The Divine Fury

The story had me on the edge of my seat! Definitely felt the tension! It was scary at times no question...and the relationship the main characters had was excellent! The humor spots had the right balance and was well played!

After losing his father as a child, a champion boxer finds that he has been afflicted with stigmata and begins traveling with a Vatican-sanctioned priest performing exorcisms in South Korea looking for a Satanic cult leader, and when he finds the man is responsible for the death of his father team up to cast out his evil.

There was a lot to like with this one. Among the better aspects on display is the fact that this one offers plenty of intriguing aspects to the religious undertones found within the storyline. The fact that the story is transposed to South Korea with all the usual trappings found in supernatural and exorcism stories with plenty of focus on his stigmata is a wholly impressive feat, giving this a recognizable and familiar grounding that is to be expected in such a situation. The various connections made to regular religious practices, including the priests who are shown performing the usual Christian rituals and exorcism practices as well as the Satanic interactions occurring under the nightclub operating as a front for the cult. That also leads into their conversations about his faith growing up and how he's waned over time which comes into play with the stigmata he has that allows for some rather intriguing philosophical debates about their religion that gives the film some extra weight. The other strong aspect to like here is the film's fun supernatural horror aspects. Starting with the dream sequence of seeing the religious ceremony that allows him to become possessed by the burning cross in his hand, the onslaught of possession tactics displayed here manage to give this some fun elements. The scenes of the shadows coming to life and toying with him are quite fun, as is the fiery exorcism attempt in the church where they attempt to exorcism the victim but eventually have to use his spiritual powers to finally cleanse the spirit. That there's a series of other exorcism attempts they perform in the community trying to track down the leader of the Satanic cult is where this one really works the best, offering up engaging battle tactics, impressive special effects and plenty of action in the battle to finally stop it leading up to the final fight as there's a lot of fun methods on both sides to get the upper hand in the brutal, emotional battle. Overall, these here are what hold this one up as the film does have a few big problems. The main one is the usual issue associated with these films in that there's no reason for this one to be as long as it. The love affair with adding over-the-top melodrama into everything here, from the overbearing intro that gives us far too much backstory than it really needs as it can tell this story in much sharper manners without going so heavily into these dramatic tendencies. This also causes a large issue with the film focused much more on their relationship and his journey back to the light of his faith that the main villain is incredibly underwhelming and not at all that scary, with no build-up at all in his motivations or purpose or what his plan actually is with all the possession attempts and cult practices are really for. That causes for a severe drop-off in the tension of the final battle where it's just another demon possession to overcome instead of the culmination of their journey, but this isn't a detrimental issue and only brings it down slightly overall.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Language.

It has been a while since any movie has put me on the edge of my seat. This one definitely did the trick. As a movie this is a strange combination of The exorcist, Blade and Constantine. It is absolutely bonkers and should not work, but is absolutely does! The balance between drama, horror and action has been executed perfectly. This is such an entertaining film and won't disappoint. Highly recommended!

I am amazed watching this movie on a Catholic point of view. It did not fail to convey its deepest message to the viewers. It did not just entertain the viewers. It somehow inspires the viewers about the Power of good over evil. God's victory over His adversary, the devil. The storyline and the acting were crafted very well. The characters of the story stood out. The horror aspect about this movie is in the story not the exagerated sound effects like other movies that tends to make the viewers jump on their feet. It is both an epic spiritual warfare and a physical battle between good and wvil that intensifies more the entertainment and captures the heart of the viewers. I totally enjoyed it.

This is the first Korean production I've seen in a movie theater and what a difference it makes (duh!), not only the large screen but the sound effects. That's because Korean films are generally not shown in American markets. Wish they were more widely available. This is a story about faith and good triumphing over evil. This movie is intense, scary at times, and will make your skin crawl. But it also evokes emotions, joy, and relief! It is not cheesy. It is extremely well acted, directed, choreographed, and believable with good special effects. Kudos to Park Seo Joon and the other actors who all stayed in character and performed well. You forget they are acting. Unlike the seminal film, the Exorcist, there is no vulgarity, excessive swearing, and blasphemy (the reason I rarely watch contemporary American films), but the shock value is there and the message is powerful. If properly marketed, this film can be as popular as Train to Busan, and representative of the impressive Korean film industry. As a Christian (protestant) viewer, I heartily recommend this film whether you are a believer or not as it is entertaining, not offensive. You will cheer! Bravo!