- Director : Jang Jae-hyun
- Actors : Choi Min-Sik, Kim Go-Eun, Yoo Hai-Jin, Lee Do-Hyun
- Dubbed: : English
- Subtitles: : English, French Canadian
- Language : English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Korean (DTS 5.1)
- Studio : Well Go Usa
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : Subtitled, Blu-ray
- Run time : 2 hours and 14 minutes
- Release date : October 8, 2024
Exorcism horror
movies have become much more common in South Korean cinema following the
success The Wailing (2016) achieved by revising the sub-genre’s tropes. The
Divine Fury (2019) similarly altered the usual formula by adding action
sequences to the horror narrative, with mixed results. While Exhuma does
not make as many efforts to reinvent the sub-genre, it does feel tied to the
national cinema in ways that are compelling. Unfortunately, its unorthodox
approach also demands a lot of patience from viewers in the first half of the
lengthy movie.
An ensemble cast
of characters is partially to blame for the slower pace in the beginning of the
movie, as each character must be introduced, while also establishing the
relationships they each have with each other. What overcomplicates Exhuma
in the first half, however, ends up being an asset in the film’s conclusion,
when these relationships and the time spent developing them begins to payoff,
raising the emotional stakes of the narrative. First introduced as they go out
on individual jobs, the team of experts are then brought together by a
particularly threatening case of a vengeful spirit. The group is led by a
well-respected geomancer named Kim
Sang-deok (Choi Min-sik), who is joined by mortician Go Yeong-geun (Yoo
Hai-jin), renowned shaman Lee Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun), and her protégé Yoon
Bong-gil (Lee Do-hyun).
These four are
hired by a wealthy family who believes a curse has been affecting the
first-born children for generations, leading to unexplained illnesses. In an
effort to remove the supernatural curse, the team excavates a long-hidden
family grave located on sacred ground, only to discover an additional menacing
threat buried deep in the earth, resulting in a presence that continues to
cause harm even after the relocation of the ancestral remains. Despite being
experts in their fields, each member of the team is challenged by the unknown
elements, which threatens their safety along with the cursed family members
hiding secrets of their own.
While there are
some frightening sequences in the second half of Exhuma, impatient
viewers may find that they come too late and aren’t enough to warrant the
lengthy run-time. While the horror is delayed some by the efforts to develop
the characters and their relationships to each other, this does help make the
events of the narrative more impactful. By the time the resolution has arrived,
there is far more emotional resonance than typically found in the genre, and
this is entirely due to the time spent establishing the connections tying the
protagonists together.
The Blu-ray
release for Exhuma provides the audience with a high-definition
presentation of the horror spectacle, in addition to a few extras contained on
the disc. The highlight is a making-of featurette, but the extras also include
the film’s theatrical trailer.
Entertainment Value: 6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
Special Features: 4/10
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