Svaha: The Sixth Finger (2019)

I have to say I'm not too sure about this one. Usually when I come out of my dark cave to switch Netflix on I have a pretty clear idea about what it is I'm watching. I don't watch movies often, so when I do I am going to make damn sure I know what I'm spending my time on; I didn't with Svaha: The Sixth Finger. I think ultimately this may be the best way going into it, but may also lead to an unfortunately confusing and perhaps unrewarding experience.

Svaha: The Sixth Finger is another Korean thriller-mystery Netflix Original with a bunch of people solving crimes. Only in Svaha: The Sixth Finger the mystery is surrounded by Buddhist culture and mythology to give it that extra boost of originality. And frankly I feel as if that is the films best selling point. This whole film is almost about cults, but is really about religion as a whole and that (for me) is a really interesting scenario for a detective film. But I'm not all that sure that Svaha: The Sixth Finger pulls it off, and I'll do my best to explain why. 

Svaha: The Sixth Finger follows Pastor Park played by the one and only Jung-jae Lee who starred in another film I reviewed Tik Tok (a review you should really check out!) Anyway... Pastor Park is a religious researcher of sorts who looks into cult like religions that use scripture from Christianity or Buddhism, for example, to entice in newcomers. It's an interesting set up that leads him to discover a new cult which ultimately forms the basis of the film's mystery. Without spoiling much, because it's a film worth watching for the story alone, a bunch of young girls have been murdered and there seem to be ties to this religion. That's about all I can say, but suffice to say the mystery unfolds quite dramatically. The narrative presented here is interesting and engaging and will keep you glued to your screen for its 2 hour run time. It's roots in Buddhist mythology and its focus on religion and the meaning of religion in general elevate this beyond the usual detective affair. In a way it's like Seven (1995, dir. David Fincher) where the use of religion and mythology to explain the murders helps increase the intrigue.

However, in terms of the presentation of this story, it leaves something to be desired. The beginning of this film, at least up until we meet Pastor Park, feels somewhat detached from the rest of it until much later on. There are so many characters in this film (very much like in Tik Tok) that it is hard to follow the intertwined narratives. For example, at the beginning of the film we're introduced to a young girl who is, at points, the focus of the narrative, but rarely appears on screen. When she does, with her grandparents (who inexplicably disappear half way through the film for no other reason than the writer forgot they exist) it's not for very long and usually the same sentiments are repeated. It's the same for another character who is played by the wonderful Ji-tae Yu, who you may be scratching your head over wondering where you've seen him before. He plays the repulsive and extremely intriguing villain in the great Oldboy (2003, dir. Park Chan-wook); in this he is criminally under utilised and his lack of screen time makes his role unclear until the very end. It's not so much a shame because he's a great actor, but more so because he becomes so integral to the plot at the very end you wonder why he wasn't sprinkled in more earlier. 

Another flaw with this film is its tone and pacing. On the one had the tone is pretty spot on, at least about forty minutes in when it becomes a detective film and not a horror film. Because this film, for a bit, pretends it is a horror film. There's some truly horrible and striking imagery that fits a horror film during some parts of the film, but they're few and far between and the film seems to drop this facet whenever it feels like it. The film is paced, again for the most part, pretty spot on, but the beginning like with a lot of these films (see my Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage review) is so convoluted trying to explain the relationships between characters, and introduce various plot points, that it bogs down the plots pacing and brings it to a confusingly screeching halt. 

I've not said too many nice things about Svaha: The Sixth Finger, and yet I sort of like it. It's not amazing by any stretch of the imagination, but it's not awful. As far as these Korean detective Netflix Originals go, this one isn't half bad, and that's all down to the narrative. This film really is worth watching for the religious incorporation alone as it does help elevate the detective genre a little and makes it feel fresh. As a non-religious person and as a non-Korean person, it was interesting to get that deeper, albeit perhaps shallow, insight into Buddhist and Korean culture and the relationship between Koreans and religion. For that this film is worth it, so long as you like slightly too long detective films. 

6/10