The article reveals part of the movie’s content Excavating ghosts’ graves (International title:Exhuma
) is a supernatural horror film that stirred up the Korean box office when it debuted in its home country in February. The project opened with more than 16.8 million USD, holding the record for being the most popular film in Korea in 2024.
Thanks to the gathering of familiar stars including Choi Min Sik, Kim Go Eun, Yoo Hae Jin, Lee Do Hyun… the film was also well received by Vietnamese audiences. In just the first week of release in our country, the work collected more than 90 billion VND at the box office according to statistics from Box Office Vietnam quickly took down Hollywood blockbusters such as Dune 2: Sand Planet , Kung Fu Panda 4
to create a new fever.
The familiar story of digging graves and exorcising evil spirits
The story of the film begins with the tragedy of a tycoon family. The father often heard scary sounds, and his newborn son was also sick and sick for unknown reasons.
![Decoding the fever of 'Exposing ghosts' - Photo 1. Worried about the fate of his family, he invites two young magicians Hwa Rim (Kim Go Eun) and Bong Gil (Lee Do Hyun) to his house to exorcise evil spirits. Through a spiritual ritual, Hwa Rim discovers that the child's illness comes from a mysterious curse related to an ancient family tomb.](https://gamek.mediacdn.vn/133514250583805952/2024/3/19/quat-mo-trung-ma-2b-1031-1710822758241-1710822758637550194339.jpeg)
Decoding the fever of ‘Exposing ghosts’ – Photo 1.
The image of Lee Do Hyun (left) and Kim Go Eun (right) as two exorcists.
They go to feng shui master Sang Deok (Choi Min Sik) and shroud expert Yeong Geun (Yoo Hae Jin) to dig up the grave. Unfortunately, after completing the tomb exhumation ritual, the priests also accidentally released an evil force, threatening the life of the tycoon’s family.
With no other choice, the quartet must find a way to fight the devil together to prevent things from going too far. Basically, Excavating ghosts’ graves
still follows the familiar exorcism motif of many horror movies. The script is seriously constructed, divided into many small chapters, each chapter has a title that intrigues the audience.
Over time, secrets are gradually revealed, helping the work create a certain surprise, while also keeping viewers engaged until the end when all the truths are revealed.
Arousing curiosity because of the element of spiritual horror Points help Excavating ghosts’ graves The main attraction is the spiritual horror element with Asian style. This is also the highlight of many recent horror movies such as I curse ( Incantation ) from Taiwan or Clairvoyant ( The Medium
) of Thailand…
![Decoding the fever of 'Exposing ghosts' - Photo 2. The film's script cleverly installs familiar spiritual and demonic elements in Asian culture. The séances and shrouds are carefully constructed, creating a realistic feeling for viewers.](https://gamek.mediacdn.vn/133514250583805952/2024/3/19/quat-mo-trung-ma-3-3725-1710822759347-17108227600931058464719.jpeg)
![Decoding the fever of 'Exposing ghosts' - Photo 3. Decoding the fever of 'Exposing ghosts' - Photo 2.](https://gamek.mediacdn.vn/133514250583805952/2024/3/19/quat-mo-trung-ma-2c-1583-1710822760815-17108227609372020867538.jpeg)
![Decoding the fever of 'Exposing ghosts' - Photo 4. Decoding the fever of 'Exposing ghosts' - Photo 3.](https://gamek.mediacdn.vn/133514250583805952/2024/3/19/quat-mo-trung-ma-2a-6685-1710822762121-17108227622521594907099.jpeg)
![Decoding the fever of 'Exposing ghosts' - Photo 5. Decoding the fever of 'Exposing ghosts' - Photo 4.](https://gamek.mediacdn.vn/133514250583805952/2024/3/19/quat-mo-trung-ma-1-3949-1710822762945-1710822763019884140534.jpeg)
Decoding the fever of ‘Exposing ghosts’ – Photo 5.
Some images in the film.
Metaphors about religion and Korean folk culture are cleverly installed, building a suspenseful atmosphere throughout.
The work does not have many jump scare scenes, but every scene is installed properly, surprising the viewer. The sound is also very well installed, helping to increase the effectiveness of each scene.
The film also seeks to combine demons with historical and geographical elements to create a layered, in-depth story. Some bloody and scary scenes caused the film to be labeled T16 (prohibited for audiences under 16 years old) when released in Vietnam.
A few limitations However, Excavating ghosts’ graves
Still not an excellent work. The script also reveals many limitations and cannot fully solve the problem.
Because it focuses on setting up the plot, the film skips the introduction of the main characters. The audience does not clearly understand each person’s background and past, so it is difficult to sympathize with their fate and personality.
After a relatively good first half, the movie drops when the villain appears. The technical effects are not good, the character designs are still familiar, causing the work to lose its original scary feeling.
The fact that demons appear before humans also reduces the mystery and horror necessary for a horror work.
![Decoding the fever of 'Exposing ghosts' - Photo 6. The acting of the stars is average but not impressive. Female lead Kim Go Eun is favored with many acting opportunities. She created tension in the grave-digging or shrouding scenes, but towards the end, she became even more out of breath.](https://gamek.mediacdn.vn/133514250583805952/2024/3/19/quat-mo-trung-ma-2d-8124-1710822763636-1710822763838897198606.jpeg)
Decoding the fever of ‘Exposing ghosts’ – Photo 6.
Kim Go Eun has many acting roles but has not left a strong impression.
Veteran actor Choi Min Sik did not encounter many difficulties when becoming an expert feng shui master. Even the role is somewhat light compared to many of his previous roles.
“Bad guy” Yoo Hae Jin also doesn’t have many opportunities to shine with a bland character. The most unfortunate thing is the appearance of Lee Do Hyun. Besides his handsome face, the actor has not shown any progress in acting. General, Excavating ghosts’ graves
Brings a new breeze to the Korean horror film genre. However, the work still has many limitations in the script stage. The story is built relatively well in the first half but gradually loses steam at the end.
The success of the work mainly comes from the star attraction and the crew’s successful promotion strategy.