Chemicals dumped into South Korea's Han River create a giant mutant tadpole that unfurls under Seoul's bridges to chomp on unsuspecting citizens, in Memories of Murder director Bong Joon-ho's entertaining horror. A huge blockbuster in Asia, the film is a combination of Jaws-type shocks, character-driven suspense and heartfelt human drama, as spunky schoolgirl Ko Ah-sung fights for survival against the kidnapping monster while her frayed family desperately searches for her. Joon-ho cleverly upgrades Godzilla-style mayhem with socio-political commentary, as the mystified government comes up with a typically knee-jerk response to the threat. The CGI monster is terrific and, although some of the quirky humour is a little tiresome, The Host is a thrilling and scary creature feature.

A teenage girl is captured by a giant mutated squid-like creature that appears from Seoul's Han River after toxic waste was dumped in it, prompting her family into a frantic search for her.