2, 2009
- Gross worldwide
- $13,085,023
- Runtime2 hours 14 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1