Now playing at theatres new you
Exhuma (파묘) is one of those rare gems which mixes in folk horror with history, and what’s exhumed for audiences to worry about concerns a terror that must be put back in its place, lest more innocent souls get destroyed. In this film’s case, there’s also a sense of unearthing tensions its citizens had when concerning their relation with the Japanese.
Some ancient spirit hates the Ji-young family, and Park (Kim Jae-cheol) hopes to end the curse once and for all. He hires a locally renowned occultist Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and Bong-gil (Lee Do-hyun) to basically do some ghostbusting. Unlike other works which are steeped in made up lore, this one is steeped in animism and folklore. It gives this film an air of credibility where even I felt at ease. Although the later act gets fanciful, the nuances still make me think twice when disturbing a grave a night!
After verifying their suspicions concerning a baby exhibiting unusual behaviour, Hwa-rim calls upon other specialists back home–Kim Sang-deok (Choi Min-sik), a geomancer, and Yeong-geun (Yoo Hae-jin), an undertaker (pictured below), to finish up. The hope is that after cremating the deceased ancestor, certain evils can be put to rest.
However, when nobody is even aware another force was buried alongside, what happens next comes unexpectedly! There’s a worm with the head of a human that gets stabbed, and I can still hear that cry at night! And as more context is established about why this individual got buried in unconsecrated ground, the reasons offered are scary!
It reminds viewers that in the past, not everyone was treated equally. When Japan invaded Korea long ago, there were sympathisers. The Imjin War is one of those blink, and you’ll miss it references vital to setting up what’s to come! It seems the Ji-young family was involved in modern age shenanigans and a member decided to support the wrong side.
Hwa-rim provides a few supernatural ideas related to that which seems confusing. What she says about Anima is not about how Carl Jung defines it, and I’m still not sure why the map coordinates matter. This plot hole is something I’ll have to examine again, and after writing those numbers down, I’ll have to enter it on Google Maps to see where it points to.
And because this movie is concerned about two spirits rather than one, I had to wonder who was worse–the ghost of the grandfather or the other one whose enmity caused that essence to remain evil. But when the fight becomes more personal with Kim Sang-deok’s team, the challenge is with how they can save one of their own.
While that doesn’t make for a consistent story since the child is no longer the focus, I had to wonder where this film would go next. As a result, I suspect Jae-hyun Jang’s film is about recognizing what makes Korea special more so than anything else. It’s less about who is big brother these days, but instead is about who can be brothers (and sisters) in arms to stand united against a common enemy.
4 Stars out of 5
Exhuma Movie Trailer
