Exhuma movie review: A brilliantly-structured horror-drama that is almost as good as The Wailing

3.5/5

Exhuma story: A shaman and her acquaintance are hired by a wealthy family to ward off the evil that has been haunting their family for generations and lately, a newborn. The duo seek the help of a geomancer and an undertaker, as they decide to dig up a grave and give the ancestor a proper burial. But unknown to them, they also unearth an evil that had and will have far-reaching consequences for everyone involved.

Exhuma review: For the fans of Korean films, the horror film The Wailing is almost like a rite of passage, just like crime thriller Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder. The writing, performances and most importantly the cultural setting of The Wailing is what elevates its appeal. While many would argue that some of the recent horror movies from the Korean films industry have failed to reach the high standards of the movie, filmmaker Jang Jae-hyun is someone who has kept pushing that with his movies The Priests and Svaha: The Sixth Finger. With his third directorial Exhuma, which is currently available on TVOD on BookMyShow Stream, he finally seems to have achieved the goal of showcasing a horror film that is sure to pique the interest of the fans of The Wailing, even though it doesn't quite surpass the film.

Just like Svaha and The Wailing, Jae-hyun has dug deep into Korean culture to weave a tale of horror and suspense, and enough emotions to keep the audience hooked as the movie serves two suspenseful chapters - one a straightforward horror mystery and another a chilling look into a horrific past that mixes occult and history.

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Just like how the story unfolds, there are two varied settings to this film. It starts off in the US, depicting the urban elite life, vestiges of which also carry forward while it moves to Korea. But a major part of the film happens in a mysterious locale up a hill, where foxes circle an ominous grave that hosts snake demons and curious coffins, in a land that is considered cursed. It's in this setting and a Buddhist temple that Exhuma, and its malevolent spirit, takes flight, while its consequences are felt in the urban hospitals and hotels of Los Angeles and Seoul.

Through Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) and Kim Go-eun (Tune in for Love), the filmmaker uses the same duality - as protagonists of two different generations, using their traditional skills as a Feng Shui expert and shaman, to ward off an ancient evil to protect the future. Both actors lend a convincing gravitas to their roles in that film that maintains a sombre tone even as it flits between the edgy cityscapes and rural terrain.

Exhuma is also a film that keeps revealing new information with every watch and a bit of deep dive into Korean-Japanese history makes it even more rewarding. The antagonist here isn't presented as just another vile creature that is baying for blood, but as a superior being who is full of purpose. It tests its human counterparts with questions and conversations, and that's what makes the protagonists task even more tough despite them mostly indulging in grave digging within the limited time they have. Exhuma also talks about how resentful, loneliness can be; how it can corrupt love into vengeance and the several secrets that had to be buried in the past.

Is Exhuma as good as The Wailing? Not quite. Though the historic elements make the second half engrossing, the first half does unfold like a straightforward story. Even as it transcends into a gripping creature feature, Exhuma does lose steam as a lot of it is left for repeat viewing to discern. It's rewarding if you have the patience to find out more, but otherwise it’s a layer that most would overlook. Either way, Exhuma is a film that would make the viewers appreciate its makers for the thought that went into it.

Exhuma verdict: While not as gripping and terrifying as The Wailing, Exhuma is a worthy addition to Korean horror movies that manage to weave historical elements to the suspenseful twists.

Exhuma is currently available on TVOD on BookMyShow Stream.