After a failed exorcism, a Korean priest is questioning his faith and if he should remain in the priesthood. Shortly after, his brother’s family begins to experience strange happenings that become increasingly violent. It soon becomes clear that the vengeful demon is back to destroy the ones the priest loves.

Director Hong-seon Kim (Traffickers, The Chase) brings horror fans a frightening new possession film with Metamorphosis. The Korean horror film opens on the priest conducting an exorcism. It does not end well, and the demon makes it clear it wants to destroy his family. The focus then shifts to the brother’s family. Kim does a beautiful job of building the tension within the family unit, planting various seeds of doubt. There is a sense of paranoia for the viewer as we have to try and determine which family member is possessed and if what we are seeing is real or an illusion created by the demon. It conveys how easy it is for the devil and demons to play with the human mind and eventually take control. Many of the themes and images will be familiar to horror fans who have seen a fair amount of demonic possession films, but Metamorphosis still manages to pack a few surprises in there as well.

For the most part, the storytelling in Metamorphosis flows beautifully. The audience is given just enough information to understand what’s going on, but then shocking revelations are made to keep things interesting. That being said, there are some tangents, superfluous scenes, and extraneous characters. These scenes don’t necessarily take away from the plot, but they don’t really add anything to the film and could easily be cut. The tangents could be a hallmark difference between Korean and American films, as this is something I have noticed in other great Korean horror films. There is also a sequence of events that takes place in which audiences might wonder why the parents aren’t more concerned about the whereabouts of one of their children. Despite the distractions taking place to keep the parents occupied, it still seems a bit odd.

I was blown away by the performances in this film. Sung-Woo Bae (The King, The Swinders) plays the young exorcist, Joong-soo. Not only is Bae the driving force of this film, but he perfectly conveys how tortured Joong-soo is and his lack of confidence in his ability to save his family. Dong-il Sung (Take Off, The Cursed) plays Joong-soo’s brother, Gang-goo. Not only does Sung play Gang-goo, the loving father and husband, but he also plays a demonic version of himself. The moments where he plays his sinister doppelgänger are absolutely chilling to watch. Then there are the rest of the family members who all give equally fantastic performances. This includes Young-nam Jang (A Werewolf Boy) as Myung-joo, Hye-Jun Kim (Kingdom) as Sun-woo, Yi-Hyun Cho (Hospital Playlist) as Hyun-joo, and Kang-Hoon Kim (Lucid Dream) as Woo-jong.

There is a surprising amount of great practical effects throughout Metamorphosis. The most obvious is the transformation of individuals who are possessed. They all have prosthetics added to their face to give them a subtle, demonic look that is consistent with each individual. What is most shocking is the practical effects for all the horrific injuries. They are gory and realistic in a way I don’t typically expect from a possession film. There is a bit of CGI throughout the film as well, but for the most part it is minimal. The only exception is an excessive amount of crows throughout the film that act as a symbol for the demon, but they aren’t quite as well done as the rest of the effects. Between the practical effects, the cinematography, and the atmosphere created, there are a few different scenes that manage to make me jump out of my seat.

Metamorphosis is an achievement in atmospheric terror that results in one of the best possession films I’ve seen in years. It’s a perfect blend of the Catholic traditions we know from possession horror films and more uniquely Korean horror. Despite some of the scenes that seem unnecessary for the plot, Kim still proves he can tell a masterful tale dripping with suspense. Enhanced by the dynamic performances and gruesome practical effects, this is one film even those who hate subtitles won’t want to miss.

OVERALL RATING: 8/10