Summary
An ancient evil arrives in small South Korean village…
My Thoughts
The Wailing is one the rare supernatural horror films to completely transcend its genre and become something completely separate on its own, challenging the audience with hard questions and even harder choices, director Na Hong-Jin so carefully and so meticulously crafted (this was a 6 year passion project) one of the craziest, most dread soaked nightmares I've seen in the past decade, this viewing being my third I'm still finding new pieces to the puzzle. This film isn't for the faint of heart, it's a long exercise on the human condition, and how evil can so easily manipulate it. It forces the viewer to ask themselves, "what if?" The Wailing is man v evil at its purest form, showing that just because one is good, does not mean bad things won't happen, but the contrary and how one deals with the choices that are made. The Wailing may have a simple story, but the themes and questions asked are horrifically complex.
Our story is set in a small, rural village/town in South Korea, far away from the touristy hub bub of Seoul, this is a quiet and eerie look at the beautiful country, which the cinematographer never let's us forget with his sweeping shots of mountains and landscapes to transition between scenes. We follow Jong-Goo, a small town police officer who is goofy, intelligent, and a loving father to his young daughter Hyo-Jin. Just as soon as this film starts, the mystery introduces itself as a strange elderly Japanese man makes his home in this small town, and once he does horrible and violent things start happening, people begin to die in bizarre ways, some even turning into manic zombie-like beings, and it's all just too much for such a small police force to handle, but once Jong-Goo's daughter gets involved, he will stop at nothing to get rid of the evil that is plaguing her and the town.
The atmosphere in The Wailing is so thick you can practically feel it through the screen, like a thick fog that fills in any and all empty spaces, creating a feeling of dread and despair, that something truly evil has taken hold of this town, an evil so sinister and powerful that even the forces of good may tremble, or worse yet be defeated. Even the figures of a righteous archetype like the Shaman who comes to perform a death hex in hopes to rid Hyo-Jin of whatever malicious entity resides in her, but even the Shaman knows his abilities will be tested, and they are in one of the most intense pagan ritual scenes to be portrayed in a horror film. Loud bombastic drums, incoherent tongue speaking, animal sacrifices, only to cut to the Japanese man fighting back in his own ritual, it's a scene that doesn't take any longer than it needs to be, but leaves the viewer catching their breath once a fatal mistake is made which ends the ritual.
Obviously I can't give this film high enough praise, from my first viewing I was amazed at how brutal and thought provoking it is, all while being highly entertaining, with even a fair amount of humor. Na Hong-Jin’s characters bleed from the paper to the screen in such a compassionate way, each one giving to the story rather than taking away, we are on this journey with Jong-Goo, for better or for worse we are there through his trials and tribulations. At its core this movie is all about making choices, in the moment and for the long term and how those choices affect the outcome of the actions being played out, should Jong-Goo stop the ritual at his daughter's request, should he listen to a mysterious ghostly woman about his families fate, and just as Jong-Goo struggles with these choices, we too are making ours as if his situation is our own. It's fantastic and intelligent filmmaking, it tests your ability of what's been seen and what hasn't been, and it's not for the casual movie watcher, as this is not a casual movie experience.
The layers that went into making The Wailing still astounds me on my third viewing, each time I find myself asking new questions, and while the end isn't left up to interpretation, it keeps you guessing until the final frames, once one mystery seems to be closing in on a solution, something new makes its way in to further the suspense and keep the questions at the forefront. Such as the mysterious woman who makes herself known from the very beginning but her intentions aren't realized until the very end, everything in every frame is of importance and requires active eyes from the audience. It took me three times to realize the Japanese man (he is given no name) infiltrates Jong-Goo's dreams towards the middle of the film. At one scene Jong-Goo awakes in a frenzy from a nightmare yelling "slut!" And other offensive derogatories all while his wife and Hyo-Jin are eating breakfast (nod to the humor). Then later through an expositional flashback we see the Japanese man lunge towards a woman saying the same offensive words. It's those things that demand multiple viewings, as each time you are rewarded with an even richer and deeper supernatural story.
Overall The Wailing is my favorite horror movie, it's perfect for this Halloween season, and just a good, entertaining, intelligent movie that can be dissected any time throughout the year. Although the runtime is imposing, every single minute is crafted in the hands of director Na Hong-Jin, who goes to great lengths to show off his craft, by creating a deep, layered, yet simple story, filled with humor, followed by dread and evil, each character being three dimensional, fitting into the mold that has been cast for them. From the chilling beginning, the horrific nightmarish middle, to the bone rattling, no hope for anyone twist ending that will linger in the minds of viewers long after the credits roll. The Wailing is about making choices and the consequences that come with those choices, it's about man versus evil and at what lengths one will go to protect that which one loves, no matter the end result. I cannot recommend this film enough to those who are willing to take the journey, and if you do prepare yourself for one hell of a ride.
I give The Wailing 5 stars out of 5
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