Exhuma 2024

In this haunting narrative of familial revenge, celebrated shaman Hwa-rim and her devoted apprentice Bong-gil are called upon by an affluent Korean American family to decode the mysteries surrounding their infant son’s bizarre illness. Together, they uncover a sinister phenomenon known as the “Grave’s Call,” a curse stemming from the restless spirit of a vengeful ancestor that has plagued the family for generations.

The family’s patriarch, Park Ji-Yong, places his trust in Hwa-rim and Bong-gil, urging them to relocate the grave in a bid to appease the ancestral spirits and eliminate the dark energy threatening his lineage. To assist them in this daunting task, they enlist the guidance of feng shui master Kim Sang-deok and the mortician Yeong-geun.

As their investigation unfolds, Sang-deok becomes alarmed when Ji-yong expresses his intention to cremate the grave located in a secluded mountainous area near the North Korean border. His intuition warns of looming disaster, but Hwa-rim reassures him that she has the skill to perform a ritual that would alleviate the curse, even while the grave is exhumed.

During the excavation process, Ji-yong shares the legend of Gisune, a wise monk who once indicated the grave’s location to protect his grandfather from grave robbers. Hwa-rim and Bong-gil carry out the ritual, ensuring everything proceeds smoothly. However, as the cleanup begins, a gravedigger inadvertently beheads a serpentine creature, unleashing a cascade of foreboding events that lead to fierce rainstorms.

The funeral director, Yeong-geun, insists that the coffin must be cremated once the storms pass, leading them to store it in a nearby ward. Unbeknownst to them, the town custodian, lured by rumors of hidden treasures within the grave, foolishly opens the coffin, thus releasing the wrathful spirit of Ji-yong’s grandfather, who had suffered from a bungled burial for years.

As the curse takes its toll, Ji-yong and his parents become victims of their ancestors’ vengeance. In a climactic moment, Sang-deok manages to cremate the coffin just before the spirit could claim another life, lifting the curse and liberating the family from its ominous grip.

With days passing, Yeong-geun reveals a disturbing tale to Sang-deok: a gravedigger who goes mad after committing an unthinkable act against a serpent. This horrific account prompts Sang-deok to revisit the gravesite, where he encounters the chilling sight of a serpent head and an exceptionally large, seven-foot-long coffin. Driven by a mix of curiosity and moral duty, Sang-deok recruits the help of Hwa-rim, Bong-gil, and Yeong-geun to dispose of this unsettling relic, leading them to a temporary sanctuary at a nearby temple.

Within the temple walls, Hwa-rim unveils the legend of Gisune, a formidable Japanese shaman dubbed The Fox, whose supernatural abilities wield dire repercussions. As night falls, Bong-gil witnesses a gruesome scene where a vengeful entity, revealed to be a samurai, mercilessly slaughters the temple’s priest alongside a local pig farmer and his herd.

Amidst the carnage, Hwa-rim and Bong-gil discover the violated coffin, its contents in disarray. In an unexpected clash, Hwa-rim is assaulted by the ominous samurai, who transforms into a blazing orb of fire and retreats to the mountains, leaving the trio in shock.

As the enigma thickens, Hwa-rim investigates the ghoul’s origins through the visions of her possessed ally, Bong-gil. Sang-deok returns to the grave site, only to uncover the dormant samurai, intrinsically linked to the coordinates on his grandfather’s tombstone. This discovery exposes a tangled history of subterfuge, revealing that what was presumed to be grave robbers were in fact Korean patriots attempting to unearth a piece of Japan’s martial history in Korea.

With escalating stakes, Sang-deok, Hwa-rim, and Yeong-geun strategize to exhume this long-concealed relic, set to awaken from its slumber at midnight. Hwa-rim takes up the charge as a diversion, while the others direct their efforts at the grave. A prophetic vision unveils The Fox’s malevolent role in endowing the decapitated samurai with a katana, transforming it into the vengeful spirit now haunting their every step.

Sang-deok ultimately connects the dots: the relic is buried beneath his grandfather’s grave, cleverly disguised to conceal its presence. Confronting the samurai, he employs his feng shui mastery to defeat the creature, only to later succumb to extreme fatigue.

The story shifts forward in time as Sang-deok regains consciousness in a hospital, flanked by Hwa-rim and Yeong-geun. Their harrowing adventure has finally reached its conclusion, paving the way for a celebratory moment: Ji-yong’s wedding day arrives, marking the joyful culmination of their tribulations.