THE Korean movie Exhuma is proof that having a good poster is important. I wanted to watch the movie (showing in cinemas on March 20) based off just looking at the poster. Lucky for me, Columbia Pictures Philippines invited me to an advanced screening of the movie and of course I said yes.
There will be no spoilers in this review. I will simply talk about what the movie is all about. Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and Bong-gil (Lee Doh-yun) are two young shamans who are hired by a rich Korean-American family to solve a supernatural-related problem. Hwa-rim early on realized that the problem is something related to the Korean family’s ancestors so she asks them to include Kim Sang-deok (Choi Min-sik), a geomancer or feng shui expert, and Young-geun (Yoo Hai-jin), a mortician, to the team.
What happens next is a series of gruesome deaths and scary occurrences. This film is a thriller but there are barely any jump scares. What’s scary is the idea of bad spirits out there.
Filmmaker Jang Jae-hyun is the person behind Exhuma and like his previous films, this deals with religion, death, and the afterlife. His debut film The Priests and 12th Assistant Deacon were both about Catholicism and the supernatural.
Meanwhile, Svaha: The Sixth Finger is about a mysterious girl and a cult. It’s a religious-themed horror movie.
By the way, Exhuma surpassed 2 million moviegoers four days after the film opened in South Korea. This was the biggest Korean box office opening of 2024. The movie brought in almost 2 million moviegoers (1,963,564) in just one weekend (February 23 to 25).
The movie also eclipsed the box-office showing of Dune in Korea, despite the fact that the Hollywood movie’s stars went to Seoul to promote it.
According to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic), Exhuma has made $43.5 million total since its debut. This is the box-office record for 11 days of showing.
I would highly recommend Exhuma to fans of Korean cinema and those who enjoy the unraveling format of storytelling. The cinematography is good and eerie, and the acting is superb. Lee Do-hyun is a revelation here with his understated acting. Kim Go-eun is perfect for her role while Choi Min-sik and Yoo Hai-jin turned in superb performances as usual.
What I like about Exhuma and many other Korean movies is the banter between the characters in between the more exciting scenes. It’s like they showing us that they’re normal people even when paranormal things are happening to them.
Overall, Exhuma is a highly recommended film about Korean shamanism. This is a topic that fascinates me so much.
NEW RELEASES FROM VIRAL RECORDS ARTISTS
I attended the the launch of Viral Records last October and I was impressed with the label’s commitment to promote its artists, all of whom were newly signed at that time. Most of the Viral Records artists were seasoned performers but some were newbies in the industry.
In news about Viral Records’ artists, Chandler and Top Notch have released new singles—“Bitin” and “Kape,” respectively.
“‘Bitin’ is written for those who want to tell the person they admire that they won’t be unsatisfied if given a chance at love,” said Lawrence of Top Notch.
In addition to the song’s message, Top Notch said listening to the “Bitin” could leave you wanting more—just like the title. This is because only a third of the song has words; the rest is instrumental.
But because of the power of music, even with few words, “Bitin” will take you back to the time when you were just falling in love with a person, and it’s all about kilig. The inspiration behind Chandler’s “Kape” is a classmate who loves coffee.
“My classmate and his girlfriend always go to coffee shops for their dates. You know, I really hope they continue staying strong because wouldn’t it be nice to have ‘Kape’ played during their wedding someday?” shared Chandler.
The single opens with an invitation—“Tara, kape tayo”—and listening to it will make you say yes instantly. Paired with jazz elements, Chandler’s soothing voice will remind you that coffee is best consumed when shared with someone special
Chandler and Top Notch are both committed to continuing making music, collaborating with other Viral Records artists, and practicing their live performance skills.
More specifically, Top Notch plans to get into EDM Rock and Alternative Pop genres, while Chandler wants to blend modern and traditional melodies and wordplays in future songs.
Meanwhile, Lirico has also released their latest single entitled “Ichibu,” which literally translates to “one part.” The collective releases of “Bitin,” “Kape,” and “Ichibu” highlights Viral Records’ commitment to championing local music and artists.
Follow Viral Records on Facebook and Instagram to know more about the activities of their artists.
Image credits: IMAGE COURTESY OF COLUMBIA PICTURES