The Medium(2021)(Review)[Foreign Fridays]

Thailand doesn’t have a lot of popular horror entries that have found success in the US, but the ones that do are usually very creepy and creative. ‘The Medium’ is one of the most recent releases to receive some acclaim.

Shot in a found footage mockumentary style, ‘The Medium’ is the story of a family who operate as the village shaman, where the title transcends from generation to generation. As we follow and learn about their present day shaman, we realize we’ve arrived just on time to witness their power and the biggest fight of their life.

What starts as a genuinely interesting tale of counter bewitching quickly becomes a personal story of hereditary illness. The woman whose the current shaman has an older sister that we learn early on did everything in her power to skip the role and force it onto her sister. Shortly after our documentary crew arrives, the shamans niece starts displaying weird, malignant behaviors. And the film slowly goes mad from here.

The film is a beautiful piece, showing dark colors on lush forestscapes. The characters feel real and the descension does too. It’s a slow burn that takes at least an hour to cook up, but it’s a 2+ hour film so you have a lot waiting for you afterwards – including a final act that is straight up bananas. It has a tense atmosphere and some good scares, including a scene of a dog death which i found very disturbing, and I feel it’s a rather solid entry of Thai horror. It feels gothic in its setting and approach, but embraces contemporary haunted house tropes.
It’s not the newest or most transgressive possession story, but it’s solid at what it embraces.

3.5/5
“The Medium” is currently streaming on Shudder.

‘Til Next Time,
Mike Cleopatra

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