'The Wailing' A Review

The Wailing is a Korean horror/thriller about a small village Sargent Jong-Goo(Kwak Do-won) who begins investigating a mysterious and murderous sickness that begins effecting the populace. A Stranger(Jun Kunimura) who recently moved to the village shortly before the outbreak quickly becomes the focal point for suspicion. As more and more people are effected including Jong-Goo's own daughter Hyo-jin(Kim Hwan Hee) he becomes desperate and consults a Shaman(Hwang Jung-min).

Do-won as the lead puts in a good performance transforming from what starts off as essentially buffoonish physical comedy to pained paternal resolve and sorrow. His family and co-workers all put in decent performances balancing the dark mood with numerous moments of surprising levity. Kunimura as the Stranger and Chun Woo-hee as the Mysterious Woman struggle as the supernatural personifications in the film. The film seems more concerned with red herrings and obfuscation which prevent both Kunimura and Woo-hee for really embracing their actual characters. Jung-min as the Shaman has a remarkable entrance and an incredible exorcism scene, one of the best scenes of the year, but he is introduced so late and his motivation becomes so quickly muddled much of his potential is wasted.

The narrative hums along with tension and mystery for about two-thirds of its bloated 156 minute running time but then flounders in a swamp of "twists", character indecision, and poorly executed obfuscation. The film makes it abundantly clear who the villain is, then tries to inject doubt, but then it ends up being exactly what you were lead to believe initially. The film jerks around its audience without discernible reason or payoff. There are some incredibly striking visuals and an impactful score but towards the end the repetition and lack of clarity prevent the film from capitalizing on its many compelling elements.

A great film within one that is simply passable.

Rent It.