breakfastcowl

The Wailing

Extraordinary cinema. Haven't been this beautifully batted around by a movie in a hot minute. (Seeing it in 4k added to the general uncanny presentation.) I think I can file this under films I don't need to riddle through, the "answer" to the events being largely inconsequential to the enormity of the acts themselves and how they affect the world's inhabitants. I had seen Memories of Murder not too long ago so some comparisons to that earlier out-of-their-depth police crew having to reckon with the unreckonable took hold throughout. It's a two and a half hour film and unrelenting in its activity, surprise, humor, detail, characters, and violence trading off throughout. You'd think this would be exhausting but I'd submit the balancing act they pull here is invigorating! And to escalate even further, the sorcery is cooked in deep on this one. Jaw-dropping stuff. For being such an overpowering and bleak work this was a movie-going *delight*, eliciting laughs, reflection, and stunned silence.

breakfastcowl

The Wailing

Second viewing, rock on. -- It's like a crockpot of suffering, and by end of day the aroma pervades the whole house.

vinguson

The Wailing

*searching about ending explanation of The Wailing* *found nothing* OH I DIDN'T LIKE THE OPEN ENDING. WHO'S THE DEVIL ONE? Someone plz enlighten me. My trust issue while watching this: 📉📉📉

Codeliusthe2nd

The Wailing

The Wailing is my first venture into South Korean cinema. I've heard how crazy and terrifying the films can be, so I was wary going into my first one. I had read reviews beforehand, which is something I rarely do, and it's been said this is one of the craziest out there. I took this as a challenge and decided that I wanted to finally watch a South Korean film. I took a leap of faith watching this, and I will never regret doing this. Just as many others have said, The Wailing is insane. It's utterly insane, and that's what makes it so much fun to watch. I think the best way to describe the feeling of watching this is riding a rollercoaster, except you are blindfolded and upside down. It was a terrifying experience, but one filled with so much adrenaline. There really never seemed to be a dull moment, starting exciting and never letting up. I really am amazing at the ambition of this film. It felt fresh. It felt new. Today in America, we have a thriving indie genre, but other than that, we are seeing sequels, reboots, or just terrible films (see Gods of Egypt and you'll know what I mean). Finding The Wailing really was a great opportunity, since it really was different than American movies. Instead of relying on jump scares or loud noises, Na Hong-Jin relies on atmosphere and story to make the film terrifying. As I said, this film is ambitious, and I think that's in part because of the risks that it took. It set itself up as a mystery, transforms into a body horror and ends as a supernatural film. The film transitions beautifully from genre to genre, showing a lot of effort to make it simply terrifying. Again, I have to agree with some others that have said that this has one of the greatest child performances. Kim Hwan-hee was astonishing. Her performance went from horrifying to heartbreaking. I am just amazed that a child was able to do such a realistic role, and pull off the daunting role of a possessed child. Kwak Do-won was another shining element to the film, playing a father who is desperate to help his sick child. While his character made some odd decisions, he did not. His performance was extremely powerful, especially in the film's final heartbreaking scene. Jun Kunimura, having possibly the hardest role to play, seemed to be at ease while playing his character. There is so many elements to his character, and he was able to really get into this character. His final scene is one that will haunt me for a long time. I am so happy to finally get into a South Korean film. The ambition that this film had honestly blew me away. The Wailing is an insane rollercoaster that I can't wait to go on again. This film has left a lasting impression about South Korean cinema, and I will soon return and see what else they have to offer. It wouldn't surprise me if this film ended up becoming one of my favorite films of all time. Only time will tell.