‘Exhuma’ becomes first occult film to attract 10 million viewers

Korean movie ‘Exhuma’ became the first movie released this year to exceed ten million viewers as of Sunday. It is the first occult film to attract 10 million viewers. More than 60,000 people are watching the show every day, even on weekdays, raising expectations for the final number.

According to the distributor Showbox on Sunday, the cumulative number of viewers for the movie exceeded 10 million, a feat achieved 31 days after its release on Feb. 22. ‘Exhuma’ is the 23rd Korean film and the 32nd film ever to attract 10 million viewers.

Director Jang Jae-hyun rose to stardom as a ‘10 million viewer director’ with his third film, following the positive reviews of ‘Black Priests’ (2015) and ‘Svaha: The Sixth Finger’ (2019). “I wanted to make every scene funny,” the director said. “I think that the focus on creating something fun in an unconventional way, instead of choosing a safe path, was a factor in its success.”

The movie, which is based on feng shui and shamanism, was acknowledged for expanding new horizons for ‘K-occult drama.’ The plot, in which ordinary people combine their abilities to defeat evil, is close to a 'common people's hero movie.' As the story advances towards the end, it invites the audience to relate to the movement against the Japanese under colonial rule, featuring the ‘iron rod’ used in the Japanese colonial era.


Ji-Sun Choi aurinko@donga.com