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The Wailing

Play trailer 1:50 Poster for The Wailing Released May 20, 2016 2h 36m Mystery & Thriller Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 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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The Wailing

The Wailing

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review Kate Muir The Times (UK) A complex Korean horror with the surreal village feel of Twin Peaks. Rated: 4/5 Nov 29, 2016 Full Review 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 Full Review Toussaint Egan Polygon It's a masterpiece of mood, and a 156 minutes, a parade of every horror trope imaginable. Oct 20, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Gonzalo T The Wailing begins with the tone of a dark comedy, luring you into a false sense of ease—then slowly unravels into something far more sinister. There are no cheap jump scares here; just a masterfully controlled descent into nightmarish chaos. The imagery is savage, the tension relentless, and by the end, I had goosebumps like I hadn't felt since the golden age of truly terrifying horror. It feels like the work of someone haunted—possibly since childhood—by deeply unsettling visions. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/18/25 Full Review Lila L. Great twist but main character wasn’t likeable to me. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/09/25 Full Review Audience Member The movie is really interesting and gets you hooked. The direction was really amazing. Evil people really do exist. But, they should have portrayed the good side dominant. The girl in white clothes did not help much. She did not even say who she is. Anyways, demons are cursed. Destroying and murdering beautiful families... Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/08/25 Full Review Stephen C Meant to scare me in 1 hour and 36 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $785,400.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Korean and American English audio versions with American English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/04/25 Full Review Sadness 1 The best mystery horror movie of all time Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/28/25 Full Review yass m Title: A Masterclass in Tedium and Empty Pretension If you’re wondering why The Wailing received such high ratings, the answer is simple: many viewers must be either profoundly stupid or alarmingly easy to impress. This film is a monument to cinematic emptiness. The plot is as flimsy as it is pretentious — a meandering mess of incoherent events stitched together under the illusion of depth. There's no real story, no emotional grip, and certainly no payoff worth the two and a half hours of your life you’ll never get back. Dialogue? Nearly nonexistent — and thank God for that. Because the rare times these characters open their mouths, I found myself genuinely wanting to slap them on the mouth just to make them shut up again. Their lines are either painfully idiotic or dripping with the kind of pseudo-spiritual nonsense that thinks it's saying something profound… but isn’t. The film is bloated with scenes and details that serve no purpose other than to inflate the runtime and test the audience’s patience. It drags and drags, like a bad dream that forgot to end. It doesn't build tension — it builds fatigue. If you gave this film a high rating, you’re either lying to look clever or you’ve mistaken boredom for brilliance. Either way, The Wailing is the cinematic equivalent of watching wet paint dry — while someone whispers nonsense in your ear and expects you to find it profound. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 06/23/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Wailing

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The Wailing

The Wailing: Official Clip - The Bloody Ritual The Wailing: Official Clip - The Bloody Ritual 3:29 The Wailing: Official Clip - Psycho Woman The Wailing: Official Clip - Psycho Woman 1:45 The Wailing: Official Clip - Zombie in the Woods The Wailing: Official Clip - Zombie in the Woods 3:22 The Wailing: Official Clip - Fighting a Dog The Wailing: Official Clip - Fighting a Dog 3:38 The Wailing: Official Clip - Puking Blood The Wailing: Official Clip - Puking Blood 2:22 The Wailing: Official Clip - The Evil Shrine The Wailing: Official Clip - The Evil Shrine 3:37 The Wailing: Official Clip - The Death Hex The Wailing: Official Clip - The Death Hex 2:51 The Wailing: Official Clip - Demon in the Cave The Wailing: Official Clip - Demon in the Cave 1:17 The Wailing: Official Clip - Struck by Lightning The Wailing: Official Clip - Struck by Lightning 3:00 The Wailing: Official Clip - Cleansing Ceremony The Wailing: Official Clip - Cleansing Ceremony 3:22 View more videos

Movie Info

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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