The quartet of shamans, mortician and feng shui masters in 2024 Korean horror – Exhuma movie are currently trending in Korean box offices. Up to now, this occult film has continually held the No.1 position for 33 days at cinemas across South Korea, even though it started screening from February 22nd.
However, we got the information that viewers unfamiliar with Korean and some Japanese culture might find some details difficult to understand this movie. Have you, our K-Cult followers, seen this occult film yet? Are there any parts that you didn’t understand? If so, this article is for you!
Today, we at Your Favorite K-Cult will explore six mysterious spiritual details from the Korean horror – Exhuma movie. Be warned! This article contains spoilers, so if you haven’t seen this Korean horror movie yet, we recommend not reading further.
2024 Blockbuster Korean Horror – Exuma Movie
Exhuma, a Korean occult film, was released in Korea on February 22nd. It has already attracted over 10 million cinema-goers, quite an achievement given Korea’s total population of 50 million, right? Currently, this Korean horror movie is considered the first significant box office success of 2024 in the domestic market. With its audience continuing to grow, Exhuma is now being screened in both major and independent theaters across 133 countries worldwide. In the United States, this Korean occult film had it first premier in Los Angeles on March 15, and expands across U.S. theaters on March 22!
Exhuma begins with the story of an American-Korean family named Park. They have sought the help of two shamans, Hwarim (Kim Go Eun) and Bonggil (Lee Do Hyun), to remedy the misfortune caused by their ancestral grave. Recognizing the complexity of the task, the two shamans enlist the help of feng shui master Kim Sang Deok (Choi Min Sik) and mortician Yong Geun (Yoo Hae Jin). Together, they embark on the thrilling and suspenseful process of exhuming the Park family’s ancestral grave.
Reasons Why The Exhuma Movie Is Confusing For Viewers
In the Exhuma movie features many details about Korean spiritual culture and feng shui, which are quite challenging and difficult to understand for viewers unfamiliar with Korean culture, particularly its spiritual aspect, including job titles such as shaman of mortician. Besides these details, this Korean horror movie subtly portrays the relationship between Korea and Japan.
Most viewers will have questions about the Korean cultural nuances mixed with Japanese culture, which are shown during the exhumation process in the movie, after leaving the cinema. Now, let’s join us, the followers of Your Favorite K-Cult, as we unravel the mysterious elements in this popular Korean horror box office hit!
Unraveling 6 Mysteries in Exhuma
The meaning of Hwarim’s whistle in the hospital
In Korean culture, whistling is one of the ways to confirm whether there are ghosts in the space where we are standing. The implication of Hwarim’s whistle can be understood as “Is anyone here? Please let me know!” for the purpose of seeking the presence of ghosts around the baby.
Usually, after the whistle, if there are indeed spiritual forces in the room, they will respond in some way. As can be seen in the film, after whistling and not getting a response, Hwarim asked the family to wait outside so that a ceremony could be performed to search for the evil spirit existing around the newborn baby.
Park’s grandson salutes to the direction of the hotel window
After receiving a fake call and opening the window for his grandfather’s evil spirit to enter the room, Mr. Park’s nephew was possessed by his grandfather. You can see that after being possessed, Mr. Park’s nephew drank a lot of water, which is a sign of possession in Korean culture.
After being possessed, the nephew of the Park family saluted in the direction of the window of The Plaza hotel. It is known that right in front of this hotel building is Gwanghwamun Square, where the Korean Government-General building was located during the Japanese forced rule. As a relative of a Japanese collaborator, Mr. Park’s grandfather performed a ceremony and saluted to show his loyalty to a Japanese empire that no longer exists.
Why is Feng Shui Master Sung Deok’s son-in-law German?
During World War II, Germany and Japan were both notorious for their ruthless fascism, which had many repercussions. However, post-war, the Germans apologized and expressed remorse for the atrocities they committed, while the Japanese have not yet issued a similar apology or expressed any intention to provide compensation until 2020. That year Emperor Naruhito expressed “deep remorse” over Japan’s wartime past at a memorial ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.
In Exhuma, the fact that Feng Shui Master Sung Deok’s son-in-law is German highlights this contrast, promoting reflection on Japan’s post-war responsibilities.
Snake with a Woman’s Head – Nure Onna
In Japanese spiritual culture, a snake with a woman’s head named Nure Onna often appears near graves that are buried on top of each other. In another interpretation, the Park family was pointed out by a Japanese shaman named Kisune that this is a good burial location to hide the coffin of a Japanese general who is suppressing underneath. And Nure Onna is the creature that Kisune released to guard the tomb.
Nure Onna appeared after the exhumation ceremony. While the grave diggers were cleaning up, they accidentally killed Nure Onna and immediately, they were cursed to cry tears of blood. This is also the plot twist that heightens the eeriness of the Exhuma movie.
What did Bong Gil draw with his finger when he got sleep paralysis?
One of the plots from Exhuma movie, Bong Gil was jolted awake from sleep when he saw something peculiar. A shadow of the deceased master hovered above him, repeatedly uttering “no liver, no liver”. To break free from the sleep paralysis, Bong Gil repeatedly drew the Han character 㨃, which signifies to dispel or push back in Korean.
The Korean horror – Exhuma movie delves into many aspects of Korean spiritual culture, including exhumation and grave relocation. It introduces cultural features such as the role of a mortician, shamanism, feng shui, and the practice of moving graves, which may be unfamiliar to Western audiences. Hopefully, this article from Your Favorite K-Cult has made Exhuma movie – the 2024 best Korean occult film more accessible and enjoyable.
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