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Exhuma
Theatrical release poster
Hangul
파묘
Hanja
破墓
Literal meaningExhuming and relocation of a grave
Revised RomanizationPamyo
Directed byJang Jae-hyun
Screenplay byJang Jae-hyun
Produced by
  • Charlie Shin
  • Kim Young-min
  • Kim Jee-hye
  • Jang Jae-hyun
  • Kwon Ji-yong
  • Park Hyung-jin
Starring
CinematographyLee Mo-gae
Edited byJung Byung-jin
Music byKim Tae-seong
Production
companies
Distributed byShowbox
Release dates
  • February 16, 2024 (2024-02-16) (Berlinale)
  • February 22, 2024 (2024-02-22) (South Korea)
Running time
134 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
Languages
  • Korean
  • English
  • Japanese
Box officeUS$98 million[1][2]

Exhuma (Korean: 파묘) is a 2024 South Korean supernatural horror film written and directed by Jang Jae-hyun, and starring Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun, Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Do-hyun. The film includes mystery and occult elements, and follows the process of excavating an ominous grave, which unleashes dreadful consequences buried underneath.[3]

Exhuma premiered in the Forum section at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2024.[4] It was released theatrically on February 22.[5]

The film has earned a worldwide gross of US$97 million, making it the highest-grossing Korean film of 2024.[6] As of June 2024, Exhuma is the sixth highest-grossing film in South Korean film history.[7]

Plot

Renowned Korean shaman Hwa-rim and her protégé, Bong-gil are enlisted by a wealthy Korean American family to identify the mysterious illness of the family's newborn son. Hwa-rim uncovers the curse to be a "Grave's Call", a vengeful ancestor's spirit haunting them. The family's patriarch, Park Ji-Yong, entrusts them to relocate the grave to appease the ancestor, his grandfather. Hwa-rim enlists colleagues, a Feng shui master Kim Sang-deok and a mortician Yeong-geun.

Sang-deok specializes in selling burial locations for the wealthy, while Yeong-geun owns a funeral home. During their first encounter with Ji-yong, Sang-deok becomes wary when Ji-yong insists on cremating the grave, which is located in a remote mountain near the North Korean border. Sang-deok backs out, sensing sinister energy. However, Hwa-rim convinces them she can perform a ritual while the grave is dug to avoid the curse. Ji-yong tells them about a famous monk named 'Gisune' who in order to assuage grave robbers, provided the grave location for his grandfather.

Hwa-rim and Bong-gil perform the ritual, and the excavation proceeds smoothly. But when cleaning up, one of the gravediggers severs the head of a human-headed snake, which triggers a bad omen and rain. Yeong-geun insists on cremating the coffin once the rain stops so they store it at a nearby ward. The local custodian, hearing rumors of a treasure in the tomb, greedily opens the coffin and thus accidentally releases the vengeful entity inside, Ji-yong's grandfather. The entity targets his bloodline, killing Ji-yong's parents and Ji-yong himself. The grandfather, revealed to be a Japanese loyalist during the Korean occupation era, is tormented by his improper burial. Sang-deok cremates the coffin before the entity can kill the baby, abolishing the curse.

Months later, Yeong-geun informs Sang-deok about a gravedigger who becomes disturbed after killing the snake. He revisits the gravesite and discovers the head of the "snake" along with a second burial site for a seven-foot-long standing coffin. He enlists Hwa-rim, Bong-gil, and Yeong-geun to dispose of the coffin. The four excavate it and rest at a temple, where Hwa-rim learns about Gisune, who turns out to be a powerful Japanese shaman named Murayama Junji who has the moniker of The Fox. That night, Bong-gil witnesses a ghoul killing the temple priest and the local pig farmer along with his pigs. Hwa-rim and Bong-gil find the coffin ripped from the inside and Hwa-rim is ambushed by the ghoul who is revealed to be a samurai. Bong-gil gets injured and possessed, and the others witness the ghoul turn into a ball of fire flying back to the mountain.

