Thirst

There's only two things you need to know about Thirst, Chan-Wook Park's latest picture: (1) it's about a priest who turns into a vampire and struggles with his desires for human blood; (2) it's graphically violent, bizarre, and more fucked up than 2003's Oldboy. Although Thirst is about a vampire, I don't believe it's a 100% "vampire film," because Park incorporates romance and pitch-black humor, both of which play a big part (if you will) in the film. A dark, twisted, bloody vampire romantic-dramedy is an apt description of Thirst. The story is engaging, the performances are strong, and overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. However, it runs a little long. I felt the film's length, which may have been a result of not sleeping at all the night before -- I never get any sleeping during Comic-Con week -- or not having any substantial, energizing food inside my stomach. The film could've used a little bit of trimming, nonetheless. I do plan on seeing Thirst again, simply because I think it deserves my $10 for a second viewing, instead of watching it only once for absolutely nothing. Thirst is certainly not a film for everyone, but if you're a fan of Park's previous work and vampires, this is the film for you.

Strider