The Host (South Korea, 2006)

The film revolves around Park Hee-bong, a man in his late 60s. He runs a small snack bar on the banks of the Han River and lives with his two sons, one daughter, and one granddaughter. Hee-bong's elder son Gang-du is an immature and incompetent man in his 40s, whose wife left home long ago. One day, an unidentified monster suddenly appears from the depths of the Han River and spreads panic and death, and Gang-du's daughter Hyun-seo is carried off by the monster and disappears. All of the family members are in a great agony because they lost someone very dear to them. But when they find out she is still alive, they resolve to save her.

Here's one of my favorite South Korean films, and it's directed by Bong Joon-ho who also made Memories of Murder (2003). Even though the CGI-effects are nothing special, it doesn't really matter because The Host is more about a devastated family trying to save one of their own. It's a monster movie that focuses on its characters, rather than having a bloodthirsty monster going around eating people for an hour and a half. It's tragic, but not entirely without comic reliefs.   

Genre: Horror/Thriller