Format: DVD from personal collection on basement television.
There are some myths that I think are endlessly mutable into something new while retaining a sense of the old. The Frankenstein story, for instance, has been reformulated and recrafted hundreds of times into movies as diverse as Re-Animator, Splice, and Ex Machina. Vampire myths are pervasive as well in the sense that I think just about every culture has some type of vampire story, and these are in many ways just as varied. Because of that, it’s always fun to see a new take on the story. Thirst (or Bakjwi if you prefer the Korean) is rooted in the classic vampire story, but just as much a new take on that story.
The truth is that I like just about everything about Thirst. I love the fact that the vampirism is never really explained—it’s just something that happens. I like that it rather aggressively addresses the hypocrisy of religion (specifically Catholicism) at its core and in the practice of it. This is a smart movie hiding in the guise of a supernatural thriller with erotic overtones. It’s a reminder of just how good Park Chan-wook is with great material, and this is great material.
