Exhuma(파묘) Korean Film Thoughts

 

  

   Exhuma is a South Korean film that finished off it's box office run as the six highest grossing film in Korean cinema history. First place was occupied by the film at opening week and then, most reviews worldwide raved about the film's scary atmosphere. I went in to this film not knowing what to expect. Kim Go Eun, Lee do Hyun, Choi Min Sik, and more star in the feature film directed by Jang Jae Hyun. 

   A group of exorcists and funeral grave movers come together to help a family said to be possessed by their grandfather's ghost. little do everyone know that more lies inside of graves than just the remains of the dead. Something should be left undisturbed.     

     This film is a slow burn that unfolds in different chapters. Each chapter tells you something about the characters and why this case is so important. A mystery occurs in the question of why this haunting is happening to this Korean American family or why is the location of the family member's grave in such an odd place. There's a good build up of tension as well as a dive into the subject of shamanism through the two main characters. Some of the rituals are more funny than disturbing in my opinion. Still, the ghost haunting the family was pretty fun scares, however, the overall film didn't give me what the film set me up to believe that I would get. I just personally didn't find Exhuma to be very scary at all. The tension had me on the edge of my seat, only for the "monster" to not be that terrifying. A hint of anti Japanese sentiment  is in a certain point of the film that kept throwing me off. I guess the feeling makes sense from a historical stand point but I don't think a ghost being Japanese should make too much of a difference. An evil ghost is an evil ghost. 

   The performances from the cast was good enough. I especially like the family and the ghosts. They all bring a sense of mysterious chill to the story. 

   Exhuma did disappoint me a bit. So many reviews said how scary this film was. I was just like, "thats it?" Maybe i'm a little spoiled for choice because I grew up with such amazing Korean horror films. This wasn't one of them even though I didn't hate Exhuma at all.