Exhuma Blu-ray Review

 

• 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