'Exhuma' becomes first Korean occult horror with over 10M moviegoers
What's the story
The South Korean horror film Exhuma is on a record-breaking spree.
After consistently maintaining the No.1 position at the box office for an unbroken stretch of 31 days, it has etched its name in the annals of cinema by amassing over 10M cine-goers in merely 32 days.
This feat establishes Exhuma as the first film of 2024 and the first Korean occult horror movie ever to attain this milestone.
Context
Why does this story matter?
On its opening day, February 22, Exhuma clinched the top position at the Korean box office with 3.36 lakh admissions and raked in $2.3B, establishing a record for the highest opening earnings for a 2024 release in South Korea.
Incredibly, within just 16 days of its release, it set a new pace record by outperforming the previous 2023 Korean blockbuster, 12.12: The Day, by four days.
Plot details
'Exhuma's stellar cast and its captivating story
Helmed by Jang Jae-hyun, Exhuma features Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun as exorcists, Yoo Hae-jin as a mortician, and Choi Min-sik as a feng shui master.
The narrative revolves around an affluent Korean family in Los Angeles who solicit the assistance of two young shamans to protect their newborn child from paranormal occurrences.
Their journey compels them to seek help from a geomancer and a mortician to unearth a grave, unleashing unexpected supernatural forces.
Acclaim
Earlier, 'Exhuma' received acclaim at the 74th Berlin Film Festival
Exhuma has cemented itself as a commercial and critical success and was chosen for the Forum section at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in February.
Additionally, the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF)—scheduled to start from March 28—has included Exhuma to thrill late-night horror enthusiasts.
Other films on the list are All Shall Be Well (opening film), Gift, Snow Leopard, and Black Box Diaries, among others.
Statement
Previously, cast member Lee opened up about his debut
Earlier, Exhuma's production team dropped an interview with Lee, featuring behind-the-scenes footage captured before his military enlistment.
The actor—who made his big screen debut with the horror drama—shared his thoughts on the experience.
He expressed, "In some ways, it was a very big challenge for me...and I was also a little scared because I never had the experience [of filming a movie] before."
"However, my fear was offset by the good guidance of the director and the senior actors."