The Wailing, In U.K. Cinemas & On Demand 25th November
“If he really is a ghost... then I won’t be able to kill him”
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.
Synopsis:
Out of his depth, local police officer Jong-goo 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.
We like it because:
With the likes of The Host, I Saw The Devil and this year’s Train To Busan, South Korea is developing a reputation for producing top quality, world class horror films.
THE WAILING cements that reputation – a box office smash, having taken over $50 million dollars in South Korea alone, the film is a stunning entertainment quite unlike anything that’s gone before. Hong-jin Na (who directed the acclaimed thriller Chaser) effortlessly combines 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 film-making 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.
Beautifully filmed in the 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.
Early, humorous scenes give way to a nightmarish battle between good and evil, including an exhilarating, jaw- dropping exorcism set piece, conducted by Jung-min Hwang as the charismatic shaman, and a brutal, multi-layered showdown that lingers long in the memory.
Breaking box office records on its release in South Korea, garnering rave reviews after showing at Cannes this year, securing a spot at the prestigious London Film Festival, and winning Best Film of the Focus Asian Selection and Best Cinematography at the 49th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, THE WAILING is an epic, assured horror film of The Exorcist-like proportions that will terrify, amuse and astound in equal measure.
Hot quotes:
“A powerful blend of detective story, occult horror and Stephen King-esque small-town suspicion, this is superb”
★★★★ SciFiNow
“You absolutely must add THE WAILING to your must-see list this year.”
Den of Geek
“This could well be regarded as one of the best films to emerge from Korea in recent years.”
Screen Daily
“A bone-chilling, thunderous descent into Hell” TwitchFilm “A gripping whodunnit”
Variety
“Deliciously entertaining”
The Playlist
“Exhilarating bleakness”
Slant Magazine
“A darkly unsettling story about evil is masterfully told”
The Hollywood Reporter
THE WAILING RELEASES IN U.K. CINEMAS AND ON DEMAND 25TH NOVEMBER
