Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysAPA Heritage MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)

Thirst

Original title: Bakjwi
  • 20092009
  • RR
  • 2h 14m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
46K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Kang-ho Song and Kim Ok-bin in Bakjwi (2009)
Here's a clip from the movie Thirst.
Play clip2:23
Thirst
7 Videos
87 Photos
  • Drama
  • Fantasy
  • Horror

Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is stricken with vampirism and is forced to abandon his ascetic ways.Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is stricken with vampirism and is forced to abandon his ascetic ways.Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is stricken with vampirism and is forced to abandon his ascetic ways.

IMDb RATING
7.1/10
46K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Park Chan-wook
  • Writers
    • Émile Zola(inspired by "Thérèse Raquin")
    • Park Chan-wook(screenplay by)
    • Seo-kyeong Jeong(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Kang-ho Song
    • Kim Ok-bin
    • Hee-jin Choi
Top credits
  • Director
    • Park Chan-wook
  • Writers
    • Émile Zola(inspired by "Thérèse Raquin")
    • Park Chan-wook(screenplay by)
    • Seo-kyeong Jeong(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Kang-ho Song
    • Kim Ok-bin
    • Hee-jin Choi
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 138User reviews
    • 257Critic reviews
    • 73Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 17 wins & 19 nominations

    Videos7

    Thirst -- Redband Trailer
    Trailer 2:04
    Thirst -- Redband Trailer
    Thirst
    Clip 2:23
    Thirst
    Thirst -- "Can You Bend This?"
    Clip 2:04
    Thirst -- "Can You Bend This?"
    Thirst -- "Hospital Room"
    Clip 1:49
    Thirst -- "Hospital Room"
    Thirst -- "Shoes"
    Clip 1:08
    Thirst -- "Shoes"
    Thirst -- "Vampires Are Cuter Than I Thought'"
    Clip 2:01
    Thirst -- "Vampires Are Cuter Than I Thought'"
    Thirst -- "I'm Not Catholic"
    Clip 1:06
    Thirst -- "I'm Not Catholic"

    Photos87

    Park Chan-wook in Bakjwi (2009)
    Kim Ok-bin in Bakjwi (2009)
    Kang-ho Song in Bakjwi (2009)
    Kang-ho Song and Kim Ok-bin in Bakjwi (2009)
    Shin Ha-kyun and Kim Ok-bin in Bakjwi (2009)
    Kang-ho Song and Mercedes Cabral in Bakjwi (2009)
    Kim Ok-bin in Bakjwi (2009)
    Park Chan-wook at an event for Bakjwi (2009)
    Park Chan-wook at an event for Bakjwi (2009)
    Bakjwi (2009)
    Kang-ho Song and Kim Ok-bin in Bakjwi (2009)
    Kang-ho Song and Kim Ok-bin in Bakjwi (2009)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kang-ho Song
    Kang-ho Song
    • Sang-hyunas Sang-hyun
    Kim Ok-bin
    Kim Ok-bin
    • Tae-juas Tae-ju
    Hee-jin Choi
    • Nurse Saas Nurse Sa
    Seo Dong-soo
    Seo Dong-soo
    • Hyo-sungas Hyo-sung
    Hwa-ryong Lee
    • Doctor Kuas Doctor Ku
    Ra Mi-ran
    Ra Mi-ran
    • Nurse Yuas Nurse Yu
    In-hwan Park
    In-hwan Park
    • Priest Rohas Priest Roh
    • (as Park In-hwan)
    Eriq Ebouaney
    Eriq Ebouaney
    • Emmanuel Research Directoras Emmanuel Research Director
    • (as Eriq Ebouney)
    Thati Pele
    • Emmanuel Research Nunas Emmanuel Research Nun
    • (as Onthatile Peele)
    Jong-ryol Choi
    • Grandfatheras Grandfather
    Yong-wan Goo
    • Devoteeas Devotee
    Hwang Woo-seul-hye
    Hwang Woo-seul-hye
    • Whistle Girlas Whistle Girl
    Kim Hae-sook
    Kim Hae-sook
    • Mrs. Raas Mrs. Ra
    Shin Ha-kyun
    Shin Ha-kyun
    • Kang-wooas Kang-woo
    Dal-su Oh
    Dal-su Oh
    • Young-duas Young-du
    • (as Oh Dal-su)
    Mercedes Cabral
    Mercedes Cabral
    • Evelynas Evelyn
    Song Young-Chang
    Song Young-Chang
    • Seung-daeas Seung-dae
    • (as Song Young-chang)
    Cheol-woo Han
    • Investigatoras Investigator
    • Director
      • Park Chan-wook
    • Writers
      • Émile Zola(inspired by "Thérèse Raquin")
      • Park Chan-wook(screenplay by)
      • Seo-kyeong Jeong(screenplay by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
    7.5
    Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
    Lady Vengeance
    7.5
    Lady Vengeance
    Joint Security Area
    7.8
    Joint Security Area
    I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK
    7.0
    I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK
    The Handmaiden
    8.1
    The Handmaiden
    A Tale of Two Sisters
    7.1
    A Tale of Two Sisters
    Mother
    7.8
    Mother
    Three... Extremes
    6.9
    Three... Extremes
    The Chaser
    7.8
    The Chaser
    Stoker
    6.8
    Stoker
    The Host
    7.1
    The Host
    I Saw the Devil
    7.8
    I Saw the Devil

