6/14/2017 - The Wailing (2016) – 7+/10

Korean horror films always have such a unique flavor. Be it injecting idiosyncratic slice-of-life elements or consistently displaying a dark & weird sense of humor, their horror/thrillers feel so different from the same genre done elsewhere. Not all work for me (perfect example being Hong-jin Na’s previous The Chaser, which I appreciated but was still cold too), but The Wailing really wrapped me up in the strangeness and humanity that buttresses what a paranormal experience like this would be.

The pacing has a solid buildup and a bordering realistic denouement (except for that priest, which I wasn’t in love with). The audience, I would assume all but maybe especially Western, is kept on the edge of a horrific seat, never knowing who exactly to trust or what the next disturbing twist will be. Everyone is a delicious mixture of caricature and dramatically plausible. Much of it just felt…right, in essence, and story.

It is a film of creeping mystery and horror, but not jump scares or excessive gore. Thoughtful and full bodied emotionally, able to run the gamut while your brain is held ever present. Smartly directed and fiendishly devised. A worthy horror addition. Check it out.