Exhuma

A Chilling Masterpiece – Exhuma

"Exhuma" is a mesmerizing folklore-driven horror mystery that had me hooked from start to finish 🌌. I’ll be honest—I personally hate horror because it scares the living hell out of me 😱, but this film was so beautifully crafted that I sat through every second, completely drawn in.

Kim Go-eun absolutely shines here ✨—her performance is not only powerful but also hauntingly graceful, she gave me chills while being strangely captivating. The folklore elements woven throughout the film were fascinating, deep, and layered, adding a whole new dimension that felt rooted in history and culture without ever feeling confusing.

The cast as a whole delivers superbly, from Choi Min-sik’s commanding screen presence to Yoo Hae-jin’s grounded performance, and Lee Do-hyun’s intensity that balances out the supernatural tension. Every actor brought their own spark, making the ensemble unforgettable.

The cinematography, the chilling sound design, and that eerie yet enchanting atmosphere elevated the story beyond just “horror”—it became an experience. Honestly, "Exhuma" isn’t just a film, it’s a folklore-infused masterpiece that left me both terrified and in awe. 🌙🔥

⭐ 10/10 — and it’s easily one of the most unique Korean horror films I’ve ever seen.

Read More

A timeless masterpiece

By now i have watched this movie a many times and i would say that you will not get bored even after rewatching it because the story is so well written, i am not korean so it took 2-3 watches for me to understand every element shown in movie because to understand things deeply i always search about them. apart from this the cinemotography is very good and the way movie takes turn is also nice because after one hour into the film you migh question that everything went well than why one more hour is still pending and from that moment movie catches the speed and than its just a nonstop mindblowing journey and with some twists for first time watcher, at last i would highly recoomad this movie because movies with good storyline are very few in korea in my opnion.

Read More

A Haunting and Atmospheric Supernatural Thriller

I aim to keep my reviews short, spoiler-free, and focused on the key points to help you decide if a drama is worth your time. I never fast-forward and always strive to watch the entire movie to give a fair and thorough perspective.

Exhuma delivers a high-quality cinematic experience, blending supernatural horror with grounded yet fantastical shamanism. The film boasts a stellar cast, with each actor delivering compelling performances that add depth to the eerie narrative. The OST is perfectly fitting, enhancing the tension and mysticism without feeling intrusive.

While the movie maintains a strong atmosphere and well-crafted suspense, its runtime feels slightly stretched, with certain scenes lingering longer than necessary. However, the detailed approach helps immerse viewers in the ritualistic and supernatural elements, making it a gripping watch for those who appreciate slow-burning horror.

Overall, Exhuma is a well-executed film that balances folklore and fear, offering a chilling yet visually stunning experience.

Read More

a spectacular drag that is less scary and more political than i signed up for

i feel like i just wasted 134 minutes of my life.

no, really, what the fuck was that? the pacing was slow as heck. the recent slew of korean shows i've watched have led me to entertain the notion that there's a school of korean directors that conflate drag with artistry. no, a dragged-out, slow motion shot of a woman raising her head is not particularly thought-provoking. look, i know sometimes it's about flair, it's about atmosphere, but there's a chasm between style and extreme boredom. just don't. overdo. it.

and honestly, the visuals were fine (but too dark -- we're approaching GOT season 8 ep 3 levels of dark here), but atmospheric? sure, it was a little eerie, but it was never really scary. i don't know about other regions, but it sure was marketed as chilling/scary/thrilling over here, and frankly, it just wasn't.

i'll give props where it's due: the acting was great. i haven't seen kim go eun disappoint once, and this movie is no exception. lee dohyun feels a little out of his depth as bong-gil here to be honest, but maybe that's more on his character. which brings me to another glaring complaint: where is the characterization? i'm 134 minutes in and out, and none the wiser about who any of these people are. we're limited by runtime, of course, so if there's a good plot here, i'll forgive a plot-centric movie for less-than-satisfactory characterization. but do we?

