Exhuma (original) (raw)

Summary When a renowned shaman (Kim Go-Eun) and her protégé (Lee Do-hyun) are hired by a wealthy, enigmatic family, they begin investigating the cause of a disturbing supernatural illness that affects only the first-born children of each generation. With the help of a knowledgeable mortician (Yoo Hai-jin) and the country’s most revered geomancer...

My Score

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Exhuma is a masterpiece of art-horror and South Korean filmmaking, ensured to enthrall viewers into repeated viewings and deep dives into each chapter.

Writer/director Jang Jae-hyun’s Exhuma bobs and weaves in ways American exorcism stories couldn’t fathom.

Exhuma is a fantastic film—truly the new The Wailing. Not only as a horror film but also among the year's best. With its layered horror structure, akin to the graves in the film, it offers a magnificent piece of folkloric horror. I highly recommend it to everyone.

'Exhuma' is divided into two parts: while the first unfolds a multigenerational family drama (which also functions as a social and class critique), the second becomes a political manifesto. It transmits the suffering a nation like Korea experiences as a Japanese colony. Presenting this as a folk horror film, Jang Jae-hyun delves into the traumas and grief of a society that still cannot heal several wounds from the past; exhuming graves (the crux of this story), then, becomes a dangerous task in search of catharsis. With several disturbing images, unexpected twists, remarkable performances, and a story that captivates you from beginning to end, 'Exhuma' does live up to expectations.

Plenty happens in Exhuma, which branches out from its home base in South Korea, briefly touching down in America, with added references to Japan. It can make for a crowded narrative, launching several storylines of unsettled spirits and ghostly miscreants. Yet Hyun's story is told efficiently enough not to seem convoluted or aimless.

Even though Exhuma may exist as a wellspring threatening to drown in ideas possibly better suited for multiple films, Jang Jae-hyun has still managed to bring to life a compelling story about something that should remain dead.

The third act has higher stakes and violence and rituals that race against a clock. But by then the story’s spell has dissipated, and any hope the tale might twist into something scarier, sadder or funnier is long gone.

This is the number one Korean film of 2024, and it's an interesting mix of procedural, mystery and supernatural horror that proved to be a successful mix for Korean (and International) audiences alike. Entertaining and worth a look.

Exhuma masterfully employs a suspenseful atmosphere and a unique blend of folklore and mystery. The movie explores horror themes that are both unsettling and thought-provoking.

Jae-hyun Jang, who directed Sabaha is quite adept at religious thriller genres. The first half of the film does a great job building atmosphere and the pacing of the plot is very engaging; however, the latter half’s story style doesn’t quite align with the first half, potentially causing a sense of disconnection.

Production Company MCMC, Pinetown Production, Showbox Entertainment

Release Date Mar 15, 2024

Duration 2 h 14 m

Tagline The Vicious Emerges

Baek Sang Art Awards

• 4 Wins & 6 Nominations

Udine Far East Film Festival

Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film (BIFFF)