"The Wailing" (aka "Goksung") is a South Korean pseudo-horror movie, and that alone already counts well in favor for the movie, as South Korea has a long, and most impressive, track record for making horror movies. The movie runs a bit over two and a half hours, but it actually manages to remain interesting and captivating throughout the course of this time frame.
The story is about a strange disease that spreads in a small rural settlement in South Korea. This disease causes rashes and blisters, and eventually drives the infected to kill those he or she loves in blind rage. A local policeman becomes involved in the case and finds himself deep in a very strange mystery, which involves supernatural elements and it is a race against time to find the culprit and the source of this bizarre sickness.
I will say that the story is good and interesting, especially because director Hong-jin Na managed to build up the movie in such a way that the audience is given bits and pieces of information throughout the course of the movie, and thus keeps the audience in the dark and trying to put the pieces together themselves and trying to figure out who is the cause of it all.
And just when you think you have it all figured out, something happens and the movie takes an unforeseen turn, which just further keeps the audience on edge and trying to make sense of it all. That was a nice thing in the movie, because it kept it from being predictable, and it forces the audience to actually do some thinking throughout the course of the movie.
The acting in the movie was quite good, which is a common trait seen in South Korean movies, so there were no surprise there. As always it is an enjoyment to sit down and watch another South Korean movie.
Without giving anything away, then I will say that just as I thought I had it all figured out, then the director opted for something else entirely towards the ending, and threw me fully of the trail. I had not seen that ending coming, not by a long shot. But, personally, I didn't care much for how the movie ended and the realization of what was really going on. It was just a bit too much, to far out there for my taste. Especially since the movie had been so good and intriguing up to that point. It just took a nosedive with that unveiling, and as such I am forced to rate the movie only a six out of ten stars rating.
That being said, don't get me wrong, because "The Wailing" really is a good movie, it is just that I didn't enjoy the ending in the least bit. But if you enjoy Asian movies and South Korean movies in particular, then "The Wailing" is a solid horror/mystery movie which definitely is worth watching.
The story is about a strange disease that spreads in a small rural settlement in South Korea. This disease causes rashes and blisters, and eventually drives the infected to kill those he or she loves in blind rage. A local policeman becomes involved in the case and finds himself deep in a very strange mystery, which involves supernatural elements and it is a race against time to find the culprit and the source of this bizarre sickness.
I will say that the story is good and interesting, especially because director Hong-jin Na managed to build up the movie in such a way that the audience is given bits and pieces of information throughout the course of the movie, and thus keeps the audience in the dark and trying to put the pieces together themselves and trying to figure out who is the cause of it all.
And just when you think you have it all figured out, something happens and the movie takes an unforeseen turn, which just further keeps the audience on edge and trying to make sense of it all. That was a nice thing in the movie, because it kept it from being predictable, and it forces the audience to actually do some thinking throughout the course of the movie.
The acting in the movie was quite good, which is a common trait seen in South Korean movies, so there were no surprise there. As always it is an enjoyment to sit down and watch another South Korean movie.
Without giving anything away, then I will say that just as I thought I had it all figured out, then the director opted for something else entirely towards the ending, and threw me fully of the trail. I had not seen that ending coming, not by a long shot. But, personally, I didn't care much for how the movie ended and the realization of what was really going on. It was just a bit too much, to far out there for my taste. Especially since the movie had been so good and intriguing up to that point. It just took a nosedive with that unveiling, and as such I am forced to rate the movie only a six out of ten stars rating.
That being said, don't get me wrong, because "The Wailing" really is a good movie, it is just that I didn't enjoy the ending in the least bit. But if you enjoy Asian movies and South Korean movies in particular, then "The Wailing" is a solid horror/mystery movie which definitely is worth watching.