South Korean box office smash, The Wailing, is a riveting police investigation which turns into a sensationally terrifying thriller as a likeable cop is drawn into a nightmarish hunt for a source of pure evil disturbing his quiet, rural village.
The film tells the story of an out of his depth, local police officer Jong-goo, who investigates a spate of killings, as well as an outbreak of madness seemingly connected to the recent arrival of a mysterious Japanese man who resides in the outskirts of the village. What’s more, he is horrified to discover his young daughter may have fallen under the stranger’s curse.
Jong-goo calls on a charismatic shaman to free his daughter from the stranger’s dangerous influence, but the shaman’s intense exorcism ritual threatens to worsen the situation… and Jong-goo, with his world collapsing around him, realises he must confront the ultimate evil.
[bctt tweet=”‘If he really is a ghost… then I won’t be able to kill him'” username=”blazingminds”]With South Korea having such a good reputation on producing some amazing top quality horror movies such as The Host, I Saw The Devil and this year’s Train To Busan, The Wailing is certainly one film not to miss. The film has already taken over $50 million in South Korea, director Hong-jin Na has effortlessly combined bone-chilling frights and heart-wrenching drama with moments of comedy to relieve the nerve-shattering subject matter.
Packed with real emotional weight, and a devilish final act twist, this is assured, impressive and wildly original piece of filmmaking featuring inept cops, red-eyed flesh chewing ghouls, a mysterious shaman and a sinister stranger, as well as the most foul-mouthed possessed youngster since The Exorcist.
[bctt tweet=”‘A bone-chilling, thunderous descent into Hell’ TwitchFilm” username=”blazingminds”]Filmed on location in the beautiful mountains of South Korea, and dripping with atmosphere, Na’s film features an unlikely leading man, Do Won Kwak, a comically incompetent cop who has to face down an extraordinary evil to save his family and his village.
The Wailing Screams into Cinemas
THE WAILING will be showing as part of the ‘THRILL’ strand at this year’s BFI London Film Festival:
LFF Trade and Industry screening
Monday October 10 – 12:15pm (Picturehouse Central, screen 4)
LFF screenings
Wednesday 12th Oct – 20:50 (Picturehouse Central)
Thursday 13th Oct – 14:00 (Odeon Leicester Square)
The Wailing will be in Cinemas and On Demand on the 25th November.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
