Exhuma

Jae-hyun Jang combines introspective cultural and historical themes with creepy, gory, and atmospheric horror thrills in an exciting way. It’s fun horror with a lot on its mind.

It makes up for its paucity of scares through the multiple layers of weirdness that it excavates, as one (burial) plot leads to another and as legacy, whether genetic or national, has unseen depths.

With some similarities to Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing, it is easy to see why Exhuma turned out to be a hit in South Korea. Excavating the bones of a painful past has proved to be a successful formula, as Bollywood has already found out.

Jang’s intelligent and richly detailed screenplay plumbs the depths of Korea’s complicated history and unearths long-buried demons that continue to haunt not only the Park dynasty, but the entire nation.

This film delivers standout performances, particularly Choi Mon-sik's portrayal of Kim Sang Deok.

There's always unknown creepiness lurking in the background of each of the six acts- most obviously with an unexpectedly frightening snake.

Exhuma fires on all cylinders with a strong cast, an interesting approach to folklore, and a spooky creature design. The only problem is the more is more approach akin to ordering everything on the menu at a five star restaurant.

I spent a weekend in the theaters watching horror films, and “Exhuma” was so far ahead of the pack that it was not even sporting. It was meaningful, gorgeous, well-acted and unpredictable.

The inclusion of rituals and ceremonies with historical influences craft a tangible world the story exists in… not necessarily adding undeniable plausibility, but certainly introducing disturbing situations steeped in beliefs and tradition.

One of the most terrifying filmgoing experiences of recent memory.