Though he demonstrates the sort of pyrotechnic flair Hollywood usually lays claim to, South Korean director Bong Joon-ho is far more interested in storytelling than in explosions. Make no mistake: his brilliant third feature, The Host, is a monster movie. But it's also an exquisite drama that dissects familial messiness with humor and poignancy-and shows how tragedy can strengthen bonds while avoiding sentimentality. The tragedy in question is precipitated by the arrival of a mutant creature on Seoul's Han River, and the family is the Park clan: patriarch Hie-bong and his children-bumbling son Gang-du, daughter/champion archer Nam-joo, and bad boy Nam-il. When the monster snatches Gang-du's daughter, the Parks set out to save her, showing remarkable determination, resourcefulness, and capacity for bickering. A massive success at the South Korean box office, The Host echoes recent history in a manner both respectful and satirical. It is a twenty-first-century blockbuster that's one for the ages.