Exhuma Review | South Korea’s Gripping New Occult Thriller

Be careful what you dig for. Well, that’s not exactly how the expression goes, but a new supernatural horror film out of South Korea proves there could be plenty to fear below the dirt and not just what’s in sight. From writer-director Jang Jae-Hyun (Svaha: The Sixth Finger), Exhuma – just uttering the title might send an off-kilter chill down your spine – enlists an impressive cast to round out a stellar ensemble piece that, once it finds its groove in the second act, becomes addictively thrilling until the climactic and otherworldly third act.

Veteran actor Choi Min-Sik, who stole the show in both the revenge classic I Saw the Devil (2010) and the timeless Oldboy (2003), leads the charge as a famed geomancer, or earth shaman. He and his team may or may not uncover something supernatural at work as they excavate a certain grave in search of a long-running disease that’s wreaked havoc on a wealthy family that wants answers. Brace yourselves, folks. This is peak South Korean horror with a twist or two.

The Sinister Presence in Exhuma

One could argue that Exhuma has something for everyone, including a pair of young, attractive leads that might mislead you into thinking you’re in store for a modern romance. Nope. Meet the beautiful shaman Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun), who seems to make a killing by appeasing spirits in present-day Korea – and Japan even, when duty calls.

By her side is charming lad Bong-gil (Lee Do-hyun), Hwa-rim’s sharp protégé – and not her lover. They’re aboard a flight for an exciting new gig: to investigate the cause of an alleged supernatural illness that supposedly only affects the firstborn child of each generation in a wealthy family that’s shelling out the cash. They’ve even shipped their baby to the U.S. for extra-special medical care, but Hwa-rim is touched down in Asia to find out how it all started.

Said ordeal proves to be more elaborate than one might think, leading Hwa-rim to enlist geomancer Kim Sang-duk (Min-sik) and his wise-cracking mortician pal Ko Young-geun (Yoo Hae-jin), serving as the film’s comic relief. Their banter across this otherwise dark tale serves as a sort of ongoing bright spot that helps keep the mood somewhat light as they navigate the tough job. First comes the grave excavation in an effort to get to the literal root of the issue – but when they sense something’s just generally off about the burial site, they decide to “exhume” (hence the title) and relocate the family’s ancestral remains.

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Exhuma Unleashes Its Evil on a Massive Scale

Exhuma

3.5/5

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 (CHOI Min-sik), they soon trace the affliction’s origin to a long-hidden family grave located on sacred ground.

Release Date June 14, 2024

Director Jang Jae-hyun

Cast Choi Min-sik , Kim Go-eun , Yoo Hae-jin , Lee Do-Hyun , and Kim Sun-young

Runtime 2h 14m

Writers Jang Jae-hyun

Studio(s) Showbox , Pinetown Productions , and MCMC

Distributor(s) Showbox

Pros

• The cast is extremely solid, Choi Min-Sik especially.
• There’s a pulse-pounding final act and excellent post-production.

Cons

• Exhuma takes much too long to get going, and the culturally specific supernatural elements may be alienating to some horror fans.

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But then, something a bit outrageous happens: When an innocent digger spots what he thinks is a pesky snake crawling across the enormous hole they’ve just dug, something darkly spiritual emanates from its horrid mouth – which may or may not be shaped like that of a human being. Wait, what?!

A sinister presence may have been awoken and released into the air we breathe, setting into motion an international disaster spanning across Korea, Japan, and even North America. And by “disaster,” we don’t mean tsunamis or monstrous invasions. With this thrilling new occult offering, Exhuma instead involves evil forces taking possession of certain protagonists’ bodies and minds, thereby tickling the fancy of any Exorcist franchise fanatics out there.

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Choi Min-Sik: The Good Guy This Time

South Korean fan-favorite actor Choi Min-Sik is at a sort of Gary Oldman-like stage in his career these days, one could argue. Both award-winning performers are later in their careers, now veering for more aged but begrudgingly likable characters on the big screen. Oldman, after all, once played Lee Harvey Oswald in his heyday, along with the truly devilish villain of Leon the Professional, while Min-Sik was once the nightmarish serial killer in I Saw the Devil.

More recently, in Exhuma, Choi Min-Sik radiates utter favorability as the geomancer with that perpetual concerned grandpa look to him throughout this intense tale, which successfully remains grounded due to its relatable character archetypes and rapport in this present-day setting.

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Some of the film’s ritualistic themes and culturally specific scenes might alienate the more mainstream, Blumhouse-era horror fans, however. Watch as Hwa-rim often struts her elaborate moves in order to connect with ancestral spirits. But even if this isn’t your thing, Exhuma cleverly intercuts these elaborate ritual sequences via high-concept editing with the plotlines involving the wealthy client’s baby in the U.S. hospital, a central character getting possessed by unleashed evil spirits, and more. It’s the kind of fast-paced post-production that would make auteurs like Ben Wheatley proud.

And watch out for a Stranger Things-esque third act that keeps you guessing which of the principal characters will live to tell the tale. It’s no longer really a question of, “What caused the family illness?” but rather, “How do we stop it from killing the rest of us?” From Well Go USA, Exhuma is now available on digital platforms like YouTube, Google Play, and Prime Video through the link below:

Watch Exhuma

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