    Storyline

    Edit
    Sang-hyun, a priest working for a hospital, selflessly volunteers for a secret vaccine development project intended to eradicate a deadly virus. However, the virus eventually takes over the priest. He nearly dies, but makes a miraculous recovery by an accidental transfusion of vampire blood. He realizes his sole reason for living: the pleasures of the flesh. —Pusan International Film Festival
    • vampire
    • death by sunrise
    • 2000s
    • wheelchair
    • south korea
    • 132 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Lusting after sinful pleasures.
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Horror
      • Romance
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for graphic bloody violence, disturbing images, strong sexual content, nudity and language
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The first mainstream Korean film to feature full-frontal male nudity
    • Quotes

      Priest Sang-hyeon: Grant me the following in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Like a leper rotting in flesh, let all avoid me. Like a cripple without limbs, let me not move freely. Remove my cheeks, tht tears may not roll down them. Crush my lips and tongue, that I may not sin with them. Pull out my nails, that I may not grasp nothing. Let my shoulders and back be bent, that I may carry nothing. Like a man with tumor in the head let me lack judgment. Ravage my body sworn to chastity leave me with no pride, and have me live in shame. Let no one pray for me. But only the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.

    • Alternate versions
      On the South Korean and French Blu-ray editions, there is a director's cut featuring 13 minutes of new footage, including extended versions of many scenes.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Ugly Truth/G-Force/Orphan (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Ich habe genug
      (Cantata BWV 82)

      Written by Johann Sebastian Bach

    User reviews138

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    A heretic genre piece from Park Chan-wook
    A vampire love story loosely based on Émile Zola's THERESE RAQUIN, Chan-wook Park's THIRST (its original Korean title literally means: bat) is a blood-soaked psychological thriller about a Catholic priest Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), after experiencing a death-defying recovery owing to an undisclosed blood transfusion during his volunteer mission to find a vaccine for a deadly virus, he becomes the only survivor among all the infected, which attracts many devotees to worship him as a miracle from God. But the reality is that a craving for human blood has been commenced after the incident, the virus is still plaguing him, his skin is afflicted with blisters, only human blood can prohibit the symptoms and turn him into a nighttime creature endowed with all its well-established trappings like self- recovery, human-exceeding agility and strength.

    So he becomes a vampire priest, battles his thirst for blood and sexual lust aroused by his metamorphosis, and also, it is a game-changer for his devout faith. He is reunited with his childhood friend Kang-woo (Shin), who is diagnosed with cancer, and his mother Lady Ra (Kim Hae-suk). But it is Tae-ju (Kim OK-bin), Kang-woo's wife, who is an orphan raised in the household, en-kindles Sang-hyun's repressed desire, deeply affected by Tae-ju's wretched story of being abused by both Kang-woo and Lady Ra, he ventures into a sexual relationship with her, eventually leads to a premeditated murder, afterwards, both plagued by guilt and haunted by the dead, their rapport internally disrupts when Sang-hyun finds out Tae-ju's ulterior motive, after a violent commotion, Tae-ju has been brought back to life as a vampire. The rest of the story can be viewed as a doomed romance driven by the incongruous nature between a man and a woman who may or may not love him.

    The film harvests a Jury Prize in Cannes 2009, a massive domestic box-office champion too, it highly encapsulates Park Chan-wook's stylishness of drenching gore with nimble camera-movement and lurid colour scheme, paves the way for his next step into mainstream Hollywood with big star vehicle STOKER (2013). Notably, it also inquires into one's utmost challenge to his religious belief, Sang-hyun is as much as tormented by the ascetic canons of Catholicism as his sexual impulse and blood-thirst after the infection, until the final abandonment of his saintly embodiment before he meets the crucifixion.

    Song Kang-ho, the most bankable film star in South Korea, diverts from his regular kind guy persona, embraces his fatalistic destruction with compassionate commitment, flares up with retro sheen under Chan-wook's slick versatility either in CGI-embroidered sequences or the claustrophobic settings where blood is running amok. Kim OK-bin, a newcomer then, triumphantly trumps all the veterans in her stunning depiction of Tae-ju's conflicted personalities and raw seduction, both actors also bravely engage in stark nude scenes which are still not common to be seen on the mainstream territory. Kim Hae-suk, as Lady Ra, achieves a different kind of thrill using only her eyeballs to dictate the most compelling set piece of suspense, and remains as the most uncertain variable up until the very end, indeed, all three performances are mind-blowing in this heretic genre piece, and Park Chan- wook is destined to continue his streak as an iconoclast condemning the morbid society by spiking bloodshed into violence and sex in a more global scope.
    helpful•8
    1
    • lasttimeisaw
    • Jun 3, 2015

    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the Original Version and the Extended Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 30, 2009 (South Korea)
    • Countries of origin
      • South Korea
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official site (en)
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Languages
      • Korean
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Bat
    • Filming locations
      • Seoul, South Korea
    • Production companies
      • CJ Entertainment
      • Focus Features International
      • Benex Movie Expert Fund
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $5,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $318,574
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $55,889
      • Aug 2, 2009
    • Gross worldwide
      • $13,085,023
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 14 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    ‘Decision To Leave’: Watch The New Trailer & The First 2 Clips From Park Chan-Wook’s Cannes Romantic Murder Mystery
    ‘Decision To Leave’: Watch The New Trailer & The First 2 Clips From Park Chan-Wook’s Cannes Romantic Murder Mystery
    May 9The Playlist
    Decision To Leave Teaser: Park Chan-Wook Returns With A New Mystery Thriller
    Decision To Leave Teaser: Park Chan-Wook Returns With A New Mystery Thriller
    May 6Slash Film

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Kang-ho Song and Kim Ok-bin in Bakjwi (2009)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Bakjwi (2009) officially released in India in Hindi?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:14
    The Most Anticipated Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    Watch the video

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.