The Wailing [Review]

There are few films in this world that made me feel as emotionally invested as Na Hong-Jin‘s THE CHASER made me feel. To this day, I’m still not able to put my finger on what it is that resonates with me so deeply, but it was a magical cinematic experience. A couple of years later, Na released The Yellow Sea, and it was another shining example of his uncanny ability to craft a culturally relevant story in a way that was not only beautiful to watch, but easy to enjoy for us westerners. Simply put, Na Hong-Jin is one of the best filmmakers in the world. Now after 6 years, Hong-Jin has returned with his most horrifying tale to date–The Wailing.     

While Hong-Jin’s previous works have all exuded a sort of gritty violence and overall “genre” quality, I’m not sure that they could be classified as horror films. That’s what immediately separates The Wailing from his previous works. The film’s own plot synopsis makes it fairly clear that this will be a supernatural affair. It follows a local policeman that bears witness to a village outbreak of sorts, but this is not zombie film. In fact, no one seems to know anything about what’s going on. All we know for sure is that the violent behavior of this South Korean population can be linked to the arrival of a mysterious Japanese stranger. As events begin to build, the policeman finds himself in a fight for his daughter’s soul against forces that he never knew existed. At least, that’s the gist of it. There are a LOT of things happening in The Wailing.

From the rise of Korean Shamanism to underlying commentaries of racism and religious undertones, The Wailing is a film that wears many hats. That much should be apparent once you realize the film clocks in at over two and a half hours, but don’t let the run time intimidate you. This isn’t a film that drags. This is a film that adds layer upon layer to its ever-evolving story while somehow becoming smaller and smaller in scale all the while. It’s an impressive feat from a cinematic standpoint, but there will be questions. While I feel as if I have a firm grasp on the overarching story that is being told, some of the details were lost on me. Part of me feels as if there is a cultural barrier that I simply cannot comprehend, and another part believes that Hong-Jin has made a film that is purposefully enigmatic. He spent 6 years on this film, and he’s gone to great lengths to ensure that audiences have a reason to watch The Wailing time and time again; extrapolating new bits of knowledge each time. Even as I write this review, I simply want to re-watch the film to see what I missed, because I know the answers are in there; buried beneath some of the most brilliant cinematography that the genre has ever seen.

Hong-Jin has been known for his expert camera work for nearly a decade, but he stands in a league of his own with this one. There are scenes where I simply could not believe that what I was seeing was real life. I know that sounds crazy, but this is something that you truly have to see to believe. We just don’t get this sort of thing in our beloved genre, I’m not sure anyone does. From the first frame of the film to the last, this is one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous films that I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. Beyond that, the FX work is fantastic. Villagers exhibit a strange rash that boils and glops blobs of ooze, the blood is realistic, and there’s one shot towards the end of the film that I’m still scratching my head over how they achieved it.

If you strip the film down to it’s core, The Wailing is your classic tale of “Good vs. Evil”, but it’s so much more than that. The performances from the cast are spot on, the camera work is majestic, and the storytelling is wonderfully mysterious. If you don’t watch films with subtitles (for whatever reason) The Wailing is a reason to start. It’s worth leaving your comfort zone for.

The Wailing is available in theaters nation wide on June 3rd.