THE PARANORMAL PASTOR: Number 9: The Medium (2021)

The Medium delivers pinpoint accuracy in its portrayal of a cross-cultural case but its ending is plagued with exaggeration, by JD Hill.

In the number 9 spot we have a film I absolutely love for its entertainment value, shock, and creepiness. The Medium barely squeezed ahead of The Mothman Prophecies for reasons I’ll explain below. The film is a Thai-Korean found footage with an all-Thai cast, directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun. There’s a lot to love about this movie, including the violent and unsettling visuals, along with some downright disturbing scenes. But alas, we aren’t here for the creep factor, we’re here for accuracy…and there’s much that this film does right.

The narrative focuses on a shaman’s inheritance in the Isan region of Thailand. What is believed to be a goddess possessing a family member turns out to be something far worse. One of the things that makes this movie realistic is the way it weaves together folk religion, spirit possession, and local rituals. I think it accomplishes this in a scary and correct way. The documentary and anthropological approach the movie takes amps the realism up to the next level. The spiritual and cultural framework in which things are presented are so realistic at times, you feel like you are there watching it all unfold in person.

Anyone familiar with cross-cultural cases will be amazed at the accurate depictions of trans-like states, family dynamics, and gradual spiritual progression…or digression. The slow, methodical recognition of spirit possession in the film is done with such precision, it feels as if you are watching a real documentary at times. The other thing they get right is the shamanic traditions and family curses, all portrayed in line with the real deal.

The phenomena is also truthful when compared to other real-life cross-cultural cases. For example, the possession, animal omens, and ritual manifestations are all accurate not only to the culture but also to the things recorded in these types of cases. Throughout most of the film, they hold the tension well with investigator restraint (people not losing their mind and doing dumb things) and not jumping off into the absurd.

Until the end.

This is where the movie loses its realism. It dives into cinematic excessiveness and drama. The final act becomes over the top and chaotic, depicting too many overt manifestations all at once. The investigator restraints such as logic, calmness, and sound mind, flies out the window too. So, while the possession rituals are authentic, the intensity and insanity is nothing more than movie exaggeration.

The wild ending of this movie drops it a notch in the authenticity rating, giving this one a 3.1/5 for me. What makes it slip ahead to the number 9 spot over The Mothman Prophecies is the precision accuracy of everything else in the first two-thirds of the film. All in all, this movie is not only great for its realism but its disturbing visuals and creep factor. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it!

Known by his fans as “The Paranormal Pastor”, JD Hill brings a unique and original touch to the dark fiction genre. His twenty plus years in ministry have afforded him the opportunity to encounter people from all walks of life and in a myriad of situations. These experiences have leaked into his stories in numerous ways. He is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and has four children.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.