The Medium – Interesting Story But Inconsistent Execution (Early Review)

The Medium follows a woman named Nim (Utooma) who talks about her experiences becoming a medium for a goddess revered by the local people in the Isan region of Thailand. According to Nim, the goddess is considered a good deity. Shot like a documentary with several camera operators closely following its subjects, the film becomes almost intrusive as things get a little strange from there.

It is through Nim that the film introduces audiences to the daily process of being a medium. When the camera focus switches to her niece Mink (Gulmongkolpech), there is a lot of back and forth between family members. Meanwhile, things become more erratic as the camera jumps from person to person and from situation to situation. The film is shot in what appears to be a remote village in Thailand, which leads to a feeling of authenticity that fosters a sense of trust between the characters and the audience.

Nim advises that when the time comes for someone to become a medium, it is not anyone’s choice to make. It usually follows the females in the family, starting with the eldest daughter, and it can then fall to other female members of the family. There is a way to avoid becoming a medium, but refusing such an honor is generally frowned upon. When Mink is chosen, her family is unhappy with this choice, particularly Mink. From there, she begins to exhibit strange behavior that Nim found concerning. Something appears to not be right with Mink as her strange behavior starts to freak everyone out. From that point, the film then takes a dark turn, rooted in an incident from her past that nobody seemed to be talking about. That part of the story was never adequately addressed. Once the situation with Mink spiraled out of control, it became a desperate and challenging time for Mink’s family.

Though the first portion of the film is well-done and shot in the way one would expect for a documentary but from there, it begins to track in a completely different direction, and everything seemed to completely disintegrates. While it’s clear that something terrible is happening, it’s harder to discern who it’s happening to as the final act is filmed entirely in the dark. This type of confusion worked exceptionally well in past found footage films such as The Blair Witch Project and REC. Anything could be happening but viewers are shown only glimpses of characters. The use of sound is vital in these scenes because without seeing who is in front of the camera or even behind, the only option is to listen.

The Medium may have a strong beginning and the story of Nim and her family is genuinely interesting but it’s just not executed well from then on. Both Gulmongkolpech as Mink and Utoomma as Nim are excellent in their respective roles, as are most of the supporting cast. However, the film’s final act is just hectic and messy, and it’s that much harder to feel afraid when you’re less inclined to believe what is happening to the cast.

still courtesy of Shudder

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