The South Korean horror blockbuster Exhuma makes its way to the US. The film delivers both scares and a twisty narrative that will have even the most jaded horror fans engaged.
The legend Choi Min-sik plays a grizzled burnt-out Geomancer forced to team up with a Korean shaman (Kim Go-eun) and her protégé (Lee Do-hyun) to battle the greatest supernatural force the trio has ever seen in the adroitly constructed Exhuma.
What is a Geomancer?
Don’t worry about it. Exhuma the amazing new South Korean Horror film from writer/director Jang Jae-hyun does an excellent job in its breezy 134-minute run time of showing what a Geomancer does. Think part Fung Shui architect part Demonologist.
At the core of the film which spans across three countries, four time frames, and at least two planes of existence is an adroitly told tale that is as scary as it is concerned with its countries’ various Japanese occupations. Exhuma never feels like it’s making statements about those relationships rather it’s the textual underpinnings that add a layer to an already stuffed narrative (in the best way possible). The film is almost breathless in its innovation and refusal to adhere to narrative norms of the possession genre. Exhuma as written by Jang Jae-hyun is as clever and knowing about horror and possession horror specifically as anything Shane Black has written in action films.
In fact, writer/director Jang’s film is one of the cleverest horror films of recent memory. Exhuma keeps its audience on its toes, delighting in subverting one’s expectations. Not in one’s unfamiliarity with Korean demonology but in the construction of the story itself. There’s not just a sense of discovery and play but serious mythos building that adds layer upon layer until its wild epic finale. A finale that even the most seasoned of horror viewers will not see coming.
In the final moments of Exhuma horror fans will be saddened. Not because of a dip in quality but because of the discovery of a truly great world that one immediately wants to dive back into. In that regard, Exhuma delivers unexpectedly as seems to be the occurrence in 2024 (see Immaculate, Abigail, and The First Omen).
The South Korean horror blockbuster Exhuma makes its way to the US. The film delivers both scares and a twisty narrative that will have even the most jaded horror fans engaged.
The legend Choi Min-sik plays a grizzled burnt-out Geomancer forced to team up with a Korean shaman (Kim Go-eun) and her protégé (Lee Do-hyun) to battle the greatest supernatural force the trio has ever seen in the adroitly constructed Exhuma.
What is a Geomancer?
Don’t worry about it. Exhuma the amazing new South Korean Horror film from writer/director Jang Jae-hyun does an excellent job in its breezy 134-minute run time of showing what a Geomancer does. Think part Fung Shui architect part Demonologist.
At the core of the film which spans across three countries, four time frames, and at least two planes of existence is an adroitly told tale that is as scary as it is concerned with its countries’ various Japanese occupations. Exhuma never feels like it’s making statements about those relationships rather it’s the textual underpinnings that add a layer to an already stuffed narrative (in the best way possible). The film is almost breathless in its innovation and refusal to adhere to narrative norms of the possession genre. Exhuma as written by Jang Jae-hyun is as clever and knowing about horror and possession horror specifically as anything Shane Black has written in action films.
In fact, writer/director Jang’s film is one of the cleverest horror films of recent memory. Exhuma keeps its audience on its toes, delighting in subverting one’s expectations. Not in one’s unfamiliarity with Korean demonology but in the construction of the story itself. There’s not just a sense of discovery and play but serious mythos building that adds layer upon layer until its wild epic finale. A finale that even the most seasoned of horror viewers will not see coming.
In the final moments of Exhuma horror fans will be saddened. Not because of a dip in quality but because of the discovery of a truly great world that one immediately wants to dive back into. In that regard, Exhuma delivers unexpectedly as seems to be the occurrence in 2024 (see Immaculate, Abigail, and The First Omen).
Exhuma Debuts on Digital June 4
Share this:
Like this:
Discover more from The Movie Isle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.