The supernatural-horror film with Thai-South Korean origin, The Medium, has one of the highest-earning horror movies of 2021. It has been made under the direction of Banjong Pisanthanakun while Na Hong-jin has to lead the production.
The story starring Sawanee Utoomma, Narilya Gulmongkolpech, Rafie Khalis Oktaf, Narilya Gulmongkolpech, Sirani Yankittikan, and others comes from Na Hong-jin and Choi Cha-won while cinematography is by Naruphol Chokanapitak. The movie has been a collaborative productional venture of GDH 559 (Thailand) and Showbox (South Korea).
We are here to tell you everything about The Medium before you choose to give it a shot! Don’t worry; we wouldn’t ruin your excitement with spoilers, so go ahead fear-free.
Thai Horror The Medium Review: What is The Medium All About?
The movie is set against the backdrop of the rural region of Thailand- Isan, where a documentary team heads to document the life of a woman named Nim, supposed to be possessed by the spirit of a local deity Bayan. She is ashaman, which implies that she is the medium to contact God. It is believed that the goddess has possessed the women from Nim’s family for many generations, and it will continue to do so.
This time after Nim, her sister Noi would be the shaman, but the latter refuses to believe in all these rituals and instead turns to Christianity. It is also revealed that men in their families have faced unfortunate circumstances and died very soon.
Next to Noi, it would be her daughter Ming who should be in order to be the shaman. But the latter, just like her mother, doesn’t believe in Shamanism and resorts to Christianity instead. But due to her unusual behavior at her father’s funeral, Nim was convinced that Bayan wanted to come into Ming’s body. But Noi refuses to believe and doesn’t allow for the ceremony.
Soon after, Ming’s condition begins to deteriorate further till the point she begins to harm herself. This seemed unlikely to Nim, and she suspects the matter to be something else. It is revealed that Ming was responsible for Mike’s death, who otherwise was thought to die of a motor accident. It was due to Ming that the boy hung himself.
Is it her Karma that has caused her such sufferings, or is there something more to the story? How will Ming be saved now? To get the answers to intriguing questions, you have to watch the movie for yourself and find out!
Where to Watch it?
The movie was initially shown at the 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival this year in July and was awarded the Buchen Choice Award for the best film. Just after its premiere in the film festival, it got its theatrical release on July 10, 2021, in South Korea and has thereafter secured the sixth position as the highest-earning South Korean movie in 2021.
In South Korea, the movie has been made available to stream on networks like Skylife, IPTV, HomeChoice cable TV, and others since September 16, 2021. In the US, the same will be telecast on October 14, 2021, on Shudder. In Thailand, October 28, 2021, has been the scheduled date for its release.
Final Take: Stream it or Skip it?
The movie begins at a slow rate initially but progressively catches pace. The movie has a tone appropriate to a typical Asian horror film with dark, horrifying backgrounds and frightening music. With aggressive possession scenes, the movie is definitely not for the ones with a faint heart. It has various spine-chilling moments which could keep the viewers on edge. Thus, it is a must-watch for the lovers of the horror genre and even for the ones who dare to experience a racing heartbeat!
