Thirst

Play trailer

Thirst

R

2009

2h 13m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

119 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a respected priest, volunteers for an experimental procedure that may lead to a cure for a deadly virus. He gets infected and dies, but a blood transfusion of unknown origin brings him back to life as a vampire. Now, Sang-hyun is torn between faith and bloodlust, and has a newfound desire for Tae-ju (Kim Ok-bin), the wife of his childhood friend.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

The stylish Thirst packs plenty of bloody thrills to satisfy fans of both vampire films and director Chan Wook Park.

Read Critics Reviews

Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

10/20/2009

3/5

Park is clearly an exceptional director capable of being weirdly funny, quirkily fantastical, brutal and sexy, sometimes at one and the same time. There's no one quite like him.

Go to Full Review

Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

10/16/2009

With its rapacious appetites and forceful directing style, is definitely a vampire film for grown-ups.

Go to Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

10/16/2009

3/5

Not one of Park's best films, but it has bite.

Go to Full Review

Chance Solem-Pfeifer

Willamette Week

Aug 28

In Park’s hands, the vampire’s sensuous power is immediately an ironic torment.

Go to Full Review

Alisha Mughal

The Asian Cut

10/08/2024

4/5

In turn beautiful and repugnant, saintly and devilish, Thirst is a feast, a ball, an extravaganza of bodies, blood, and life; but it takes its time in getting to it, in the way that we take our time in getting sick.

Go to Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

10/27/2023

He just wants to save people but he emerges as a bloodsucker... a man torn between morality and instinct, faith and desires of the flesh (and blood).

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Kevin L

@Lakeman Mar 1

I'm generally a considerable fan of Chan-wook's films, but this one hit me more like "Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance" than his other films I've seen. Overly long, it could've made for a fine 90-min. or so movie. The original setup, the priest who acts in a charitable, 'godly' manner w/ good intentions dies as a result, but is 'saved' only to become a man driven by blood lust, erotic lust, and the fall that comes with it. Song Kang-ho gives his usual strong performance. Kim Ok-bin is equally good, if not better. Support roles are competently acted. It just got tedious for me. Felt like some themes/ideas were repeated more than necesary as they were clear already. 3.2 stars

See more

Christian K

@ckacar 10/23/2024

Off the rails crazy. With enough bloody and sexual imagery to more than support its runtime. This was awesome.

See more

Emilliano Jr S

@emill_santos 08/16/2024

Overlong for a vampire romance movie.

See more

Hargie M

@RT23951751 07/13/2024

One aspect of "Thirst" that I particularly appreciated was its blend of genres. It’s not just a horror film; it’s also darkly humorous and tragically romantic. This mix keeps the story engaging and unpredictable. The film’s use of religious symbolism and ethical dilemmas adds layers to the narrative, making me reflect on themes of sin, redemption, and the complexities of human desire.

See more

Prabudhjeet A

@RT68997327 06/22/2024

It's Park Chan Wook. Even when he's not at his best, he's at better. Just watch and have your view on this just like how Park Chan Wook showed his vision of the timeless urban legend

See more

Alec B

@Alec97 01/09/2024

Great elements are here (i.e. having the vampire be a Priest, the ways control and desire are intertwined) but I think that ultimately Chan Wook Park couldn't find a compelling way to connect these ideas.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Park Chan-wook

Director

Song Kang-ho

Sang-hyeon

Kim Ok-bin

Tae-ju

Shin Ha-kyun

Kang-u

Kim Hae-sook

Lady Ra

Oh Dal-su

Yeong-du

The Final Destination

28%

35%

The Final Destination

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Final Destination

The Midnight Meat Train

70%

50%

The Midnight Meat Train

Watchlist

Final Destination 5

64%

53%

Final Destination 5

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Final Destination 5

Black Death

72%

49%

Black Death

Watchlist

They Wait

40%

38%

They Wait

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a respected priest, volunteers for an experimental procedure that may lead to a cure for a deadly virus. He gets infected and dies, but a blood transfusion of unknown origin brings him back to life as a vampire. Now, Sang-hyun is torn between faith and bloodlust, and has a newfound desire for Tae-ju (Kim Ok-bin), the wife of his childhood friend.

Director: Park Chan-wook
Producer: Park Chan-wook, Ahn Suhyeon
Screenwriter: Park Chan-wook, Jeong Seo-kyeong
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Moho Film
Rating: R (Graphic Bloody Violence|Disturbing Images|Language|Nudity|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 31, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $296.4K
Runtime: 2h 13m