Hwa-rim investigates the ghoul's origin through the possessed Bong-gil. Sang-deok returns to the grave and finds the samurai dormant on the coordinates written on the grandfather's tombstone. It is revealed that during Japanese occupation of Korea, the Imperial Japan ordered their shamans to put multiple large iron spiritual spikes throughout the country to disrupt the country's life force so they could easily rule over the occupied Korea. He discovers that the supposed grave robbers were Korean patriots attempting to unearth and remove these spiritual spikes in Korea and the Samurai ghoul is actually the guardian spirit that was tasked by Gisune to protect one of the spikes. Sang-deok, Hwa-rim, and Yeong-geun devise a plan to unearth the relic when the creature rises after midnight. Hwa-rim will distract the samurai while the others dig the grave. A vision reveals The Fox embedding a katana inside a decapitated samurai's body, turning the samurai into a ghoul and Ji-yong's grandfather's grave serving as a cover for the relic. Sang-deok realizes that the samural himself is the iron spike and since he is represented fire in Feng Sui, he must be vanquished by the element of water and wood. Sang-deok and then uses the wooden pick axe drenched in his own blood to successfully vanquish the samurai spirit. Injured, he faints but later regains consciousness at a hospital with the others by his bedside. A few months later the group attends Sang-deok's daughter's wedding.

Cast

Production

In June 2021, it was reported that Choi Min-sik will star in director Jang Jae-hyun's occult thriller.[13] Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun joined the cast in August 2022,[14] followed by Yoo Hae-jin, who joined the cast in September 2022.[10]

The film produced by Showbox and Pinetown Production in association with MCMC, is directed by Jang Jae-hyun, who is known for making occult films.[15]

Principal photography began in October 2022,[16] and filming ended in March 2023.[17] The director in an interview disclosed that the film used a large number of real scenes and real props for filming, tried not to use studios and avoided using CG effects in post-production. In his own words, "I tried to actually film the background and objects, avoiding CG whenever possible. We took the photos as painstakingly as possible without building a set, and for things like ghost photos, the actual actors wore makeup for 6 hours and then took blurry photos on purpose."[18]

Release

Exhuma had its world premiere on February 16, 2024, as part of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, in Forum.[19][20][21]

It was released theatrically on February 22, 2024, in South Korea by Showbox Co., Ltd.[22]

The film was first screened at the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival on April 7, 2024 in Gala presentations.[23][24]

It was released on May 3, 2024 in India.[25]

it will be available on Shudder June 14 (Available in the US and CA).[26]

The release date theatrically in the MENA region is on June 13, 2024, distributed by The Plot Pictures MENA.

The film was showcased in 'Prime Picks' at the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival on July 20, 2024.[27]

Reception

The film includes scenes that are critical of the Japanese occupation of Korea, with the unearthing of the curse being linked to the unearthing of Korea's past.[28][29]

Box office

The film was released on February 22, 2024 on 2,086 screens.[30] On its opening day, the film finished in first place at the South Korean box office with 336,114 admissions and a gross of US$2,369,404,[31] breaking the highest opening score for a film released in 2024 in South Korea so far.[32] The film topped the South Korean weekend box office in its opening weekend, grossing US$14,455,880 from 1,963,577 admissions.[33] On February 25, the fourth day of its release, the film exceeded 2 million admissions,[28] and on February 28, the seventh day, it crossed 3 million admissions.[34] On March 2, the 10th day it surpassed 5 million viewers.[35] On March 10, it became the highest performing Korean occult film with 8 million viewers.[36] Exhuma on March 24 became the first Korean film of 2024 to surpass 10 million in ticket sales, on its 32nd day in theaters, according to Showbox.[37][38]

As of May 15, 2024, the film has grossed US$84,095,030 from 11,902,097 admissions, making it the highest grossing film among the South Korean films released in 2024.[2]

