Let’s be honest. The reason we are watching Exhuma for the second (or third) time isn’t to analyze the complex plot about the giant Japanese samurai demon. No. We are hitting the “play” button again to validate one important thesis: South Korea has successfully rebranded the Shaman profession into the most stylish job of the century.
In the hands of director Jang Jae-hyun, a shaman is no longer a creepy old man sitting in a dark corner smoking weird incense. Instead, the shaman is Kim Go-eun wearing a leather trench coat and Lee Do-hyun with bible verses tattooed on his gym-honed arms.
Here are my thoughts after rewatching Exhuma, a film that proves even the occult can get a “glow-up” if it gets hit by the Hallyu breeze.
1. The ‘Outfit Check’ Before Exorcism
Let’s compare this to our local horror tropes. Usually, the spiritual medium is depicted in dusty black robes, looking unwashed and smelling of desperation.
In Exhuma, Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and Bong-gil (Lee Do-hyun) destroy that stereotype. When Hwa-rim steps out of her luxury car, rocking a pair of Converse Chuck Taylors and mixing modern fashion with a traditional Hanbok vibe, we know the standard has shifted.
They don’t look like they are about to curse someone; they look like they are on their way to Seoul Fashion Week.
Rewatching the film highlights the small details: Bong-gil wearing noise-canceling headphones on the plane. This is the “Gen Z Shaman” representation we didn’t know we needed. They understand spiritual frequencies, but they also need to block out the crying baby in seat 4B. Aesthetic is key; mantras are secondary.
2. Is it a Ritual or a Rock Concert?
The “Great Gut” scene (the coffin relocation ritual) is a cinematic masterpiece.
Usually, rituals in horror movies are dark, quiet, and disgusting. In Exhuma, the ritual is a banger. The drums are loud, the rhythm is intense, and Hwa-rim dances with knives while slaughtering a pig with the charisma of a K-Pop group’s “Center.”
The energy isn’t just “scary”; it’s electric. Korea managed to package their ancient shamanistic traditions into a spectacle that feels exotic yet modern. You aren’t disgusted; you are impressed. “Damn, she looks cool while being possessed,” is a sentence I never thought I would say.
3. Premium Spiritual Consulting
One of the most realistic (and funniest) points of the film is how transactional their world is.
Remember the negotiation scene with the filthy rich client from LA? That was a boss business move. There is no “pay as you wish” or “payment in chickens” here. In Exhuma, spiritual services are a premium subscription. High risk, high return.
It teaches us that exorcising an angry ancestor requires high operational costs. First-class flights, five-star hotels, and undoubtedly Hwa-rim’s expensive skincare routine (you need to look glowing while fighting demons)—someone has to pay for that.
The Verdict: A Visual Victory
Rewatching Exhuma makes us realize that Korea is the undisputed king of cultural packaging. They took something ancient, mystical, and potentially “cringe” to the modern eye, and polished it into a sexy pop-culture commodity.
This film makes Shamanism look like a viable career path for fashionable young people who happen to have spiritual talents.
So, while we wait for other countries to start putting their local exorcists in Air Jordans, let’s just enjoy Lee Do-hyun looking handsome while being possessed by a vengeful spirit.
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