Exhuma Movie Review

Exhuma is another example of why any film fan needs to watch films outside of the U.S

After tracing the origin of a disturbing supernatural affliction to a wealthy family’s ancestral gravesite, a team of paranormal experts relocates the remains—and soon discovers what happens to those who dare to mess with the wrong grave. Director Jang Jae-Hyun seamlessly weaves together the tone of a Michael Mann film, generational trauma of Japanese colonialization, and a ghost investigation into one film without ever feeling disjointed or tonally all over the place there is a clear through line that ties it all together beautifully. The performances from actors of the 4 main characters are all great bring something different and unique from one another that complement each other so well. The film is so well shot not just in how beautiful it is to look at but the way it builds tension and immerses you into this world that showcases this culture to you.

Director Jang Jae-Hyun knocks it out of the park the way he can balance the different tones with the most delicate touch, so they work cohesively together not pulling the film apart is a remarkable achievement as a director when so many other films that have similar ambitions fall apart. His choices of where and how he moves the camera are purposeful that set up the dread of the scares to come as well as how those scares tie into cultural traditions and history is so well done that make the film so much deeper and richer than so many American big studio movies. The main example is when a zombie samurai shows up is terrifying but also exploring the generational trauma of Japanese occupation on Korea Hyun can make that work in a way it doesn’t feel disjointed or out of nowhere that it ties into the main story that enhances it does not throw the tone out of balance. The pacing and structure of the film is amazing to have multiple genres, tones, and 4 main characters that are all serviced perfectly is something a lot of American films in less skilled filmmaker’s hands buckle under, but Hyun finds a strong through line of these 4 paranormal investigators that carry you through.

The cinematography is stunning this film is beautifully shot it not only brings the town in South Korea they are in come to life but the graveyards, the mountains, the forests, and the hospital one of the set pieces take place are wonderfully rich as an outsider make me want to explore this world and culture even more. One scene that showcases that is when the rituals are taking place to exercise a demon out of a child is beautiful, they don’t look at death or the afterlife the way we do in America they don’t fear they feel it’s beautiful which on top of the culture richness it removes the trop of having to convert the doubter that you see in many American horror films. The framing in the film is unusual that make you feel you are in the hands of a master filmmaker like when the zombie samurai shows up, he is always shot from a far from below that makes him even scarier than just straight up which would have been boring.

Final thoughts on Exhuma is its fantastic one of my favorite films of 2024 and more evidence if you are someone that is not familiar with international cinema to dive in and explore so many amazing films that are waiting for you if you as Bong Joon Ho once said get over the one inch barrier of subtitles you will have so many more films to love I will give it 4 and half out of 5.