The film has grossed $97,602,124 worldwide as per Box Office Mojo.[1] It has recorded more than 2.23 million moviegoers in Vietnam as of March 31, and became the most successful Korean Film there, beating record of 2.15 million of 6/45 a 2022 comedy film. It is also the most successful Korean film in Indonesia, recording 2.3 million admissions by March 31.[39]

Critical response

Exhuma was received well by critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 91% and an average rating of 7.4/10, based on 31 reviews.[40]

Lee Yoon-seo writing for The Korea Herald praised the performance of the cast writing, "the veteran cast puts in a strong performance to add to the immersive experience" and stated that "Exhuma consists of Jang's careful efforts to deliver super-realistic, detailed scenes depicting Korean shamanism - such as the traditional process of exhumation and "gut" rituals held to appease wandering spirits". Lee felt that these "are so realistically portrayed, that the film achieves a new level of horror". Concluding it that "however, despite the fine acting and attention to detail, Exhuma stumbles in unfolding its plot."[41]

Critics of Cine21 gave the movie generally favorable reviews. Lee Yong-cheol rated the movie 4 out of 5 stars, writing that it is a well-made genre movie with great meaning.[42]

Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting rated the film 4/5 and called it, "A fun horror with a lot on its mind." Navarro wrote, "Jae-hyun Jang combines introspective cultural and historical themes with creepy, gory, and atmospheric horror thrills in an exciting way."[43]

Accolades

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
Baeksang Arts Awards May 7, 2024 Best Film Exhuma Nominated [44][45]
Best Director Jang Jae-hyun Won
Best Actor Choi Min-sik Nominated
Best Actress Kim Go-eun Won
Best Supporting Actor Yoo Hae-jin Nominated
Best New Actor Lee Do-hyun Won
Best Screenplay Jang Jae-hyun Nominated
Technical Award Kim Byung-in (Sound) Won

