By Sarah Musnicky
It's pretty difficult to breathe new life into the well-trod subgenre of possession films. There's a certain formula that can be expected, but it's not often that a film starts post-exorcism, though it is not unheard of. In DEVILS STAY (사흘), the focus is on the immediate aftermath, giving something a little different this go-round. But as the film progresses, the goodwill bought by its start overstays its welcome with its roundabout storytelling, giving way to expected outcomes and revelations despite the unique breadcrumbs peppered throughout.
An exorcism goes horribly wrong, leading to the death of Cha So-mi (Lee Re) and the downward descent into denial for cardiologist Cha Seung-do (Park Shin-yang) as he grapples with his daughter's death. For Priest Van (Lee Min-ki), the exorcism stirs up long-dead memories of his own possession, leading him to chip away at his memories to figure out how the exorcism failed. What he discovers ultimately ends up being older than the Catholic faith itself.
With the funeral process taking three days, time is finite to solve what still resides inside So-mi. Whatever it is, it wastes no time tormenting the mourners around her. From spiritual manifestations to the strange emergence of moths to weeping bleeding hearts, it should be enough to make even the most skeptical perplexed. All roads ultimately converge into one truth—even in death, So-mi can't escape the devil's grasp, and it fully intends to wreak havoc upon the world.
There are some pockets of hope in DEVILS STAY
DEVILS STAY has some striking visual moments, particularly in its final act: a body suspended in the air floating to the heavens, the ever-increasing moth population taking over a reddened boiler room. These snapshot moments reveal spots of unique beauty underneath its mostly generic storyline. When DEVILS STAY (사흘) leans into the more unique elements, it stands out. But like the other half of the demonic entity in this film, it's a fight for that special element to crawl out from the expected well-trodden heap of the genre.
As a story of finding one's north star amidst the chaos of what life throws at you, DEVILS STAY hits the mark when the film sticks to the one path. It also shows us the vulnerable belly when we become codependent on these stabilizing figures and the lengths one will go to try to keep from losing them. That desperation leads to poor decisions and, to the extreme, is shown to facilitate the harm trying to be avoided.
As for the devils in DEVILS STAY (사흘), the secrecy surrounding their dual nature is fascinating. How it manifests itself over the course of three days adds some depth to the folklore uncovered. It proves to be one of the stronger story elements of the film. So much so that, by the time the film ended with its strange fakeout ending, I wanted to know more about the devils.
DEVILS STAY gets lost in the weeds
Unfortunately, there's too much going on, making the story far more convoluted than it needs to be. The strength of DEVILS STAY resides in the father/daughter relationship onscreen, with the father's decisions hammering home the likely metaphor of the demons taking hold of So-mi. Pulling away from this primary storyline to focus attention on other characters like Van, expositional elements like a cult, etc., these things muddy the waters.
There's nothing wrong with having multiple storylines if the story is tight and calls for these additional components. But even with Van's backstory, the inclusion of the cult, etc., the question asked is, outside of exposition, how does it add rather than detract from the story? This is something that isn't answered by the film's end and, arguably, contributes to the film's uneven pacing throughout.
The actors would have fared better if they had been given a less unnecessarily bloated screenplay. However, they all made the best of the material they were given, taking Hyun Moon-sub's direction and doing what they could. Unfortunately, for some, the miracles in terms of performance and character were short in coming.
The father/daughter chemistry Park Shin-yang and Lee Re cultivate onscreen ends up becoming the - no pun intended - beating heart of DEVILS STAY (사흘). And, for what little he has to work with, the stoic Lee Min-ki tries to inject desperation into his Priest, though his motivations behind reinserting himself into the family are not even half-baked. It's just barely there. The character merely checks off the box of the vengeful priest archetype and not much else. This is a case of writing undercutting whatever the actor could deliver.
In the end, DEVILS STAY is an underwhelming, bloated affair. Despite its more intriguing components, too many elements distract within its story when, at its core, the love between father and daughter is ultimately the focus. The love still manages to shine through, but the journey it takes to get from beginning to end requires more patience than should be required.
DEVILS STAY is now playing in theaters. Stay tuned for more news on its home release.