The Wailing

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The Wailing

Released May 20, 2016

2h 36m

Mystery & Thriller

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

86 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Suspicion leads to hysteria when rural villagers link a series of brutal murders to the arrival of a mysterious stranger (Kunimura Jun).

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Critics Consensus

The Wailing delivers an atmospheric, cleverly constructed mystery whose supernatural thrills more than justify its imposing length.

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

The Blue Lenses

The Wailing's is a world where histories, identities, cultures, realities and generic codes and conventions collapse in spectacular, unforgettable style.

Aug 25, 2018

Full Review

Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

Very crazy, very Korean, very long: 156 minutes of murder, diabolism, exorcism and things that go bump by day and night.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 27, 2016

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Kate Muir

Times (UK)

A complex Korean horror with the surreal village feel of Twin Peaks.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 29, 2016

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Carolyn Hinds

JoySauce.com

Written and directed by Na Hong-jin, The Wailing is one of my favorite horror films. It’s deeply unsettling in how Na Hong-jin uses sound, imagery, time, and costuming to build a layered story...

Nov 9, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Na's film belongs on a shortlist of horror titles that question everything, forcing the realization that most people know nothing for certain and yet still behave with conviction. What could be more frightening?

Rated: 4/4

Feb 18, 2022

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Toussaint Egan

Polygon

It's a masterpiece of mood, and a 156 minutes, a parade of every horror trope imaginable.

Oct 20, 2021

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Michael B

The Wailing is such a great movie!! It's scary, funny and emotionally connects to the audience. It is a long movie but once your into it, the movie moves quickly. The story lines flow smoothly and make sense. The acting was fantastic! I'm not much for words but this is definitely one of my favorite movies. 👍👍👍👍👍

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/20/25

Full Review

John Y

One of the greatest horror films I've ever seen. It's so original and stylish and amazingly executed with the writing, acting, and camera work. And the ending is devastating. Absolute must-see!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/03/25

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Ry B

One of the best horror movies I've seen in a long time. Well worth a watch if you like South Korean Horror movies - or just generally great slow burner movies that actually go somewhere. Probably my favourite South Korean movie I've seen, a couple others to recommend would be Exhuma 2024, Oldboy, Memories of Murder and A Tale Of Two Sisters.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/06/25

Full Review

Ana L

I created an account here just to save somebody from wasting there time watching that movie. Super slow, awkward, silly and somehow overrated here. DO NOT WATCH!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/03/25

Full Review

Will F

This was everything I wanted but did not get from The Exorcist. In fact you could say it borrows a few elements from The Exorcist, but also from Wilkie Collins novels, 28 Days Later, Shakespeare, and also a dozen plus other sources, and I’m sure many more with which I’m unfamiliar. But none of that matters to how much you will enjoy this movie. Just buckle the F up and enjoy the thrill. Seeing those little nods and references all the way through just adds a really cool metatextual layer, but the movie is 10/10 even if you don’t pick up on a single one.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/07/25

Full Review

Ricardo d

O Lamento é exatamente o que sentimos após ficarmos mais de 2h vendo esse filme. Um protagonista idiota, um roteiro sem pé e nem cabeça. O que tem de bonito são as locações, e a melhor atuação é a da criança, que nem é a protagonista.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

11/13/24

Full Review

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Na Hong-jin

Director

Kwak Do-won

Sgt. Jeon Jong-gu

Jun Kunimura

The Stranger

Hwang Jung-min

Il-Gwang

Chun Woo-hee

Moo-myeong

Kim Hwan-hee

Hyo-jin

The Wailing: Official Clip - The Bloody Ritual

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The Wailing: Official Clip - Psycho Woman

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The Wailing: Official Clip - Zombie in the Woods

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The Wailing: Official Clip - Fighting a Dog

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The Wailing: Official Clip - Puking Blood

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The Wailing: Official Clip - The Evil Shrine

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The Wailing: Official Clip - The Death Hex

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The Wailing: Official Clip - Demon in the Cave

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The Wailing: Official Clip - Struck by Lightning

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The Wailing: Official Clip - Cleansing Ceremony

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The Wailing: Trailer 1

1:50

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Synopsis

Suspicion leads to hysteria when rural villagers link a series of brutal murders to the arrival of a mysterious stranger (Kunimura Jun).

Director: Na Hong-jin
Screenwriter: Na Hong-jin
Distributor: Well Go USA
Production Co: 20th Century Fox International, Ivanhoe Pictures, Side Mirror
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language: Korean
Release Date (Theaters): May 20, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 6, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $785.4K
Runtime: 2h 36m

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