South Korean writer and director Na Hong-jin has earned his aura of acclaimed filmmaker thanks to his indisputable masterpiece The Wailing (2016). To know that he has joined forces as a producer with awards-winner Thai director Banjong Pisanthanakun is nothing but exciting news. And that is the origin of the horror film The Medium (2021), one of the most exciting Asian titles of the year.
The movie centers on a documentary team that follows Nim, a shaman based in Northern Thailand, the Isan area, who encounters her niece Mink showing strange symptoms that seem to be of inheritance of shamanism. The team decides to follow Mink, hoping to capture the shaman lineage passing on to the next generation, but her bizarre behavior becomes more extreme.
This is the new movie by Banjong Pisanthanakun after horror titles Shutter (2004), Alone (2007), Pee Mak (2013), and segments in the anthologies Phobia (2008), Phobia 2 (2009), and The ABCs of Death (2012). The Medium (2021) is based on an original story by Cha-won Choi and has been written by Chantavit Dhanasevi (Pee Mak (2013)), and Siwawut Sewatanon (Girl From Nowhere (2018–) TV series), together with producer the Na Hong-jin and director the Banjong Pisanthanakun.
The main cast is formed by Narilya Gulmongkolpech, Sawanee Utoomma, Sirani Yankittikan, Yasaka Chaisorn, Boonsong Nakphoo, Arunee Wattana, and Thanutphon Boonsang.
The Medium (2021) had its premiere on July 10, 2021, at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, in South Korea, where it won the Bucheon Choice Award for Best Feature Film. In October it is also taking place in Sitges Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, and Beyond Fest. It will be available on Shudder on October 14, 2021.
Here you can watch the official trailer for The Medium (2021).