References

  1. ^ a b "Exhuma". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) The Box office: Korean films of 2024". KOFIC. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  3. ^ Choi Na-young (November 29, 2023). "'파묘' 최민식∙김고은∙유해진∙이도현, 오컬트로 만났다..내년 2월 개봉 [공식]" ['Breakfast' Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun, Yoo Hae-jin, and Lee Do-hyun meet through the occult... to be released in February next year [Official]]. Osen (in Korean). Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Naver.
  4. ^ Economou, Vassilis (January 18, 2024). "The Berlinale lifts the veil on its full Forum line-up". Cineuropa. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  5. ^ Kim Seo-yoon (February 2, 2024). "최민식 '뉴스룸'→김고은 '요정재형' 출격...'파묘' 본격 홍보" [Choi Min-sik's 'Newsroom' → Kim Go-eun appears in 'Fairy Jaehyung'... Full-fledged promotion of 'Divorce Myo']. Ten Asia (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  6. ^ David Opie (March 21, 2024). "'Exhuma': Let's Dig Into the Surprise Success of South Korea's Biggest Hit of the Year (So Far)". IndieWire. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  7. ^ "KOBIS(발권)통계: The [Box Office - Historical Box Office]". Korean Film Council. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  8. ^ Kim Na-ra (January 31, 2024). "'파묘' 최민식의 스크린 귀환...연기 레전드의 '파격 도전'" [Choi Min-sik's return to the big screen in 'Damn Tomb'... An acting legend's 'unconventional challenge']. ize Asia (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  9. ^ Kang Hyo-jin (August 12, 2022). "[단독]'대세' 이도현, '파묘'로 스크린 데뷔...최민식·김고은과 '특급 캐스팅' 완성[종합]" [[Exclusive] 'Trend' Lee Do-hyeon, debut on the screen with 'Pamyo'... Completion of 'Express Casting' with Choi Min-sik and Kim Go-eun [General]]. SpoTV News (in Korean). Retrieved February 3, 2024 – via Naver.
  10. ^ a b Park Jin-young (September 27, 2022). "[단독] '공조2' 대박 낸 유해진, '파묘' 합류...'믿보' 라인업 완성" [[Exclusive] Yoo Hai-jin, who hit the jackpot in 'Confidential Cooperation 2', joins 'Pamyo'... Completed the line-up of 'Believe]. Joy News 24 (in Korean). Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  11. ^ Jeong Han-byeol (January 25, 2024). "온몸에 문신...이도현, '파묘' 속 강렬 비주얼" [Tattoos all over my body... Lee Do-hyun, powerful visuals in 'Graveyard']. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  12. ^ Ko Seung-ah (February 29, 2024). "'파묘' 김재철, 의뢰인 박지용으로 강렬 열연...섬뜩한 얼굴" [Kim Jae-cheol in 'Breaking the Grave' gives a powerful performance as the client Park Ji-yong... creepy face]. News 1 (in Korean). Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Naver.
  13. ^ Jeon Hyeong-hwa (June 8, 2021). "[단독]'검은 사제들'→'사바하'→'파묘', 장재현 오컬트월드에 최민식 합류 [종합]" [[Exclusive] 'Black Priests' → 'Sabaha' → 'Expulsion', Choi Min-sik joins Jang Jae-hyun's Occult World [Comprehensive]]. Star News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  14. ^ Kang Hyo-jin (August 12, 2022). "[단독]'대세' 이도현, '파묘'로 스크린 데뷔...최민식·김고은과 '특급 캐스팅' 완성[종합]" [[Exclusive] Lee Do-hyun, a popular figure, debuts on the big screen with 'Breakfast'... 'Special casting' completed with Choi Min-sik and Kim Go-eun [Comprehensive]]. SPOTV News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  15. ^ Patrick Frater (January 4, 2024). "'Oldboy' Star Choi Min-sik Heads 'Exhuma' Cast, Drops Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  16. ^ Kim Beom-seok (October 6, 2022). "김고은, 부국제 '영웅의 밤' 참석→신작 '파묘' 크랭크 인" [Kim Go-eun attends the Vice International 'Heroes' Night' → Cranks in new work 'Breakfast']. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  17. ^ Eunho Lee (March 28, 2023). "'카지노' 최민식 "저는 저대로 살 뿐이에요" [쿠키인터뷰]" ['Casino' Choi Min-sik "I just live the way I am" [Cookie Interview]]. Kuki News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  18. ^ Lee Woo-bin (January 12, 2024). "[인터뷰] 전작들의 장점만 가져왔다, <파묘> 장재현 감독" [[Interview] Director Jang Jae-hyun of 'Breakfast' brought only the strengths of previous works]. Cine21 (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  19. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (January 17, 2024). "Berlinale Unveils Full Panorama, Forum & Generation Line-Ups With New Films By Nathan Silver, Levan Akin, André Téchiné & Bruce LaBruce". Deadline. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  20. ^ Dalton, Ben (January 17, 2024). "Berlinale unveils complete 2024 Panorama, Generation, Forum sections". ScreenDaily. