Exhuma

Watching for the hype and it didn't disappoint

This was so much better than expected! (And I knew nothing but the blurb going in) Excellent story!!

Another thought provoking film from Korea. Definitely deserves a rewatch.

A really great work.

The cutting into parts, with title card, which often feels useless or arbitrary in a lot of movies, is perfectly used here. Each part is almost self contained, while being the logical progression of the previous one, and explicitly adding a new step (new thing to do, new discovery, new antagonist, ...).

It paces the crescendo building of issues from the initial family haunting to the country level calamity perfectly.

The characters are well introduced and immediately likeable. Great actors too.

I'm not sure how realistic the rituals look, but that's enough for it to work in the story.

The effects for ghosts and monsters are good too, without being too much (well, maybe the flying around fireball could have been better).

The music gives a great ambiance.

It is a horror movie story, however the horror (and the scares) is not the point here. The investigation is the center of the story. The initial issue (a disturbed ancestor) is maybe passed over a bit quickly ([spoiler]manages to kill almost all his targets though[/spoiler]), and by the way, can a ghost teleport across an ocean instantaneously like that ? The final antagonist is interesting though the confrontation is a bit disappointing.

I guess a minimum of understanding of the folklore is needed, but not that much.

I don’t like horrors but I loved this one.

This is a great and intriguing film that possesses several qualities, but it could have been much better overall.

The movie is divided in a relevant way into several chapters, which gives to the movie an interesting structure and a good pace, the movie has a wonderful rhythm in general.

The cinematography of the film is not extraordinary, but yet some elements of the film make it cinematically appealing, such as the different scenes of the wood, the mountains, a great management of the lightning, and the actors, who are all good. We get to see Choi Min-Sik as a feng shui master and Kim Go-Eun as a shaman, which is really cool, and they both deliver stunning performances as usual.

From the beginning of the film, we expect to experience something very dark and challenging to witness a real tragedy, as the characters themselves suggest.
However, the movie tends more to be a good thriller or mystery film rather than a good horror film, which is unfortunate.
It certainly possesses the codes of horror movies, and it fits the genre, but the thing is that it simply doesn't scare all that much.

Without making any drastic change, but by simply putting the characters in more complicated situations or giving them a harsher ending would have been enough to make the overall experience a bit better.

Nevertheless, Exhuma is indeed a pleasant movie that keep us captivated and aware of each twist and turns all along, it metaphorically depicts the nation's traumatic colonial past and characters that are ready to put their lives on the line against a great evil to protect their land.

8/10.

It's quite rare to feel so much invested in a horror film.The way it presented the chill was top notch and felt quite realistic.Korean films had always portrayed something unique and better.

I thought it was pretty well done. Really kept you in suspence.

Tharamana Horror Movie.. No Bangala Pei, No Unnecessary Jump Scare. Theatre Watch ku Sema WORTH... Highly Recommended... Dont Miss it

overstayed its welcome by the last hour but not too rough if you want a b+ horror romp.