It’s been 20 years since Bong Joon Ho’s The Host premiered in theaters. The 2006 film preceded some of the writer-director’s better known works (in the U.S., at least), which include 2013’s Snowpiercer, 2017’s Okja, 2019’s Parasite, and 2025’s Mickey 17, and based on the 4K trailer released today, it looks like a compelling one.
That’s right, the film is headed back to theaters for its 20th anniversary, though this version has been restored to 4K and also features a conversation with Bong Joon Ho and Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World).
In The Host, a young girl is abducted by a creature that crawls out of the Han River. Here’s the official synopsis, which lays out the movie in more detail:
The Host follows Gang-du (Song Kang-ho), who works at a food stand on the banks of the Han River. Dozing on the job, he is awakened by his daughter, Hyun-seo (Ko A-sung), who is angry with him for missing a teacher-parent meeting at school. As Gang-du heads to the riverbank with a delivery, he notices a large crowd gathered, taking pictures and talking about something hanging from the Han River Bridge. The otherwise idyllic landscape suddenly descends into bedlam when a terrifying creature climbs onto the riverbank and begins crushing and devouring people. Gang-du and his daughter run for their lives, but the creature suddenly grabs Hyun-seo and disappears back into the water. The government announces that the monstrous creature is apparently the Host of an unidentified virus. Having feared the worst, Gang-du is stunned when he receives a phone call from his daughter. She is frightened—but very much alive. Determined to rescue her, Gang-du soon makes plans to infiltrate the forbidden zone near the Han River and save his daughter from the clutches of the horrifying Host.
The trailer is well worth a watch—the 4K-ness of it all stands out, and the commentary the film is making is just as terrifying as the monster itself.
You can watch it in theaters in select locations on November 21 and 23 (you can buy tickets here), and it will also be available on digital starting on November 30, 2026.
Check out the trailer below, if you need more convincing.
