The Priests (2015)

Two priests have to find out if a young girl was attacked by an evil spirit or human molester in order to save her life.

Director:

Jae-hyun Jang

Writer:

Jae-hyun Jang

Stars:

Yoon-seok Kim, Dong-Won Gang, Byeong-ok Kim

10 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Yoon-seok Kim	...	Father Kim
Dong-Won Gang	...	Deacon Choi (as Dong-won Kang)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Byeong-ok Kim	...	Professor Park
Eui-sung Kim	...	Dean
Ho-jae Lee	...	Father Jeong
So-dam Park	...	Young-shin
Jong-hak Son
Jo Soo-Hyang	...	Agnes

Storyline

The young girl Young-shin seems to be possessed by demon and Father Kim and Deacon Choi are about to investigate the case. But to save the life of Young-shin, the have to find out if the girl is truly possessed or maybe the victim of a human force. Or in the worst case both.

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Plot Keywords:

based on short film | 

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Taglines:

HE is always here.

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Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Kim Yun-Seok & Gang Dong-Won previously worked together in 2009 film "Woochi."

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Connections

Version of 12th Assistant Deacon (2015)

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Soundtracks

Victimae Paschali Laudes
Performed by Dong-Won Gang and Yoon-seok Kim

User Reviews

"The Priests" utilizes western possession aspects, implements them in oriental setting and succeeds in extracting terror from both worlds.

Normally eastern horror movies would dabble in traditional myth or folklore, for example the haunting of girl with white dress and long hair which plagues Japan, China and even Indonesia. It's a pleasant surprise that a Korean movie tries to incorporate possession and religious tone into this genre. By maintaining respect from the original source and using it in unique atmosphere, this is a commendable as well as a successful excursion to other side of horror.

A young deacon (Dong-won Kang) is called to assist Father Kim (Yun-seok Kim) in the exorcism of a young high school girl. Both men have no connection before, and their personalities are too far apart. This is not the usual mentor and student relationship, the older Father is weary and brash which makes him a contrasting character to the young deacon. However, necessity ensures that they have to work together.

The first act is admittedly rather slow, it gives a nice look of the priests' lives and appreciated details about possession. However, this tends to stall a bit as the movie strolls through some subplots that are not necessarily crucial to the story. It ramps up significantly as the two priests walk closer towards possessed girl, at this point visual dims to portray dark premonition against the bright light of modern city.

This is suspense build up and showcase of exorcism done right. Its unusual oriental vibe works in the movie's favor by clashing the cultures together. Details like traditional rituals, tight apartments and occasional bleak view on metropolis splendidly set up the ambiance. The cinematography used is extremely chilling and engaging, viewing the struggle in creepy close encounter. This rings especially true when they face the malicious entity.

At its peak this is one of the most eerie displays of the genre. The exorcism in the east uses enigmatic theme and unorthodox setting to conjure novelty and gripping terror.

Details

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean Italian

Release Date:

4 December 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Priest: Exorcism

Filming Locations:

Daegu, Yeongnam, South Korea

Box Office

Gross USA:

$185,093

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$36,577,134

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zip Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Color:

Color