Following the success of ‘The Grave’, which drew 10 million viewers early last year, another film that is expected to bring about another ‘occult craze’ will be released in theaters on the 24th. ‘The Nuns’, starring Song Hye-kyo and Jeon Yeo-bin, is a spin-off of ‘The Priests’, the first feature-length film by director Jang Jae-hyun who directed ‘The Grave’.

This film started with the idea of “What would happen if the 12 Forms (evil spirits) re-emerged in Korea and the only exorcist priests to face them, priests Kim Beom-shin (Kim Yun-seok) and Choi Jun-ho (Kang Dong-won) from ‘The Priests’, were not in the country? It is expected to captivate theatergoers with its close connection to ‘The Priests’, while expanding its worldview with completely new characters and unpredictable developments.
Solidarity of the Discriminated Against

The reason ‘The Nuns’ is most eye-catching is that the ones performing the exorcism for the boy possessed by the 12 images are nuns, not priests. According to traditional Catholic doctrine, exorcisms can only be performed by ordained priests, and ordination is only permitted for ‘male priests’. In other words, the two nuns in the film, Junia (Song Hye-kyo) and Michaela (Jun Yeo-bin), break the ‘glass ceiling’ that exorcisms are only permitted for men. This scene is even more meaningful because it seems like a microcosm of a society where discrimination against women is still rampant.

It‘s not just Yunia and Sister Michaela. The shaman they meet to get help with the exorcism is also a woman, and the person who provides crucial help in the exorcism ritual is Aedong (Shin Jae-hwi), a young disciple who even this female shaman has ignored. Aedong, who has been ignored and discriminated against because of his stutter, seems to represent those with physical disabilities. In other words, what ultimately saves the possessed boy is the powerful solidarity of women, disabled boys, and those who are considered socially disadvantaged.
Song Hye-kyo continues the upward trend of ‘The Glory’

Song Hye-kyo, who entered her second heyday by delivering the ‘acting of a lifetime’ through Netflix’s ‘The Glory’, showed a new side of herself through this film, her first occult genre film, different from ‘The Glory’. The character Yunia, played by him in the drama, is a nun who has been labeled a person of interest in the religious community for her bold personality and impulsive behavior. She is also a character with a completely different style from nuns portrayed in existing media, as she does not hesitate to swear and smoke.

Song Hye-kyo added a heavy charisma that had not been seen before, giving the character even more depth. The latter half of the movie, where she pushes ahead with the exorcism with a dignified voice, firm eyes, and tenacity even in extreme situations, is considered the best part of the movie. Also, unlike Sister Junia, she is not confident in her choice but gradually grows, and her acting and chemistry with Jeon Yeo-bin, who plays Sister Michaela, is also great.
Interesting Expansion of the O Worldview

The movie does not simply rely on the premise of ‘the absence of priests Kim Beom-shin (Kim Yun-seok) and Choi Jun-ho (Kang Dong-won)’, but also stimulates curiosity about the relationship between the two and their past histories with the interesting setting that Sister Junia is the disciple of Father Kim Beom-shin.

At the end of the movie, Kang Dong-won appears as Priest Choi Jun-ho himself, maximizing the joy of fans. In particular, Choi Jun-ho and Michaela, who stand side by side, fill the gaps left by Kim Beom-shin and Yunia respectively, and even raise expectations for a sequel or another spin-off featuring the two as the main characters.



Reporter Seungmi Lee smlee@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.