The Host: dir Bong Junho (2006)

A teenage girl is captured by a giant mutated squid-like creature that appears from Seoul’s Han River after toxic waste had been dumped in it, The victim’s loving family is thrust into battle with the creature to rescue her .. This film by the director of Parasite focuses on humanising the dysfunctional family at the heart of a story that avoids obvious villains, and though it is loaded with allegories the narrative zips along … The film also has a quirky soundtrack by Lee Byung-woo.

This film screens as part of the ninth edition of the Korean Film Festival, presented by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Cultural Center. This year’s festival has the theme ‘Music’ and showcases a selection of Korean films that highlight the power of music in storytelling.