This wasn't an all round amazing movie 10/10 recommend. This was a high average of 7/10 for a few reasons.
This was unique. It was a really intriguing and more modern look at religion within horror - usually the religion used is Christianity, so seeing Buddhism was a breath of fresh air. This was pretty intriguing. The acting was very good and enjoyable.
But I don't quite think Jang Jae Hyun got away with everything he wanted to do.
Some of this fell pretty flat; it felt more like a horror-comedy at times whilst he was trying to keep this a full horror film which did ruin a few moments for me and I ended up knowing a bit of the rating off, however this is still a very good film for its premise.
Definitely a recommend watch for a late night curled under a blanket.
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This movie is a blend of mystery-thriller-horror and it’s totally my cup of tea.
The clues are given one by one and my brain didn’t have to work so hard collecting the pieces of puzzle. I could comprehend it since the first watch. As a comparison, I watched The Wailing and missed many clues that I had to google for explanation :).
The plot is neat and well-written. From the beginning towards the ending, it keeps the same pace. Not even a single scene is filler, zero scenes wasted.
Moving on to the casts, we have the experienced Lee Jung-jae, cutie-pie Lee David, and Park Jung-min. My first time watching Park Jung-min and I’m awestruck. He’s really a great actor! I’m a fan now.
Svaha has become one of my favorite movies.
Solid plot and solid casts = almost perfect.
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I gave Svaha: The Sixth Finger a 9.5 for a multitude of reasons.
Story: Svaha dealt with complex issues regarding religion, faith and the problems with cults and the law within South Korea. It had plenty of twists to keep you engaged and thinking - even when I was guessing ahead I often ended up surprised. As someone with very little understanding of Buddhism, the way they presented the ideas of the religion were very understandable (often relating it to Christianity) and elevated the plot and its core messages.
Acting/cast: the actors carried the ideas of the story beautifully - each character was understandable and likable in their own way and it was hard not to feel sorry for them all at the end. The comedic lines felt like naturally delivered conversation and what may have been boring religious explanatory dialogue was conveyed in a manner which made you want to learn more.
Rewatch value: I gave this a 7.5 as I believe there are many things to pick up on with a second viewing. Plus, most of the shots are so beautiful that you want to see them again. For those struggling to understand the plot, it may also make a lot more sense the second time round.
Honestly, one of the only faults I recognized and hated was the use of ridiculous horror CG during one scene (the cement truck scene) - but that's nothing compared to the detailed, realistic special FX throughout the entire movie.
Overall this movie felt like a breath of fresh air to watch - it's rare that I've felt so highly engaged and involved since watching Parasite. I understand I may be a minority with this rating, but if you enjoy thought-provoking thrillers you may as well give it a shot.
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At first, the movie starts with an interesting topic of religious freedom and how loose laws can support the creation of various cults, which will pray on people's beliefs and convictions. Sadly, as the plot progresses and the supernatural aspects are being introduced, the initial meaning and message about the fake religious beliefs in cults makes no sense, since the investigated by the Park Woong Jae events do involve a "higher power".
Plot wise, it was just too much. Crime investigation, cults research, demonic twins, Deer Mount cult, immortality and the whole lore and background surrounding Buddhism - at least half of it should be cut off. The movie would be far better if it either was psychological thriller without supernatural elements, where Park Woong Jae works with police to uncover the truth behind the cult OR movie focused only on supernatural, without any crime connection, with Park Woong Jae, as a person with much doubt, being challenged about his beliefs as he dives into the Deer Mount cult case.
One thing that the show did extremely well was the visual aspects and (except for one scene) special effects, make up and set design. Chun Na Han's dream sequences were truly well done and beautifully shot. Even though the scenes were quite simple, they did carry the meaning behind them well - the guilt and mental struggle of Na Han.
Overall, I wasn't bored, but I did question some choices that were made. While the plot is not that hard to understand, the message is not so clear. Would recommend it as a group watch, since the movie has a few plot twists that would be entertaining to try to predict while watching with others.
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