# Exhuma

Exhuma (Korean: 파묘) is a 2024 South Korean 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.
Exhuma premiered in the Forum section at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2024. It was released theatrically on February 22 and received positive reviews from critics. The film has earned a worldwide gross of US$93.9 million, making it the highest-grossing South Korean film of 2024 and the sixth highest-grossing South Korean film of all time.

## Plot

Renowned Korean shaman Hwa-rim and her protégé, Bong-gil are enlisted by a wealthy real estate developer 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 and geomancer Kim Sang-deok and a mortician Yeong-geun with a promise of huge payday, especially Sang-deok who's in need of money to pay his daughter's wedding.
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 but Ji-yong convinces him to reconsider by doubling the payout for the job. 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 collaborator 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 an oni 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 oni who is revealed to be a samurai. Bong-gil gets injured and possessed, and the others witness the oni turn into a ball of fire flying back to the mountain.
Hwa-rim investigates the oni'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 oni 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 tsukumogami and Ji-yong's grandfather's grave serving as a cover for the relic. Sang-deok realizes that the samurai himself is the iron spike and since he is represented fire in Feng shui, he must be vanquished by the element of water and wood. Sang-deok 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

* Choi Min-sik as Kim Sang-deok, feng shui master
* Kim Go-eun as Lee Hwa-rim, shaman
* Yoo Hae-jin as Yeong-geun, undertaker
* Lee Do-hyun as Yoon Bong-gil, shaman
* Kim Jae-cheol as Park Ji-yong, Hwa-rim's client
* Kim Sun-young as Oh Gwang-shim, shaman
* Kim Ji-an as Park Ja-hye, a junior shaman

## Production

In June 2021, it was reported that Choi Min-sik will star in director Jang Jae-hyun's occult thriller. Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun joined the cast in August 2022, followed by Yoo Hae-jin, who joined the cast in September 2022.
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.
Principal photography began in October 2022, and filming ended in March 2023. 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."

## Release

Exhuma had its world premiere on February 16, 2024, as part of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, in Forum.
It was released theatrically on February 22, 2024, in South Korea by Showbox Co., Ltd.
The film was first screened at the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival on April 7, 2024, in Gala presentations.
It was released on May 3, 2024, in India.
it will be available on Shudder June 14 (Available in the US and CA).
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. It competed in the 57th Sitges Film Festival in the 'Oficial Fantàstic Competició' section and won Special Jury Award. It was screened in the festival on 4 October 2024.

## 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.

### Box office

The film was released on February 22, 2024, on 2,086 screens. 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, breaking the highest opening score for a film released in 2024 in South Korea so far. The film topped the South Korean weekend box office in its opening weekend, grossing US$14,455,880 from 1,963,577 admissions. On February 25, the fourth day of its release, the film exceeded 2 million admissions, and on February 28, the seventh day, it crossed 3 million admissions. On March 2, the 10th day it surpassed 5 million viewers. On March 10, it became the highest performing Korean occult film with 8 million viewers. 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.
As of May 15, 2024, the film has grossed US$84,095,030 from 11,902,097 admissions, making it the highest grossing South Korean film of 2024.
The film has grossed $97,602,124 worldwide as per Box Office Mojo. 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.

### Critical response

Exhuma was received well by critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 93% and an average rating of 7.6/10, based on 40 reviews.
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."
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.
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."

### 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 |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2024 | Best Film | Exhuma | Nominated |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2024 | Best Director | Jang Jae-hyun | Won |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2024 | Best Actor | Choi Min-sik | Nominated |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2024 | Best Actress | Kim Go-eun | Won |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Yoo Hae-jin | Nominated |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2024 | Best New Actor | Lee Do-hyun | Won |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2024 | Best Screenplay | Jang Jae-hyun | Nominated |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2024 | Technical Award | Kim Byung-in (Sound) | Won |
| Asian Film Awards | 2025 | Best Film | Exhuma | Nominated |
| Asian Film Awards | 2025 | Best Director | Jang Jae-hyun | Nominated |
| Asian Film Awards | 2025 | Best Actor | Choi Min-sik | Nominated |
| Asian Film Awards | 2025 | Best Actress | Kim Go-eun | Nominated |
| Asian Film Awards | 2025 | Best Newcomer | Lee Do-hyun | Nominated |
| Asian Film Awards | 2025 | Best Screenplay | Jang Jae-hyun | Nominated |
| Asian Film Awards | 2025 | Best Costume Design | Choi Yoon-sun | Won |
| Asian Film Awards | 2025 | Best Production Design | Seo Sung-kyung | Nominated |
| Asian Film Awards | 2025 | Best Original Music | Kim Tae-seong | Nominated |
| Asian Film Awards | 2025 | Best Visual Effects | Kim Shin-chul, Daniel Son | Won |
| Asian Film Awards | 2025 | Best Sound | Kim Byung-in | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2024 | Best Film | Exhuma | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2024 | Best Director | Jang Jae-hyun | Won |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2024 | Best Actor | Choi Min-sik | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2024 | Best Actress | Kim Go-eun | Won |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Yoo Hae-jin | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2024 | Best New Actor | Lee Do-hyun | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2024 | Best Screenplay | Jang Jae-hyun | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2024 | Best Editing | Jeong Byung-jin | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2024 | Best Cinematography and Lighting | Lee Mo-gae, Lee Sung-hwan | Won |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2024 | Best Art Direction | Seo Sung-gyeong | Won |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2024 | Best Music | Kim Tae-seong | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2024 | Technical Award | Lee Eun-ju (Make up) | Nominated |
| Brand of the Year Awards | 2024 | Best Actress Movie | Kim Go-eun | Won |
| Buil Film Awards | 2024 | Best Film | Exhuma | Nominated |
| Buil Film Awards | 2024 | Best Director | Jang Jae-hyun | Nominated |
| Buil Film Awards | 2024 | Best Actress | Kim Go-eun | Nominated |
| Buil Film Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Yoo Hae-jin | Nominated |
| Buil Film Awards | 2024 | Best Screenplay | Jang Jae-hyun | Nominated |
| Buil Film Awards | 2024 | Best New Actor | Lee Do-hyun | Nominated |
| Buil Film Awards | 2024 | Best Art/Technical Award | Seo Sung-gyeong | Nominated |
| Buil Film Awards | 2024 | Best Music | Kim Tae-seong | Nominated |
| Buil Film Awards | 2024 | Yu Hyun-mok Film Arts Award | Jang Jae-hyun | Won |
| Busan Film Critics Awards | 2024 | Best Actor | Choi Min-sik | Won |
| Cine21 Movie Awards | 2024 | Movie of The Year | Exhuma | 2nd |
| Cine21 Movie Awards | 2024 | Best Director | Jang Jae-hyun | Won |
| Cine21 Movie Awards | 2024 | Best Actress | Kim Go-eun | Won |
| Korean Film Producers Association Awards | 2024 | Best Screenplay | Jang Jae-hyun | Won |
| Korean Film Producers Association Awards | 2024 | Best Actress | Kim Go-eun | Won |
| Korean Film Producers Association Awards | 2024 | Best Sound | Kim Byung-in | Won |
| Korean Film Producers Association Awards | 2024 | Best Lighthing | Lee Sung-hwan | Won |
| Korean Film Producers Association Awards | 2024 | Art Award | Seo Sung-kyung | Won |
| Marie Claire Film Festival | 2024 | Pioneer Award | Kim Go-eun | Won |
| Sitges Film Festival | 2024 | Special Jury Award | Exhuma | Won |
| Women in Film of the Year Awards | 2024 | Best Actress | Kim Go-eun | Won |