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  21. ^ "Exhuma". Berlinale. February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  22. ^ Kim Bo-ra (January 23, 2024). "'파묘' 2월 22일 개봉 확정...최민식→이도현 미스터리 분위기 [공식]" ['Pamyo' confirmed to be released on February 22nd... Choi Min-sik → Lee Do-hyun Mystery Atmosphere [Official]]. Osen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  23. ^ Patrick Frater (March 8, 2024). "Hong Kong Film Festival to Open With Ray Yeung's 'All Shall Be Well,' Close With Japanese Charmer 'All the Long Nights'". Variety. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  24. ^ "Exhuma". HKIFF. March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  25. ^ Niyogi, Agnivo (April 23, 2024). "South Korean blockbuster Exhuma to release in India on May 3; watch trailer here". The Telegraph (India). Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  26. ^ Singh, Kulwant (May 29, 2024). "7 Best New Movies on Shudder in June 2024". CinemaBlind. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  27. ^ MacDonald, Joan (June 30, 2024). "Korean Hit Films Screened Free Via NYAFF And Korean Cultural Center". Forbes. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  28. ^ a b Kang Da-yoon (February 26, 2024). "'파묘'의 신명나는 200만 돌파...'항일 오컬트' 극장가 通했다 [MD포커스]" [Exciting 'Pamyo' surpasses 2 million... 'Anti-Japanese Occult' closed in theaters [MD Focus]]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  29. ^ "Relations between Japan and South Korea are blossoming". The Economist. March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  30. ^ "Exhuma, 2024 at KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) Box office: Korean films". KOFIC. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  31. ^ "2024 . 02 . 22（목） 박스오피스 (Daily box office)". KOBIS (in Korean). Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  32. ^ Lee Jin-wook (February 23, 2024). "'파묘' 첫날 33만 관객 1위...'서울의 봄'도 넘었다" ['Pamyo' ranked first with 330,000 viewers on the first day... 'Spring in Seoul' has passed]. CBS Nocut News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  33. ^ "South Korea Box Office February 23 - February 25, 2024". KOFIC. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  34. ^ Bae Hyo-joo (February 28, 2024). "'파묘' 7일째 300만 돌파..벌써 손익분기점 다 왔다[박스오피스]" ['Breakdown' surpasses 3 million in 7 days... Already at break-even point [Box Office]]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  35. ^ Lee Min-ji (March 2, 2024). "미친 속도 '파묘' 500만 관객 돌파, 소름 유발 스페셜 포스터" [Crazy Speed 'Bamyo' exceeds 5 million viewers, goosebumps-inducing special poster]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  36. ^ Na, Won-jong (March 10, 2024). ""실수로 대중영화 됐다"...16일 만에 '파묘'에 벌어진 일" ["It accidentally became a popular movie"... What happened to 'Pamyo' in 16 days?]. Joongang Ilbo (in Korean).
  37. ^ Yoon-seo, Lee (March 24, 2024). "'Exhuma' first movie this year to attract 10m moviegoers". The Korea Herald. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  38. ^ Rosser, Michael (March 25, 2024). "'Exhuma' tops landmark 10 million admissions in South Korea". ScreenDaily. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  39. ^ Merican, Sara (April 2, 2024). "'Exhuma' Becomes Most Successful Korean Film In Vietnam". Deadline. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  40. ^ "Exhuma". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  41. ^ Lee Yoon-seo (February 22, 2024). "[Herald Review] 'Exhuma' brings horror with shamanism, but fails to connect stories". The Korea Herald. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  42. ^ Lee, Woo-bin (February 28, 2024). "[리뷰] '파묘', 미신과 사기 따위는 안중에도 없는 진짜 전문가 영화" [[Review] 'Exhuma', a real professional film that doesn't even care about superstition and fraud]. Cine21 (in Korean).
  43. ^ Meagan Navarro (March 21, 2024). "MOVIES'Exhuma' Review – South Korea's Box Office Hit is a Fun Folk Horror Surprise". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  44. ^ Lee, Seung-hoon (May 7, 2024). '무빙'→'서울의 봄' 대상..'파묘'는 4관왕 [제60회 백상예술대상][종합] ['Moving' → 'Seoul Spring' Grand Prize..'Buried Grave' wins 4 awards [60th Baeksang Arts Awards] [Comprehensive]] (in Korean). Star News. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024 – via Naver.
  45. ^ Hwang, So-young (April 8, 2024). 60회 맞은 '백상예술대상' TV·영화·연극 후보 공개 [60th 'Baeksang Arts Awards' TV, Film and Theater Candidates Revealed] (in Korean). JTBC News. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024 – via Naver.
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