the plot is... bad. first we have a standalone case that is fairly uninspired, but serves as an introduction to the system, so that's fine. then we go back to the opening scene's baby sickness and dive into our main arc. i'm sorry, but it took forever to get to the brunt of it. it felt like i spent a full hour of nothing to just get to the exhuming, which was, to its credit, the best part of the entire movie. there was some actual anticipation and apprehension as to what might happen. waiting for the consequences to hit consisted of 100% of the entire show's tension. then the show just... derailed from there. look, i'm not going to touch on the ramifications of the atrocities inflicted by imperial japan, but as a member of the international audience, i question the decision to bring all that into this. while we're being political, i'll venture to point out the implications of transplanting the japanese shogun into a vessel that justifies a faceless evil with a complete lack of nuance. i'm not korean, and i don't have to enjoy this. all things considered, it's also a pretty forced patriotic twist and i'm just tired of the nationalist call-to-arms in my shows, boss. outside of the shoehorned historical politics, the film also loses its suspense and drive once the shogun's involvement is revealed. it's just one traditionally korean-themed oni fight.

bottom line: i want my 134 minutes back.

Read More

very chilling, good story

I enjoyed this!
It’s very spiritual which I enjoy. The overall vibe and tone was so chilling. It set the environment well. The last few chapters were a bit confusing as things were getting revealed but that is bc I am a westerner, so I had to do some pausing to look up things for context. Which I found enriching. I actually learned a bit of history bc of this. But I liked the story. Knowing the context behind some of the stuff puts the puzzle pieces together.

Regardless of that still a solid horror/thriller. Not overtly scary per se but had decent jump scares. The vibes were so creepy, that was scary enough. I found myself invested in the mystery and the characters despite there not being a ton of backstory on them. But i found that was okay. Some of the interactions, flashbacks, etc told me everything I needed to know.

Would recommend!

Read More

Creepy exorcisms among South Korean graves.

Exhuma recklessly throws a bunch of disjointed horror genres into one pot and somehow manages to cook up a deliciously creepy thriller with a lot to say.

Choi Min Sik (Oldboy) leads us down a dark and macabre path through South Korea’s complicated history. A team of paranormal experts accidentally unleash terrifying forces after excavating a sinister grave of a wealthy family. Whoops! What follows is a strange and unpredictable journey about all the ghosts left behind by Korea’s traumatic relationship with Japan.

Director Jang Jae Hyun packs Exhuma with every kind of horror imaginable. It shouldn’t hold together as well as it does, but somehow the film is fresher and more powerful than expected. All the worldbuilding, all the rituals, and all the supernatural mysteries are held together by the cultural and historical context. Trauma is certainly nothing new to horror films, but Exhuma cuts deeper than most.

Choi Min Sik as the leader of the group is, of course, gripping and really sells the suspense when it becomes clear that they have taken on darker and more powerful forces than they thought. But it is still Kim Go Eun who steals the film thanks to a startling sequence early on that loudly proclaims the film’s formal intentions. The rest of the film doesn’t quite manage to reach that level, but comes close several times.

The opening is strong and loaded with eerie atmosphere and mystery, all the conventional genre tropes are in top form. But with a running time of 134 minutes, the film is a bit too long and would have benefited from a stronger middle point. A few more scissors in the editing room would have helped, because once the tension escalates we get a sensational finale where Jae Hyun has once again saved a surprise for the audience. Nothing can prepare you for where Exhuma goes, but no spoilers here!

Exhuma is an ambitious and exciting excavation of Korea’s past. The cinematography is as impressive as it is terrifying, the entire ensemble cast gives it their all, and the script never stops expanding the scope. At the same time, there is a fascinating thematic thread that lifts the film a step above its competitors.

Read More

"Star-Studded Letdown: The Plot Twist"

It was the 1st time watching korean movie in india that to you know the actors like kim go eun and lee do hyun oppa will select good story, so i had a hope.

When i was watching the movie in threate, i felt nothing like if you are fan horror genre may be you can guess what is going on but as kdrama fan i can't understand movie properly that to from pre climax i was struggling a lot what is going on!

The good in this movie was BGM and cinematography should get an award and actors did a fantastic job too. The story and plot disappointed me badly .

Special mentions about kim go eun deserves a award for doing a shaman role infront of original shaman 🙌. As usual our lee do hyun oppa did nyc job. But our girl stoles the shows with her unique personality in the movie.

Read More