Thirst

A respected priest volunteers for a cutting edge treatment that promises to cure a deadly virus gripping the city. The procedure takes a turn and the man dies, only to be revived by a transfusion from an unknown donor. The revival comes with a heavy price: a private battle between his vows and a dangerous, growing hunger that no sermon can tame. As he tries to remain true to his calling, his body and mind betray him in small yet shocking ways. The crisis of faith collides with a blossoming compulsion he can neither ignore nor fully explain. A forbidden attraction to a childhood friend's wife further complicates this dangerous double life. The mood blends elegance with menace, and the film moves with a slow, hypnotic rhythm that makes the moral questions feel deeply personal.

Released in 2009, the film is directed by Park Chan-wook. It weaves a narrative inspired by Émile Zola's Thérèse Raquin, with Chung Seo-kyung adapting and shaping the material for a modern cinematic lens, featuring Song Kang-ho in the lead.

The film sparked debates about the limits of faith and appetite and earned notice for its visuals and restrained mood. Critics highlight its audacious blend of devotion, sexuality, and supernatural dread as a standout entry in late 2000s horror drama, watched for its bold take on desire worldwide.

Critics praised the atmosphere and the performances, highlighting Song Kang-ho and Kim Ok-bin as magnetic leads. The movie is read as a stark meditation on desire and guilt, and as a stylish collision of arthouse storytelling with grindhouse intensity, inviting discussion about moral choice and lasting consequences.

Box office figures show a worldwide gross of about 13.1 million against a 5 million budget, signaling solid performance for a genre bending art house thriller with international appeal. World markets welcomed the film's bold approach.