Amateur Recommendation Hour: The Wailing

Today’s recommendation is a work of horror whose long runtime (2 hours and 36 minutes) may be a barrier to the casual viewer, however to the like-minded horror aficionados out there, this methodically paced story that takes it’s time to sink into you and creates an effective and sustained level of uneasiness throughout the majority of it’s duration will absolutely give you back the time you put into it. A psychological and twisting narrative that invites both self-examination and the examination of many philosophies from many different walks of life, in particular as it relates to mutually intelligible situations and our real world as we know it. In this case I'll try to keep my recommendation on the shorter side so you can get to the film faster.

The Wailing, directed and written by Na Hong-jin, who, as of writing this recommendation, has only directed three feature films, this being his most recent in the year 2016. Though he has since been active in Thai cinema, working on the screenplay for the 2021 film ‘The Medium.’ So there certainly is hope that he may one day return to the directors chair. It certainly gives anyone interested ample time to catch up on his previous works should they be able to experience them. (*sigh* licensing, availability, etc) 

The story focuses on a policeman, who lives in a remote Korean village investigates a series of strange and brutal murders discovering them to be the result of an unexplainable illness that causes the culprits to become deranged and filled with rage. He begins to suspect a Japanese man who recently moved into town. After anecdotal evidence from multiple sources leads him further down the rabbit hole, he begins to connect more and more pieces together that drive his suspicions forward.

While it’s setup and premise sounds very familiar, I can promise you that the devil is in the details here. As I mentioned earlier there is a large amount of attention to the film’s pace and it absolutely nails creating tension and dread throughout the experience enhanced by it’s cinematography and shot framing as well. It never shows it’s hand too early and does a great job of keeping its audience always ready for the next major plot reveal with enticing and engaging buildup with a very steady hand. At times it even has a noir-esque feeling to it's horror proceedings which I personally thought was really unique, especially in a small rural town setting such as this one in which trees outnumber the local population (something I myself am quite familiar with.) The lighting sets a remarkable mood along with its smart cinematography. The fact that it is able to make mid-day look slightly less bright than we know it objectively SHOULD be is a remarkably smart touch to subtly convey unease in something we take for granted and know how it is supposed to look. In horror cinema, framing a shot to reveal just enough but not too much is paramount and The Wailing is among the best in its class in this regard. A special mention must go out to the cast and their remarkable performances across the board. 

Jada Yuan in vulture.com's review of the film described the film as “operating on a level that makes American cinema seem clunky and unimaginative.” I love that line. Not only does that personally resonate with someone as vocally anti-modern Hollywood as myself, it rings true when further examined. Its dedication to making the Korean village feel like a lived in “place” with an actual sense of it, not merely convenient to the storyteller, is done so exceptionally well. All with practical effects to make that community feel all the more tangible and malleable to the viewer. In fact, modern technology takes a backseat to most of, if not the entire film. Cellphones and modern warfare take a backseat to ruralism, even modern medical care seems to be something difficult to come across in the non-industrialized Korean highlands. It gives the whole picture a sense of foreboding isolation that even if we wanted “modernity” to come and rescue us with their “more sensible” approach, we’re a far cry from anyone who could hear our screams, loud and unintentional as they may ultimately end up being.

My interpretations of this work is that it is not only a criticism of xenophobia but a criticism of confirmation bias as a whole. When one is confronted with a truth that contradicts everything they previously knew to that point, that they do not want to accept, they feel they have the right to manipulate it and effectively “make” it true no matter how unreasonable or unrealistic that idea is. Ultimately the truth doesn’t matter to that person anymore. They don’t care about making actual coherent statements or sound arguments, they want more noise. And if you would like to make more noise with them, they’re more than happy to hand you the megaphone and join in. Spread it as far as they’re willing and able to take it.

It all feels nearly prophetic for a film release in 2016. THE YEAR I imagine many will look back to when they chart the progress of where all of this started to gain a stranglehold on society and spread through like wildfire. Or at the very least showing the most seemingly humble origins where such an idea could take hold freed from the shackles of technology.

While it does make me a little sad that we’ve only had three feature films of Na Hong-jin’s to experience thus far, I have to remind myself that I would rather it be like this, few films of extremely high quality, than a quantity over quality approach. It helps remind me that I am a patient person above all else and I would like to continue being as such. As is often the healthiest avenue when it comes to experiencing artistic creation in any form. Or at the very least, the way I’ve come to get the most out of each respective work of art I’ve been fortunate enough to experience myself. Rather than instill that into you like a dogmatic curse you are beholden to, consider it a gentle suggestion from a wily amateur like me.