Director Jang Jae Hyun, the “wizard” of Korean mystery films, has returned with his new work “Exhuma”. This time, he continues to take the audience on an adventure into the mysterious spiritual world with unique magical rituals and folk beliefs of the land of kimchi.
“Exhuma” is the story of a Korean family living in America who encounters mysterious phenomena after the death of their son. They are forced to seek the help of two young shamans to solve the mystery and lift the curse.
In Exhuma, two young wizards travel to America to solve mysteries and lift a curse.
The film is a fascinating journey of discovery into Korean shamanic culture and folk beliefs. Viewers will witness impressive exorcism rituals, thrilling mystical stories and traditional cultural values preserved through many generations.
“Exhuma” is not just a movie, but a unique cultural experience. It helps audiences understand the spiritual and religious aspects of Korea and inspires a passion for exploring different cultures.
Exhuma is a fascinating exploration of Korean shamanic culture and folk beliefs.
A unique blend of horror and history
The horror film “Exhuma” is a fascinating journey into Korean history and spirituality. Based on real historical events, the film takes viewers on a thrilling story filled with mysteries and profound messages.
Not following the usual logic of the mystery horror genre, “Exhuma” uses the structure of drama with gradually escalating conflicts. The deeper you dig into the mystery, the more other mysteries are revealed, making the audience curious and attracted.
Exhuma uses the structure of drama with gradually escalating conflicts.
Set in modern Korea, “Exhuma” is constantly interwoven with memories of the past, especially the period of the Korean-Japanese War. Images of the brutal war, the oppression of Japanese militarists and the fighting spirit of the Korean people are vividly recreated through the film.
In the movie, the characters’ names were also taken from the names of independence activists who fought against the Japanese. Even the license plates were named after important dates in Korea such as Independence Day 03/01 (license plate 0301) and Liberation Day 08/15 (license plate 0815)…
Exhuma is constantly interwoven with memories of the past, especially the period of the Korean-Japanese War.
In the film, Gisune - a Japanese Onmyoji and monk, is a character that plays an important role in “Exhuma”. He is the one who buried the iron stake under the grave of Park Ji Young’s grandfather. The name Gisune in Japanese means fox. The image of the fox also appears continuously in many segments of the film as an ominous sign of bad luck. The line “the fox bit off the tiger’s waist” is also mentioned many times, further emphasizing the mystery and horror of the story.
“Exhuma” is not just a story about the past. It is also a call to eliminate the remnants of Japanese colonialism that still exist in modern Korean society. Through the excavation of the grave of a pro-Japanese official, the film aims to eliminate the negative effects of colonial ideology and arouse national consciousness in the hearts of Korean people.
The meaning of the line "the fox bites the tiger's waist" appears right from the Exhuma poster
Exploring Folk Religion Through the Lens of Horror
"Exhuma" follows a four-person "grave digger" team consisting of feng shui master Kim Sang Deok (Choi Min Sik), undertaker Yeong Geun (Yoo Hae Jin), and two exorcists Hwa Rim (Kim Go Eun), Yoon Bong Gil (Lee Do Hyun) on a mission to relocate the grave of a wealthy family. The four characters represent four different aspects of the Korean spiritual world. They are wise men, leading the audience to explore the mysteries and hidden corners of Korean spiritual life.
A geomancer is a person with knowledge of geography and energy, able to see things that ordinary people cannot. In “Exhuma”, the geomancer plays a key role in locating the grave and solving the mysteries surrounding it.
In “Exhuma,” a geomancer plays a key role in locating the grave and solving the mysteries surrounding it.
The Christian undertaker represents faith in God and salvation.
The Christian undertaker represents faith in God and salvation. This figure provides a religious perspective on death and the afterlife.
Two young shamans are the embodiment of Shamanism, an ancient Korean religion. They use magic and rituals to communicate with spirits and solve spiritual problems.
The monk appears briefly but plays an important role in unraveling the mystery of the story. He represents Buddhism, a major religion in Korea, with its teachings on reincarnation and karma.
The two young shamans in Exhuma are the embodiment of Shamanism, an ancient Korean religion.
Together, these four characters paint a colorful picture of the Korean spiritual world. They are the ones who guide the audience through the fragile boundaries between life and death, between science and superstition, between faith and doubt.
In addition, the film takes viewers to the mystical world of Shamanism, where traditional rituals and spiritual beliefs are vividly presented. “Exhuma” has devoted a lot of effort to showing the surreal scenes of Korean Shamanism. Traditional digging rituals, appeasing spirits or the way feng shui masters taste the soil and recite sutras are all recreated realistically and in detail.
Exhuma takes viewers to the mystical world of Shamanism
The atmosphere in the film is also built in a creepy and mysterious way. The gloomy sounds, dark lighting and ghostly images contribute to creating a haunting cinematic experience.
“Exhuma” has a plot with many overlapping details. Historical anecdotes, Buddhist symbols, and Animism are cleverly interwoven to create a modern fantasy world with a strong Eastern feel.
The film also touches on the concept of life and death, the elements of feng shui, and modern society’s skepticism of supernatural forces. Through these elements, “Exhuma” delivers profound messages about Korean culture and spirituality.
Exhuma brings viewers many profound messages about Korean culture and spirituality.
