Unfortunately, it is a rare pleasure to encounter a horror film which is actually frightening.
It takes a highly skilful balancing act to present supernatural elements in a form which resonate with an audience. Considering the huge array of material released as horror since film production began, we can confidently say that very few directors have managed this challenge successfully. For this reason, decade after decade, the same film titles dominate best ever lists.
Thankfully, we can now include The Wailing on those lists.
Na Hong-jin’s mosaic narrative ratchets up the suspician, distrust and confusion amongst villagers beset by an indecipherable malevolent presence. A fascinating blend of modern times and ancient Korean mythology, The Wailing thrills and confounds. You will be left not only needing a change of underwear, but also a little more enlightened to age-old Asian sorcery.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is horror done right!
Wonderful Cinema strongly recommends you do not ruin the impact the director meticulously planned for viewers by watching trailers or reading spoilers. But for those of you who cannot resist…
You can find more information on this South Korean film on Wikipedia, IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.
Production Details
Title: Gok-seong aka The Wailing
Director: Na Hong-jin
Year/Country: 2016, South Korea
Stars: Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Chun Woo-hee (click here for full cast)
Screenplay: Na Hong-jin
Cinematography: Hong Kyung-pyo
Editing: Kim Sun-min
Score: Jang Young-gyu
Languages: Korean, Japanese
Wonderful Cinema 
If a scary movie gets at all cheesy or absurd, I’m done with it.
And actually, I try to be trailer-free for all movies these days.
Hi Jay! I hear you about the trailers. I never watch them. But I include them because most people still watch them and I’d rather they did that on my site than head somewhere else.
Thanks, Shimky. I missed this one along the way. It is now on my wish list, based on your recommendation. (I didn’t watch the trailer…)
Two direct hits so far. Keep up the good work!
Best wishes, Pete.
(I didn’t watch the trailer…) GOOD LAD!! 🙂
I actually wrote this down on my to watch list just a few hours ago. Must be a sign!
…and I saw you writing it down in a dream I had! So it’s actually you I should thank for helping me write the review. 🙂
Thanks for recommending, sounds good and will check it out:)
You’re welcome. Come back and let us know what you thought of it!
This was my top film of last year! 🙂
Hi Lee! So great to hear from you!
S Shimky mad rabitto in D housssssE!!!! Good one, I want a sorcerer dancing like that for my nephew’s 9th birthday, je je je. Your suspician words reminded of Sang-il Lee’s Ikari (Rage), 2016; it is not horror but rabits also like hamburgers, do they not?!!!! Ahí te salu2 {bending to touch my toes… ahhggrh it’s impossible} XD
Ah, my old friend, Max the Muffin! How are you, dear boy!
Thanks for the tip. I still haven’t seen your other tips, like Naked Island, Woman of the Dunes, or Visitor Q – which I’ve actually had a copy of for a long time now.
Now I know what to do with this weekend!
Thanks for the fun review. The scariest movies are the ones that are from true stories!
So true, da-AL! The greater the fantasy, the more you can distance yourself from the narravite. Whereas, a film like Eden Lake (2008) is terrifying because you know there are scum like that alive and well on the streets of your town or close by.
Hate to think about it even now. We’re so lucky that most people do their best to be assets to society.
Wow, incredible weblog format! How lengthy have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The whole look of your web site is fantastic, as smartly as the content!
Many thanks, Alex! I’ve been doing it for 6 years now, on and off. I just changed the look of the site recently. It was very difficult to learn how to express myself at the beginning but it’s become easier the more I’ve practised.