"Euxhuma" Korean movie review

Korean horror movies are known for being creepy and weird, but recent release “Exhuma” takes things to a whole new level. Forget jump scares every two seconds – this movie is a slow burn that will mess with your head. Exhuma stands out because it avoids the tired tropes of jump scares and predictable plotlines.

Imagine a quaint Korean village, where a wealthy royal family's world is shattered by their child's inexplicable illness. Modern medicine proves powerless, leaving the parents to seek the aid of a Korean shaman named Hwa-rim.

Hwa-rim, a woman with a keen understanding of the spiritual world, diagnoses the child's ailment not as a physical illness, but as a malevolent curse. This revelation sets the stage for a chilling investigation into the family's past. To break the curse, Hwa-rim assembles a team of specialists. Sang-deok, a geomancer adept at selecting auspicious burial sites and Yeong-geun, a seasoned mortician with a pragmatic approach, provides logistical support to fight towards the supernatural. Together, they embark on a perilous journey to the grandfather's remote mountainside grave.

As the team delves deeper, they perform a mysterious pig ritual, a pivotal but unsettling ceremony. However, the ritual goes awry, further escalating the wrath of the vengeful spirit.

With each passing moment, the spirit's anger intensifies, targeting family members in a terrifying display of supernatural power. Hwa-rim and her team race against time to decipher the secrets of the past and find a way to appease the restless spirit before it claims all remaining lives. Their investigation unearths the truth behind the grandfather's past transgression, a dark deed committed during the Korean War that serves as the source of the spirit's unending rage. The movie ends on how Hwa-rim and her team fights off this restless spirit.

The pig ritual scene is a one of terrific highlight in Exhuma. While the exact details remain shrouded in mystery, it's clear that it awakens a malevolent spirit. This ritual becomes the catalyst for the film's events, suggesting a past transgression that the family must now confront. The ambiguity surrounding the ritual adds to the film's intrigue and leaves the audience piecing together the puzzle.

The director, Jang Jae-hyun knows how to build suspense with no jump sacres. The use of close-up shots heightens the suspense, ensuring every detail is etched into the viewer's mind. His skilled direction elevates the script, creating a truly immersive cinematic experience. The movie is filmed beautifully, with stunning shots of the Korean countryside mixed with creepy close-ups that will make you want to sleep with the lights on.

The music in Exhuma is like the soundtrack to a nightmare. Imagine chilling melodies and weird noises that perfectly match the scary visuals and creepy story. It all comes together to create an experience that will stay with you long after the movie ends.

Exhuma isn't your typical horror flick. It's more about creepy atmosphere, Korean folklore, and the consequences of messing with the past. It'll make you think, it'll make you scared, and it'll definitely leave you wanting to talk about it with your friends. So, if you're looking for a horror movie that's anything but basic, Exhuma is definitely worth checking out. Just maybe have a nightlight handy