From South Korea, this isn’t a Horrific Crime/Thriller thriller like I Saw the Devil (a title which fits this story better than The Wailing). It’s a true blood supernatural horror film inside police thriller mechanics. The evil at work is a bit of vampire, a bit of zombie, possibly some drug mushrooms and a whole lot of Exorcist. It doesn’t shy away from violence, (faked) animal cruelty or a child performing acts that made me wonder what the child safety laws are over in that country. Some will find it all too grim, but that’s South Korea for you. It’s an unusually long film for this type, around the same time and pace as Zodiac and Prisoners. Instead of the thrill of discovery, the story bends casually towards one conclusion and then another. It’s highly interesting but only occasionally exciting. It doesn’t have the depth of a classic like Memories of Murder. However, if you’ve already dipped your feet into this country’s cinema waters then there’s a lot here to appreciate, starting with the original story.
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