Movie Review : Bakwji or Thirst

In the last few months I have seen 3 vampire films, One from the USA Twilight, one from Sweden, Let The Right One In and the new film from Park, Chan-wook called Bakjwi or Thirst. What I found interesting about these 3 films is that I hated the American film, Twilight, and loved the 2 smaller films, "Let The Right One In" and "Thirst."

Now for the readers who hate spoilers, I will ask that you quit reading now and go see the film here in Korea. Once again, I have no idea if they include subtitles but my showing had none and I really did not need any.


If you have followed my reviews over the last few years, you know that I hold one Korean Director in a very high regard, Park, Chan-wook. If the name sounds familiar to you, he was the director of The Vengeance Trilogy (Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Oldboy, and Sympathy for Lady Venegance) and JSA. I was in awe of these 4 films and have made many recommendations for these films.

He was also the director of the pathetic I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK After watching that film, I had serious doubts about Park, Chan-wook directing anything that did not deal with revenge or forgiveness of ones soul. I really had no idea what to think about this film.

I saw the trailer and realized that it would be a joint South Korean/USA Production (CJ Entertainment and Universal Studios) and it just looked too good and with the possible return of a good Park, Chan-wook film, I had to see it. I am so glad that I did because the film was excellent.

The film starts out like any normal film with a priest,Sang-hyun, he is trying to do the Lords work and trying to save some souls along the way. He is given a chance to volunteer for a really unusual project that might help to save more lives but instead it turns him into a vampire, but he is now a priest, who is in love with his friends wife and he wants to nectar on her blood.

What I lied was the part where you think that Sang-hyun has beaten the F.I.V. germ, but suddenly Sang-hyun relapses into his illness; he coughs up blood and passes away. The next day however, he opens his eyes in dire need of shelter from the sweltering sunlight; he has become a vampire.

What I also liked was first Sang-hyun feels alive and is energized by his insistent bodily desires, but soon he's afraid to find himself sucking down blood from a former member who, is now in A coma, in the hospital. After attempting to kill himself, by jumping out the window and destroying a car and not his body, he realized that he has the F.I.V and the only cure is by drinking blood.

The film then decides that someone must die and with his other films, the ghost are not easily done away with and in the end the ghost are granted vengeance. What I loved about the ghost was their resemblance to the Vengeance Trilogy and I was laughing at all of the little nods that I saw in this film to them. The film has an interesting ending, that I will leave unspoiled for you. The film has no extra scene at the end of the credits.

Please see the film when you get the chance.

Grade A

Opened in Korea on April 30, 2009.