SPOILERS DOWN THE PATH; THE DISCUSSION BELOW WILL NOT BE COMPREHENSIVE WITHOUT IT.
TREAD CAREFULLY. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
Na Hong-jin's 2016 horror feature The Wailing is the kind of film that trusts the audience to walk the narrative path guided by its pure visual storytelling. In the beginning, the premise may not seem to be all that interesting. We know the town's shrouded with a mystery. Sudden deaths and illnesses are witnessed. And we are as confused as the protagonist Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won) is, as to what on Earth is going on.
It's when things get personal and the incident hits home at about the midpoint, the movie gears up! Dread grows increasingly stronger! Jong-goo destroying the Japanese man's house, his daughter stabbing her caretaker, spirit chasing and death hex ceremony are intense! It may seem counter-progressive though in terms of the physical plot when Jong-goo chooses to hack the very ritual he paid to chase the demon out his child's body, it's understandable in terms of choosing the truth or lies. Speaking of choosing between truth or lie, the climax dilemma is absolutely, feverishly nail-biting, only to be followed by a tragic resolution with a fantastic revelation! The zombies appear amateurish, however.
On the technical front, The Wailing has some of the sharpest quality images and sound in cinema. The score is serene, colours are punctuating and cinematography, steady. Makeup effects are astounding as well!