My first K-Movie in this genre!!
Seriously, I've been meaning to watch this movie for long time and finally the time has come. Kim Go-eun just nailed it with her acting as always. It's very refreshing and I haven't seen any movies like this. It has that ominous feel. I'm in for more recommendation!!!!You can definitely give it a try if u want a spooky movie. It's not that horrifying which makes it great to watch alone.
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This review may contain spoilers
Confusing backstory for international audiences
I'll start with the positives first. Acting was phenomenal, and so was the directing and cinematography. Loved the music too. Story also made sense and characters didn't make dumbass mistakes usually seen in horror movies. It was fairly entertaining and kept me at the edge of my seat as well. I'm not a fan of jump scares and I'm glad there weren't any.Not so good: If you're not Korean, you'll probably have a hard time understanding the context. The whole metal stake thing was confusing to me and I had to google it separately to understand what the heck was going on. The Japanese demon(?) thing was poorly explained as well - like what was it, why was he cursed by the monk and buried with that Korean dude who supposedly was loyal to the Japanese colonial administration etc. Kim Go Eun's character was also badly fleshed out as well. her backstory was close to non-existent and we know almost nothing about her other than 1. she's a shaman, 2. she speaks Japanese, 3. she has 2 sisters. Like why does she speak Japanese? Did something happen in Japan with some Japan ghost? Why did she become a shaman? She's advertised as the lead so I'm not sure why we know so little about her. Setting up for a sequel maybe? Who knows. As a result, it was pretty hard to relate to the characters since we barely know anything about them. I was watching solely based on the plot and wanting to know why and what was happening, which honestly left me with more questions than answers. The demon CGI wasn't great and broke the immersion too. I much preferred the first half when it was about the grandfather's angry spirit.
Overall, this is a fairly entertaining movie that I do not regret watching. However if you're not Korean it might be difficult to appreciate the nuances in the plot.
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A complex story trying to be scary
I didn't want to write a review cause I didn't understand the backstory very well and it took me a comment and three days to sequence all of it together. Nevertheless, I have to address the lost potential of this movie.This movie is good. It's not a jumpscare kinda movie nor a liver-dropping but a layer-by-layer gore story. What initially starts as a grave awakening eventually escalates into a country-dividing curse-breaking ceremony. But saying the movie is one of the best horror movies is far-fetched cause honestly speaking it wasn't scary. As I explained, it was a detailed movie with intricate layers. Writing a complex story is a gamble because ppl need to understand for the fear to kick in but if the story is too complex and ppl don't understand, what's the point?? And I feel a lot of people who have horror as a main genre would agree with me.
In other words, think of this movie as a thesis. To the ppl who have read a lot of theses on this particular subject don't think this is any special but to others, it's written so that it makes it interesting.
The cast was the hype. I mean, LDH with tattoos, man, he can be the plot and KGE with those eyes. Yup, it was hyped. But honestly speaking, that's good for the movie. The other actors, I have seen rarely, but they slayed. Especially, scenes of doubt.
The music was the true hero. The BGM that ensued the creepy and eery feeling and the color contrast of places. Real nice.
Overall good movie for beginners. But needs to game up to the pros.
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Just wow
i didnt go into this expecting much so it's nice to say i was pleasently suprised by how well done this was and how engaging it is. from the acting to the plot to all the suprises and twists, it kept my attention the whole 2 hours (hard to do). i loved every part of it. definitely reccommend저는 이 영화에서 큰 기대를 하지 않았기 때문에 기분 좋게 놀랐다고 말할 수 있어서 좋습니다. 매우 훌륭하고 매력적입니다. 연기부터 줄거리, 모든 놀라움과 반전에 이르기까지 모든 것이 훌륭했습니다. 2시간 내내 저의 주의를 끌었습니다(하기 힘든 일). 저는 모든 부분이 마음에 들었습니다. 저는 이 영화를 꼭 추천합니다
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YOU SAW THE STILLS TOO HUH????
Decided to wath this because i was baited by that plane photo. I also happen to love both leads, esp LDH, seeing him all tatted up was just the icing on the cake.Anyway,
If you spook easily, you have heart issues or anything related to these, please stay away.
The story was fantastic, well brought out, and you could follow it without having to pause and do the distant stare into an unseen camera because you cannot figure out what the hell is going on.
I actually got a little scared during the rituals and did a little google search to see if viewers were somewhat protected because apparently the chants were real.
I could relate to some of the context because where am from, weird things do happen if your deceased hates his resting place. I'm generally not superstitious but some things I do respect despite having no knowledge whatsoever, that being said, please watch this movie with an open mind...you'd enjoy it more.
