If “Twilight,” HBO’s “True Blood” and myriad other pop culture touchstones are any indication, vampires have never been more in vogue. But you haven’t seen a vampire until you’ve seen a Park Chan-wook bloodsucker.
The director broke through with indie- and foreign-film fans in the first half of this decade with his vengeance trilogy: “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance,” “Oldboy” and “Lady Vengeance.” Despite negligible impact at the American box office, these pictures quickly became cult classics and did big business on DVD.
Focus Features hopes that fan base — and vampires! — will turn Mr. Park’s latest film, “Thirst,” into a theatrical hit stateside.
Priest Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho) is a man of the cloth who feels adrift in the world: Unable to bring peace to his flock and unhappy with the direction of his life — but also unable to actually commit suicide, due to his beliefs — he volunteers to help develop a vaccine for a horrible disease, a process that will, in all likelihood, kill him.
It does, but that’s just the beginning: A vampire blood transfusion he receives brings him back to life and keeps the disease at bay — but only as long as he consumes blood. He also receives the power to heal the sick, who flock to him and label him the bandaged saint.
As Sang-hyun becomes more accustomed to his new powers, old desires are awakened within him: He becomes infatuated with Tae-ju (Kim Ok-vin), the wife of his childhood friend, and she soon turns to him for relief from her emotionally abusive marriage. As the pair turn intimate, plots are hatched and mayhem wafts through the air, culminating in the ultimate betrayal and a descent into madness and guilt.
“Thirst” is best experienced innocent of foreknowledge of what comes in the second and third acts, so let’s just say that things get a little crazy for Sang-hyun and Tae-ju as they grapple with feelings of remorse (or the lack thereof) and the demons of sensuality Sang-hyun’s transformation has unleashed.
Beautifully shot and willing to grapple with morality in ways both serious and playful, “Thirst” entertains without moralizing. That’s not to say it’s a perfect film: Overly long, it meanders in a way that the vengeance trilogy never did. Indeed, “Thirst” frequently lacks direction and narrative drive; Mr. Park seems content to luxuriate in the gorgeous imagery he has created and the stirring transformations Miss Kim and Mr. Song bring to life rather than move the story forward.
★★½
TITLE: “Thirst”
RATING: R (graphic bloody violence, disturbing images, strong sexual content, nudity and language)
CREDITS: Directed by Park Chan-wook, written by Mr. Chan-wook and Jeong Seo-Gyeong
RUNNING TIME: 134 minutes
WEB SITE: https://www.thirstmovie.com
MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS
• SONNY BUNCH can be reached at sbunch@washingtontimes.com.
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