Metamorphosis (2019)

Metamorphosis (2019)

Dir- Hong-seon Kim

After losing a young woman in a failed exorcism, a young priest Joong-soo (Bae Seong-woo), begins to lose faith and considers leaving the priesthood. His faith is then challenged when the vengeful demon seeks out his brother's family and terrorizes them in their new home.

In recent years Korean horror movies have made quite an impact with films such as A Tale of Two Sisters, I Saw The Devil & The Wailing winning praise from critics and fans worldwide. Director Hong-seon Kim's film Metamorphosis pits a family of five against a vengeful demon that can change its appearance to mimic family members. The family first thinks the pranks are from their new neighbor. Still, it is soon shown that each family member's strange behavior may be the result of a demon targeting them due to the recent fight it had with the father's younger brother, who is the priest from the beginning. 

In some ways, Metamorphosis uses many of the same elements used in other possession movies, such as The Exorcist and The Wailing. Director Hong-seon Kim deviates from the usual possession trope by having the demon mimic one of the family to disrupt their daily routine and sow distrust in them as they are not sure who among them is possessed. This is aided by the great performances of the cast that include Sung Dong-il as the father Kang-goo, Young-nam Jang as the wife and mother Myeong-joo. Not only do they play themselves, but they also portray their demonic doppelgangers who, at times, are difficult for even the audience to determine if they are real or demonic influence. 

The film makes excellent use of practical special effects, especially the makeup prosthetics used to make each of their evil double look genuinely terrifying. The movie is frightening enough to recommend for older audiences as young children may be easily terrified by the imagery. Despite its Asian setting, the film should not seem too foreign as most horror fans will be familiar with the usual tropes found in possession movies. Metamorphosis should be appreciated for the great cast, frightening imagery, and the special effects that make the film worth checking out.