Ahead of its initial release on February 22nd, "Exhuma" wasn't exactly an underdog, but nobody had the occult horror film pegged as a competitor for South Korea's all time highest box office. With over 11.5 million admissions, "Exhuma" appears to have finally run out of energy. But this is only just now in mid-April, several weeks after the initial release, during which time it has always been either the first or second most popular film in South Korean theaters. But why?
One novel explanation is that "Exhuma" has had significant repeat consumers. According to data from CGV, approximately 5.1% of all admissions were watching the film for a second time, while 2.1% of admissions were watching the film for a third time. This strongly suggests the importance of quality filmmaking- as in, via terms of literal craftsmanship. In his previous films, writer/director Jang Jae-hyeon cultivated a reputation for hiding Easter Eggs in earlier parts of the film.
"Exhuma" is no different. The long-winded narrative is divided into six parts, as the initial mystery behind a single cursed burial leads to a deeper mystery, all hinted at ahead of time. Other seemingly minor details take on different significance as the film continues. Lee Do-hyun's distinctive tattoos, for example, initially just appear to be a part of his character design, but the exact meaning of the words carved into his body is of vital importance going into the film's final confrontation.
"Exhuma" has many other more superficial details- license plate numbers and character names, for example, directly relate to the Korea's Independence Movement, and discussion of these facts has proven quite popular on South Korean social media. For his part, writer/director Jang Jae-hyeon was caught quite off guard by how quickly viewers discovered these flourishes, claiming that this attention to detail was done purely for the sake of artistry, and that he wasn't expecting anyone to notice them.
"Exhuma" also might have just benefited from good timing. The South Korean film industry hasn't had any major serious horror films since the last project from the same director, "Svaha: The Sixth Finger" in 2019, which had a lukewarm enough reception that producers were reluctant to back horror projects that were designed theologically rather than as crowd-pleasers. Ironically, for the crowd of the moment, serious theology is precisely what keeps them coming back for repeat showings.
Written by William Schwartz
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"Exhuma" is directed by Jang Jae-hyeon, and features Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun, Yoo Hae-jin, Lee Do-hyun, Kim Jae-chul, Kim Min-jun. Release date in Korea: 2024/02/22.
Staff writer. Has been writing articles for HanCinema since 2012, having lived in South Korea since 2011. Started out in Gyeongju, then to Daegu, then to Ansan, then to Yeongju, then to Seoul, lived on the road for HanCinema's travel diaries series in the summer of 2016, and is currently settled in Anyang. Has good tips for utilizing South Korea's public bus system. William Schwartz can be contacted via william@hancinema.net. He also has a substack at williamschwartz.substack.com where he discusses the South Korean film industry in broader terms and takes suggestions for future movies to review.
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