Far removed from the vampires of Twilight

After his revenge epic, Oldboy, South Korean director Chan-wook Park now contributes an erotic slice of horror about a priest who suffers a botched medical experiment and becomes a vampire. Even if audiences do not buy in to the far-fetched premise, there is no denying that Thirst casts a hypnotic visual spell over its vampiric goings-on. It impressed the Cannes Film Festival jury, who gave it a shared jury prize, and should please aficionados of the genre. Given a certain renewed interest in matters ghoulish, expect upbeat returns on a limited release—especially as it scored hugely on its home turf.

Sang-hyun (robustly played by one of Korea’s leading actors, Song Kang-ho) is a highly respected priest in a small town who devotedly serves at a local hospital. He goes to Africa to volunteer as a test subject for an experimental vaccine designed to protect against a deadly and infectious disease called Emmanuel Virus (EV). During the experiment, the virus infects him and he dies.

But a transfusion of some unidentified blood miraculously brings him back to life. The downside is that it also turns him into a vampire. On his return home, news of Sang-hyun's recovery from the virus spreads and people start believing he has the gift of healing and flock to receive his prayers. Little do they know that he can only keep the virus at bay by giving in to his insatiable thirst for blood.

Matters become further complicated when he begins a secret love affair with a young woman (Kim Ok-vin) who tries to inveigle him into a revenge plot.

This heady mix is used to explore such timeless themes as guilt and redemption and the anguish of conscience. It’s all stylishly done with a raft of excellent performances, and further marks out Chan-wook Park as one of the most inventive talents in current Asian cinema.

Distributor: Focus Features
Cast: Shin Ha-kyun, Song Kang-ho and Kim Ok-vin
Director: Chan-wook Park
Screenwriters: Seo-Gyung Chung and Chan-wook Park
Producers: Chan-wook Park
Genre: Horror
Rating: R for graphic bloody violence, disturbing images, strong sexual content, nudity and language.
Running time: 133 min
Release date: July 31 ltd.