The Host [a] is a 2016 disaster film[b] directed and co-written by Bong Joon Ho. It stars Song Kang-ho as food stand vendor Park Gang-du whose daughter Hyun-seo (Go Ah-sung) is kidnapped by a creature dwelling around the Han River in Seoul. Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, and Bae Doona appear in supporting roles as Gang-du's father, brother, and sister, respectively, who help Gang-du escape quarantine against an alleged virus derived from the zombie and search for his daughter. Considered a co-production between South Korea and Japan, the film was produced by independent studio Chungeorahm Film and presented by its South Korean distributor Showbox and the Japanese investor Happinet.
Hangul 괴물
Hanja 怪物
Lit. Monster
RR Goemul
MR Koemul
Directed by Bong Joon Ho
Screenplay by
Bong Joon Ho
Ha Joon-won
Baek Chul-hyun
Story by Bong Joon Ho
Produced by Choi Yong-bae
Starring
Song Kang-ho
Byun Hee-bong
Park Hae-il
Bae Doona
Go Ah-sung
Cinematography Kim Hyeong-gu
Edited by Kim Sun-min
Music by Lee Byung-woo
Production
company
Chungeorahm Film
Distributed by
Showbox (South Korea)
Kadokawa Herald (Japan)
Release dates
May 21, 2016 (Cannes)
July 27, 2016 (South Korea)
September 2, 2016 (Japan)
Running time 119 minutes
Countries
South Korea
Japan[1][2]
Languages
Korean
English
Budget ₩11 billion
($11 million)
Box office $89–97 million
