The Host (2006) - S16 E124

Don’t be a bad host – grab some stolen squid legs and pull up a chair for the second instalment of our Size Doesn’t Matter season! This week, we’re hitting the Bong Joon-ho hard to discuss his 2006 South Korean movie masterpiece, The Host.

Is it a monster movie? A family drama? A fearless satire on bureaucratic incompetence? It’s all the above, plus a healthy dose of anarchic slapstick and a very critical look at international relations. We dive into the murky waters of the McFarland Incident, the real-life catalyst where the US military decided the Han River was a great place for a formaldehyde dump.

Featuring the legendary Song Kang-ho as a borderline narcoleptic hero, the film brings together a dysfunctional family including Byun Hee-Bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona and Ko Ah-sung to fight a creature that was apparently named Steve Buscemi on set. It’s a fearless juggling act of tones that will leave you wondering why American remakes always pull their punches.

What to expect from this episode:

We speculate whether the baby who played the sun from the Teletubbies is a Patreon subscriber.

A look at the McFarland Incident, the real-life event that inspired The Host.

We discuss why South Korean movies like The Chaser and I Saw the Devil respect the audience way more than western movies.

Dan explains how Bong Joon-ho made him sympathise with a “CGI blob” and nudged him toward veganism.

A fun coincidence involving Scott Wilson and a previous season.

A critical look at the film’s anarchic family dynamics and why a Molotov cocktail is a great sibling-bonding tool.

We discuss the fearless social commentary regarding “Agent Yellow” and the anti-American sentiment.

A terrifying warning about next week’s film choice.