Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Medium’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture ‘The Medium’.
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For the most part, religion and faith have been quite helpful and healthy for modern mankind. Because they in essence, laid down the foundation for the society we live in now by providing us with good and just rules with which to live by and their wonder doesn’t end there. After all, throughout the years, they’ve given people a place to gather and share in the majesty of life and share in the belief of something more and of course, it has given so many people in their time of need… outright hope. Because in our darkest hour, a simple prayer or chat with something powerful… gives us the strength to go on.
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But there was mention of the fact that religion and faith don’t have a flawless track record when it comes to our modern world and that is important to note. Because for every good deed religion and faith provide the world with, there is a dark deed to accompany it. Since it has led to wars fought in the names of Gods and in this day and age it has been weaponized and transformed by some into something quite toxic and unwholesome, allowing for bad things to happen to good people when they agree to follow a leader of faith whose intentions are grounded in ego and lies and charm, and well… this is such a fascinating aspect of religion that recently, a film was assembled that opted to pose the question, what if genuine evil decided to take full of advantage of humanity in the same way the charlatans do? And that makes The Medium, a fascinating and frightening film. 

For this Shudder exclusive holds nothing back in its examination of that possibility and it makes this exploration possibe, by immersing us in a world where faith is akin to oxygen. For in the Isan region of Thailand, Shamans are a way of life and what they stand for is so engrained in the culture there, that the journey to becoming one is viewed as an everyday event and that allows for us to easily get to know a Shaman named Nim. For she is an open book to a documentary team wanting to learn more about this lifestyle and it isn’t long before we are introduced to Nim’s family and their powerful story and also… the strange occurrences surrounding her niece, Mink. The kind that leads Nim to believe that something sinister has found their family, and those beliefs are confirmed when Mink exhibits otherworldly behavior, and now it will take every ounce of faith on Min’s part… to free her niece from an evil that she is completely unfamiliar with.

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Which is at first glance, a plot that seems grounded in a traditional possession story and for a time it does seem as though the story is going down that route. But it is the slow-burning style that this film utilizes that explores that all-important question we made mention of earlier and well, the answer to it is quite terrifying. For it informs us that our desire to believe in something more, and our ability to blindly follow people of faith in our darkest hour… could lead to mankind’s downfall if enough were to stand behind a strong enough evil force and that is a horrifying reality to watch play out in this film. Since one by one, good and logical people are quick to give into the wrong kind of faith when fear comes into play, making this movie quite relevant and poignant for certain, since there organizations in our modern world that use fear and faith as recruiting tools for ugly machinations. 
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But while the commentary in this film is spot on and chilling, make no mistake about it… this is a horror film and there is something from beyond in this story that is eager to get what it wants. Which is awe and fear, and it goes after that in this story, in the most disturbing ways imaginable. Largely of course, by casting off all the rules that society has laid down and seeing a human being, albeit a possessed one, do things that we know are out of line… does indeed lead to some uncomfortable moments. The kind that the audience can initially forgive since hey, evil force. But once the evil truly takes hold and makes its power play, well that is when the film goes into the stuff of nightmares, by breaking on screen taboos in a manner that will make the viewer squirm in their seat and that ending… well that ending will leave you silent and uncomfortable and quite frankly… in need of a hug. 

How exactly the ending accomplishes that, we won’t spoil here, because this is that kind of raw and visceral ride that needs to be experienced firsthand. Because this movie really is designed to take you on an emotional rollercoaster, and it really does accomplish that mission through and through. But truly, the standout point for this writer, is its intelligent and powerful commentary regarding religion. Since it really holds nothing back in its examination of its benefits and its dangers and honestly, this is the kind of conversation that needs to happen more often in storytelling. Not to knock such institutions in the hopes of bringing them down, but to make them better and make them far more useful and well... in the end, if you’re looking for an intelligent and utterly frightening horror movie to enjoy this spooky season, then swing by Shudder when you get a chance and give The Medium a look.

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