The Wailing

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1:50

The Wailing

2016

2h 36m

Mystery & Thriller

Horror

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Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

87 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Suspicion leads to hysteria when rural villagers link a series of brutal murders to the arrival of a mysterious stranger (Kunimura Jun).

Critics Consensus

The Wailing delivers an atmospheric, cleverly constructed mystery whose supernatural thrills more than justify its imposing length.

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

The Blue Lenses

Aug 25, 2018

The Wailing's is a world where histories, identities, cultures, realities and generic codes and conventions collapse in spectacular, unforgettable style.

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Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

Dec 27, 2016

4/5

Very crazy, very Korean, very long: 156 minutes of murder, diabolism, exorcism and things that go bump by day and night.

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Kate Muir

The Times (UK)

Nov 29, 2016

4/5

A complex Korean horror with the surreal village feel of Twin Peaks.

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Isaiah Colbert

io9.com

Nov 24, 2025

It’s a film that haunts you long after the credits roll, not because it screams, but because it speaks plainly. And what it says is terrifying.

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David Day

Horror Movie Talk

Sep 23, 2025

8/10

I would call The Wailing the Indiana Jones of horror movies. It’s constantly throwing new stuff your way. It’s hard to know what’s around the next bend, but you can bet that it will be exciting, terrifying, or totally shocking.

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Carolyn Hinds

JoySauce.com

Nov 9, 2022

Written and directed by Na Hong-jin, The Wailing is one of my favorite horror films. It’s deeply unsettling in how Na Hong-jin uses sound, imagery, time, and costuming to build a layered story...

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Alec H

@alechbt 2 days ago

The Wailing is a very strong horror mystery with a surprisingly frenetic pace for such a long runtime. My main issue was how abruptly the film shifts from police investigation into full supernatural horror, but the final act handles ambiguity well enough that the unanswered questions never feel like narrative gaps. The central story still makes sense, and the supernatural manipulation behind the family’s tragedy is genuinely effective. Kwak Do-won and Kim Hwan-hee are excellent. A great film that proves not every question needs a complete explanation.

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Robert P

@Superbad 5 days ago

The Wailing is a *4* star Movie!

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Mark C

@RT46032481 Sep 14, 2026

Despite the ambiguity towards the end, I applaud this film's commitment to taking this seriously. No "fun zombie", popcorn film type stuff going on here. And for that, it sets a dreading tone that is effective. The ending, well, let's just say the image will stay in my head for a while and whatever I think back to this film.

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Danny P

@RT53909239 Sep 13, 2026

Worth watching, you will get deceived

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Aya K

@RT47179923 Sep 7, 2026

at least other shitty films have the decency to only be an hour and a half, instead of 2 and half hours of pure bull. it’s like the directors forgot who they wanted the bad guy to be towards the end and so none of the plot adds up. to add to that the main protagonist is a moron the entire film, and does a series of actions no competent person would do. please for the love of god do not watch this film. save yourself 2.5 hours of life please.

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Thomas N

@SleepingDuke Aug 27, 2026

The biggest lie the devil ever created was to make people believe he doesn’t exist. The Wailing takes this idea one step further: What if the devil makes you believe in him — but convinces you that he is someone else? This movie creates explanations permanently to destroy them in the next moment. Absolute fantastic movie. I liked it very much.

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Na Hong-jin

Director

Kwak Do-won

Sgt. Jeon Jong-gu

Jun Kunimura

The Stranger

Hwang Jung-min

Il-Gwang

Chun Woo-hee

Moo-myeong

Kim Hwan-hee

Hyo-jin

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Synopsis

Suspicion leads to hysteria when rural villagers link a series of brutal murders to the arrival of a mysterious stranger (Kunimura Jun).

Director: Na Hong-jin
Screenwriter: Na Hong-jin
Distributor: Well Go USA
Production Co: 20th Century Fox International, Ivanhoe Pictures, Side Mirror
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language: Korean
Release Date (Theaters): May 20, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 6, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $785.4K
Runtime: 2h 36m

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