Review: “Exhuma”★★★★
Exhuma” is the kind of film that leaves a lifelong impression, due to its compelling storyline and impressive production quality. Although its horror elements are not quite overt, the entire film is shrouded in an unsettling atmosphere capable of sending shivers down your spine. With an atmosphere of constant tension, it keeps you on the seat's edge throughout. While weaving together themes of spirituality, the supernatural and Korean-Japanese history, Exhuma stands out as a compelling occult horror movie that is well worthy of viewing.
“A shaman and a geomancer must lift a dark curse and exhume a corpse from a mountaintop tomb on the border between South and North Korea in this dense folkloric horror.”
Less than a week after its release, “Exhuma” became the highest-grossing Korean film of 2024 to report so far, ousting Timothée Chalamet-starring “Wonka” from the top spot after its delayed release in Korea. The other big film of the moment, Chalamet's “Dune: Part 2,” has been second in Korea for three consecutive weekends, following in the wake of “Exhuma.”
With almost a month later, this makes “Exhuma” $67.8 million from 9.3 million ticket sales, crossing the nine million mark four days ahead of last year's top-grossing Korean film, a historical drama titled “12.12: The Day”. This makes “Exhuma” the highest-grossing Korean occult horror film by far, and also places it among the top 25 highest-grossing films in the country.
The plot begins with Hwarim (Kim Go-eun), a shaman, and Bong Gil (Lee Do-hyun), called in by Park Ji Yong (Kim Jae-cheol), a wealthy Korean-American, to diagnose the mysterious illness afflicting the family's newborn son. Upon Hwarim's arrival, it becomes clear that a sinister curse has plagued the family for years. To tackle the task, he enlists the help of Kim Sang Deok (Choi Min-sik), a geomancer and Feng Shui expert, and his apprentice Ko Young Geun (Yoo Hae-jin). Together, the four decide to break the curse by excavating the body of the family patriarch from his mountaintop grave on the border between North and South Korea. As they delve deeper into their investigation, the characters encounter a series of inexplicable events that blur the boundaries between the physical and supernatural worlds.
What does set Exhuma distinctly apart is its rich and detailed cultural symbolism. While Korean author Na Hong-jin scratches the surface as a crash course in Korean folklore, Exhuma keeps poking and digging some more, uncovering a history of ritual beliefs and practices, bones and all. Drawing on Korean shamanism, Buddhism, Christianity and related traditions, such as feng shui, cremation rituals and myriad omens, the film benefits from a basic and nuanced understanding of Korean spirituality. However, the script excels at articulating its rules, ensuring easy comprehension and an exacerbated terror that will leave you wanting to delve even deeper.
Either way, positive word-of-mouth will help “Exhuma” more in the long run, and that's especially true of genre films like this one, which are often more likely to translate into international hit. Horror tropes are universal to some extent - everyone gets scared - and the visual aspect can help attract casual viewers more visually averse to subtitled cinema. South Korean films, in particular, have a great reputation in the horror genre, and there's also the fact that scary movies, in general, continue to attract a more reliable - not to mention more money-earning - audience after COVID. Think “Five Nights at Freddy's,” “Scream VI” and “M3GAN,” to name just a few from last year.
But don't let the cultural immersion scare you off: the film is also a multivocal mix of horror subgenres that everyone can sink their teeth into. The story, told in two parts, goes from a run-of-the-mill exorcism nightmare to an unexpected creature feature with an unmistakable narrative style.
This movie offers outstanding performances, particularly Choi Mon-sik as Kim Sang Deok. As a geomancer and Feng Shui expert who guides families on burial sites, his performance is exceptional. This occult horror seamlessly blends omens, feng shui, spirits and shamanic practices into a captivating narrative. Jang Jae Hyun's expert direction and Lee Mo-gae's cinematography enhance the immersive experience. Thanks to its depth and departure from typical horror tropes, this film stands out and is gripping.