KGE could shaman me anytime, girl worked that role I almost believed it. Also...WHO DID HER HAIR????????????? I LOVE YOUUUUUU.
WHO IN THE FUCKING HELL FINDS A GIANT ASS COFFIN SHOVED INTO THE EARTH WRAPPED IN BARBED WIRE AND THINKS...hmmm...let's pull it out. mf even had someone buried on top of him for crying out loud.
AHJUSSI!!!! SOMETHINGS WE DON'T DO EVEN FOR THE PLOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The ending was spectacular, and ending the giant samurai with blood drenched wood was so girly-boss of the geomancer... I do have a question though? Why did was he bleeding towards the end????
Is there part 2????????
Unpopular opinion... hearing the Monks name should have been the first sign to get the hell out ...fuck 500 million...wait no 500 million could have me vibing with the ghost....butttttt.
P.S
WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING WEIRD, A WEIRD FOREST WITH WEIRD PLANTS AND WEIRD FOXES AND A WEIRD SNAKE WITH A HUMAN HEAD....YOU DIDN'T SEE SHIT, TURN AROUND AND WALK YOUR ASS BACK HOME.
Thank you for reading my rant...sorry my review..
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Between the living and the dead
Exhuma is an explosive mixture of south korean folklore and mythicism. It effectively evokes the universal dread and mystery regarding the afterlife.Our group of leading characters are the perfect bridge between the spiritual and supernatural, never quite here or there, always between the two worlds. Great atmosphere, never looses the steam, with memorable moments.
But then it reaches the mid point of the film. This is a strong story, but the uneasiness and tension goes away, and never quite reaches the same high as the first half.
This film is ambitious and creative. The cinematography outstanding and visually delivering the eerie emotions you are supposed to feel in every scene. It helps that the effects are mostly practical as well, which it's marvelous to watch nowadays.
Horror film fans will be satisfied but this story is more of a mix of genres. There are no traditional jump scares but very well crafted world building and character development that will immerse you in the film experience.
I do recommend watching this film without knowing anything about the story or the characters for a bigger impact.
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I kept praying time would go slower so it doesn't end XD
I love everything about it from the outstanding cinematography to the perfectly "balanced" plot, it doesn't bore you with giving too much information and background story just enough to understand everything, and keeps you excited throughout the whole movie. I prefer these types of horror movies with eerie and gut-churning scenes with an interesting plot over movies with repetitive jumpscares and meaningless plots. The emotions the cast conveyed with their brilliant acting made me drown in the movie as if I were watching a real-life event live.Sadly I had to watch this at home I wish they displayed it at where I live I would 100% go watch this at a cinema.
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Worth watching
Nowadays it’s hard to find a good horror movie that can be actually described as horror. And this one definitely was the one I was searching for. From the beginning to the end every character was good written and the actors’s perfomance was amazing.About the horror elements, it was definitely 10/10. The story showed something different and unexpected, every moment and scene were really interesting. This movie showed that it’s not necessarily for a horror movie to be all blood and chasing, which make me give it 10/10 about it. Strongly recommend to watch it.
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WOW JUST WOW for me.
Acting on point. KIM GO EUN proved her skills once again and LEE DO HYUN what can I say, he was casted for a reason!Other cast members were great as well.
In conclusion, give it a go if you're contemplating whether to watch or not.
The storyline is good and easy to understand if you pay attention.
It's MYSTERIOUS> HORROR.
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the movie was meh
the movie wasn't as good as it was hyped up.I loved the scene where she was performing the ritual but that's it.
The whole movie just meh.
actors did their job perfectly but overall the movie didn't make any sense or wasn't worthy of the hype they created but hats off to the PR team they did it so good and the money they got is all because of the hype tbh.
i wasn't able to watch it in one sitting. The story used to get boring after every 5 to 10 mins and they were just dragging it to be honest.
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One word "OverHyped"
Exhuma is a tale of shamanism and exorcizing trauma. The 1st half of the movie sets up an atmosphere for you to get curious about what's waiting for you ahead as you expected they may explain the course of the action but here you get disappointed cuz without explaining the movie went ahead on another dimension of Korean/Japnese flok shamanism from handling the ghost to fighting with an Oni real quick.Screenwriter and Director Jang Jae-hyun specializes in horror movies, and as such, he often leaves the mystery to the audience's interpretation.
In the 2nd half of the movie, you understand what is happening presently and Oni's past but many things are unexplained like what is the relation b/w ML and Fl are they a couple (least likely) or siblings or just working partners or senior/junior? while watching the movie It wasn't clear what the relation b/w the MLs and the two females who were in the hospital while Hwa Rim was dealing with the Oni. According to MDL, Oh Gwang Shim [Hwa Rim's senior] and Park Ja Hye [Hwa Rim's junior] explain.
