[Movie Review] ‘The Priests’ defies expectations but doesn’t scare

Kang Dong-won as Deacon Choi. (Golden Village Pictures)
Kang Dong-won as Deacon Choi. (Golden Village Pictures)

Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? If you like Korean films.

Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.

Secret ending? No.

Running time: 108 minutes (~2 hours)

“The Priests” is a Korean supernatural thriller about a a pair of ghost busting priests. A young deacon is brought in to assist a father, and together they must overcome a possession the likes of which none of them have ever encountered. It stars Kang Don-Won (Deacon Choi), Kim Yoon-seok (Father Kim), and Park So-dam (Young-shin). It is rated NC-16.

“The Priests” subverts your expectations of a thriller by introducing an innocent (although he has his own demons within) protagonist to act as our eyes within the world of the movie. He’s comical, inexperienced and almost bumbling at times, lending a lighter, humourous tone to an otherwise dark story. The film straddles the serious and the light-hearted with finesse, providing a fresher take on the horror/thriller genre without drifting into slapstick.

Chaos in the city. (Golden Village Pictures)
Chaos in the city. (Golden Village Pictures)

Highlights

Deacon Choi is an interesting character

Despite his wide-eyed, somewhat naive approach to situations, Deacon Choi hides a rather painful past, as Father Kim perceptively calls out in their first few scenes together. It’s this juxtaposition of a brighter world view compared with his darker backstory that makes him so interesting — you know he should be a much more cynical person given what he’s experienced, yet he tries his best not to let it taint him. He eventually grows into being a more competent deacon that’s able to circumvent the hidden horrors of their world together by facing the fears that drag him down, giving us satisfaction to his story.

Deacon Choi & Father Kim’s interactions

They have the standard mentor-mentee relationship, with Father Kim teaching Deacon Choi the ropes of exorcism. Even though Father Kim pretends not to care about his partner, it’s evident that he treats Deacon Choi as a surrogate son and vice versa. While they do regard each other as family, it’s a fact that neither would ever acknowledge out loud, and this dynamic is what makes their relationship poignant and engaging to watch.

Interesting take on Catholic exorcisms

It’s always fascinating to see how predominantly Asian cultures romanticise Abrahamic faiths, and “The Priests” is no exception. The exorcism techniques are intriguing to watch, and even if you don’t understand how exactly it works, you instinctively know why certain actions are performed and the significance of the different gestures. While a Western film would play up the horror of the possession, “The Priests” focuses on the novelty of the rituals instead.

Father Kim (Kim Yoon-seok) at work. (Golden Village Pictures)
Father Kim (Kim Yoon-seok) at work. (Golden Village Pictures)

Letdowns

The supernatural isn’t scary

While the trailer and synopsis imply that the supernatural elements are a horror from beyond our world, the fact is that the ghosts aren’t all that fearsome in the movie. They’re formidable and interesting, but they don’t give that sense of horror you’d expect from their backstory.

A lacking finale

Mechanically, the heroes do fulfill their purpose and follow the beats of a proper climax and resolution. Yet it’s not an ending that resonates with you, and the movie ends rather abruptly after that. Perhaps a more climatic confrontation, or a longer denouement would have given better closure to the film as a whole.

Park So-dam as the possessed Young-shin. (Golden Village Pictures)
Park So-dam as the possessed Young-shin. (Golden Village Pictures)

“The Priests” is an entertaining thriller that isn’t too scary, focusing more on adventure than on horror. Its dearth of scary elements might disappoint horror fans, but it’ll appeal to a wider audience in general.

“The Priests” opens in cinemas 7 January, 2016 (Thursday).

This review was first published on Yahoo.

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