EXHUMA (aka PAMYO, 2024)

New streaming on Shudder!
Directed/Written by Jang Jae-hyun.
Starring Kim Go-eun, Choi Min-sik, Lee Do-hyun, Yoo Hae-jin, Jung Yun-Ha, Hong Seo-jun, Jeon Jin-ki, Kim Jae-cheol, Yeong-ran Lee, Lee Jong-goo, Kim Tae-Joon-Iii, Kim Tae-Joon-Iii
Check out the trailer here!!

A mortician, a geomancer, a shaman and her protégé team up to investigate the mysterious grave of a long-dead South Korean nobleman. But the deeper they dig, the more horrific secrets they uncover as they unleash an evil more powerful than any of them have encountered before.

EXHUMA received an excessive amount of awards and accolades when released in its home country of South Korea. Anyone paying attention to South Korean cinema knows that the country regularly delivers some of the most potent international horror you’re bound to see each and every year. Films like I SAW THE DEVIL, THE MEDIUM, GONJIAM HAUNTED ASYLUM, THE WAILING, A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, THE WITCH, TRAIN TO BUSAN, BEDEVILED, PROJECT WOLF HUNTING, MEMORIES OF MURDER, THE HOST, are but a few of a long list of horror films that if you haven’t seen, you definitely should if you want to call yourself a horror fan. So of course, I had to check this new EXHUMA film out.

And while I do feel that the subject matter has been covered better in other films, mainly THE MEDIUM, EXHUMA proves to be a phenomenal movie; the kind that just doesn’t seem to be made anymore in American cinema. EXHUMA is steeped in South Korean spiritualism. The filmmakers made sure the numerous rituals we see play out in this extensive epic were as accurate as possible, so much that the lead actress Kim Go-Eun, who plays the mystic Hwarim, feared she would be cursed by simply acting them out on camera. If you take anything away from EXHUMA, you’ll experience the significant role religion and spiritualism act in the life of South Koreans and the many intricate rituals performed, especially involving the handling of the dead. The film centers around the excavation, removal, and transport of coffins from one area to another for various reasons and while the rituals accompanying this process may seen strange to foreigners, EXHUMA shows it all with an unblinking eye, making this a fascinating glimpse into South Korean culture.

On top of that, EXHUMA is filled with an interesting team of mystics involved in the process, all of them top tier actors depicting different integral roles in the exhumation process. The team is brought together not unlike the Ghostbusters, where each of the members of the team bring a unique personality as well as a special skill set to the table. The way these four interact and are connected to one another is the heart and soul of EXHUMA. The bond between the two shamen, Hwarim and Bong-Gi (played by Lee Do-hyun) is painfully stretched as the mystery of the grave deepens. The soulful understanding of the properties of the grave is measured by the ever-charismatic Choi Min-sik, who has offered up powerful performances before in OLD BOY and I SAW THE DEVIL. And for comic relief, we have the often goofy, but still integral mortician, Ko Yeun Geun (played by Yoo Hae-jin) bringing his scientific know-how to the situation. Seeing all of these actors work together, going through periods where they distrust each other and bump into one another, until they eventually come together makes for a classic team-building action adventure tale.

There are horrors galore to view in EXHUMA as well. Not only are the rituals quite terrifying in their own right, involving animal sacrifice (which they don’t show on camera, thankfully), song, dance, percussion, chanting, and all sorts of ritualistic behavior. Not only does it feel like you’re being enriched by watching this spectacle, but it also is filmed to be quite shocking. But there is also references to both South Korean and Japanese folklore involving foxes, giants, snakes with human faces, and all sorts of evil spirits. Each special effects sequence manages to top the last as the mystery deepens, all of them dazzling and suspenseful to see play out.

If there’s an issue I had with EXHUMA, it isn’t the fault of the movie. I feel I don’t know enough about the tenuous relationship between South Korea and Japan. The film definitely shows that there is some resentment between the two cultures that go back a long way, but my own lack of knowledge of the subject made me feel as if I was missing something. EXHUMA is also so steeped in lore and tradition that I feel it loses its way in the midway point of this two hour movie. So many rituals are shown in this one that I felt as if I were being overloaded with them. Finally, the mystery of just what is the secrets buried in the excavated grave feel addressed by the end, but the spectacle of the ritual and dazzle of the special effects drowned the actual answers out for me. All of these issues I had with EXHUMA, though, involves the fact that I don’t know as much as I should about South Korean culture.

While I feel some of the hefty themes flew over my head due to the language and cultural barriers, I still feel EXHUMA is yet another strong horror film from South Korea. I think because religion and ritual is something that has been sort of lost in American culture, the ritualistic sequences might be taken as less powerful as they most likely have been witnessed by South Korean cinemaphiles, but nevertheless, I can recognize good character, solid special effects, and a powerful representation of a culture when I see it.