You may ask why you don't understand while watching? Is that your first supernatural/horror movie?
Nope, I have watched so many supernatural/horror/folk/exorcism movies whether it's Korean, Japanese, Thai, Indian, or Hollywood but they bother to explain or give you the hint so you can understand. But the story was narrated without giving any hints of explaining "it is what it is" and what was the relation b/w the 1st ghost we saw (Grandpa Park) and the Oni wasn't explained! 🤔
Now what I like and dislike about this movie;
Cinematography: No doubt it is excellent cinematography and gives you the experience to the fullest. The graphics were good too.
Acting: The acting of both actors was top notch and you can see them as a shaman. Kim Go-Eun acting as a shaman was excellent while performing the exhumation. Lee Do-hyun's acting was also impressive as a hot shaman. The acting was the main element of this movie that kept you in your seat. you connect with the characters despite no backstory.
Story: As I said before, the story leaves many loopholes where we as an audience find difficulty connecting the dots. The mystery and the suspense in the story were well presented. This movie didn't have any jumpscares or maybe I didn't find any.
Styling: One more thing that I like is the styling and costume of both leads. Kim Go-Eun's clothing style and her aura, she was the whole mood. Also, Lee Do-hyun's tattoos and hair bun stole the show.
In conclusion, to understand this movie I had so many questions, Like; what was the Park family's secret? Who was Gisune? (I have known about the Kitsune) the grave robber's angle? Who possessed Bong Gil? That was confusing but I thought the General Oni(demon) possessed him. What kind of creature was that snake (Nure-onna) that was killed after the ritual?
I had to do some research and find I am not the only one who was confused thanks to that Reddit explanation I got my answers. If you don’t know much about Korean/Japanese history/shamanism it will be difficult to understand as well.
Without knowing the explanation I gave this movie 6.8 out of 10 for excellent acting, cast, and cinematography. Also, I can't deny the fact that this movie is Overhyped because of the cast. If you had to find an explanation outside of the movie then what to say?
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A 9.5/10 horror. Loved the ensemble cast in this genre
I love Horror genre.This is a SERIOUS HORROR.
May not contain Jump Scares but is truly SCARY PSYCHOLOGICALLY.
The Vibe is DARK n gives CHILLS.
Will truly feel "The Ghost in the air, everywhere" sort of scary vibe, haha
It is not some easy-going Ghost story or the usual light horror trope, where there's a ghost possessing someone related to the protagonist n the protagonist with some help, wards it off easily.
***** CHARACTERS:
Here, Though the Protagonists are not the family members of the Possessed, they really struggle hard to save the person, risking their own lives.
The STRUGGLE involved, everyone DESPERATE to SAVE is TIRING.
At some point, the characters may be left with no clue or no way to Save or Survive, all remain Helpless! :(
LOVED the TEAM WORK n Hard Work of all the characters!
Constantly, Keeps one on the Edge of one's Seat while watching them struggling hard n running around desparately to ward off the evil spirits
And creates a NAIL BITING Tension n Suspense, doubting how they will Save n Survive! :o
Haha, that Evil Spirit is a dirty one, not only insults with mind-twisting words to manipulate the minds, also tries to weaken the person whoever interacts with it :/
*****
Well Directed and well Acted by everyone.
CINEMATOGRAPHY is AMAZING.
This reminds me of the famous serious horrors that are psychological scary horrors, where Protagonists Struggle a lot to Save the Possessed, like
"The Exorcist" or few James Wan's horror movies ("Conjuring", "Insidious")
or Korean horrors "The Priests", "The Wailing"
or Thai horror anthology series "Angkhan Khlumpong" (all stories in this are serious n scary) etc.
***** ACTING:
Loved to watch the ENSEMBLE CAST in this genre.
(All my fav actors n actress :) )
Choi Min Shik never disappoints in delivering a good quality acting performance, whether it's a dark role or a psychopathic or a Serious Saviour like here :)
BTW, He in psychopathic roles, Scares Me!! 🤭
But Loved him here :)
U can feel a bit of relief, when U see him around, especially in scary or serious helpless situations here.
Kim Go Eun is as usual pretty n acted her role well.
It is so refreshing to see her in a Shaman role, performing the ritual n reciting all those ritual prose / songs / chants / prayers.
Lee Do Hyun is so handsome with that hair bun n tattoos, giving a Bad Boy Vibe! 😏
Kim Jae Chul is handsome ;)
CHASING AWAY an EVIL SPIRIT is TIRING for the Famous Actors too (Joking!! the Hype) 😂
*****
Rating - 9.5 / 10
(0.5 extra for Cinematography :) )
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