Check out our cheeky sneak preview of Thirst above - the whole gory film condensed into ten seconds - wow!

This is the scandalous tale of Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a devoted priest taking part in a medical experiment to find a cure for a plague-like virus. Dying for his selflessness, he’s resurrected as someone whose survival depends on the consumption of human blood.

Now possessed by superhuman powers and carnal urges, he embarks on a seriously fucked-up affair with oppressed housewife Tae-ju (Kim Ok-vin). It’s a doomed relationship in which the compulsive duo deliriously spin out of control in a maelstrom of sex, violence and guilt – accompanied by an ever-mounting body count.

Those familiar with the South Korean director’s earlier movies will already know to expect the unexpected in blood-spattered spades. So despite Park giving innumerable nods to fanged folklore, the narrative prefers to contemplate one person’s struggle between good and evil. A holy man who, through his beliefs, is cruelly transformed into a monster, then leads a tortured, faith-questioning existence, while indulging in the deadliest of sins.

Park delivers this using a dazzling mix of horror, melodrama and black comedy. Although the flick begins with a scene-setting seriousness, Park starts gradually increasing the claret-related humour. By the climax, any sense of reality has flown out of the window in a full-on flurry of Itchy And Scratchy-esque absurdity.

However, Thirst’s not without its flaws. Sometimes the pacing’s sluggish and there’s often a lack of logic and cohesion. You can forgive this though, thanks to Park’s trademark inventive set-pieces and berserk juxtaposition of themes and emotions.

Plus, there’s plenty of gore-hound satisfying slaughter, not to mention a hearty serving of screwing for those who enjoy sauce with their shocks.

Ultimately, Thirst is a daring and innovative example of cinema at its most bizarre. Little wonder then that it was awarded the coveted Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.