The Wailing has been in my watchlist for several years and I think the main thing holding me back is its imposing running time. At almost two-and-a-half hours, that's a lot of Korean horror to sit through.
And indeed it is a long and convoluted film, with a story that starts out like a zombie and contagion film, and then ends up closer to a demon and possession film. I think. Honestly, I was pretty confused by it all, and it took reading several write-ups after watching for it to finally click and make sense.
A cop in a small Korean village finds himself dealing with sickness, murders, and madness amongst the townsfolk. Many suspect a Japanese stranger living on the outskirts of town may be to blame for it all, and it becomes personal when the cop's young daughter falls ill.
Kwak Do-won is really good as the cop, who is the unlikeliest of heroes because he's pretty cowardly, and not that smart. Kim Hwan-hee, the young actress playing his daughter, is also impressive. It's probably one of the best kid-in-a-horror-movie performances I've ever seen.
I watched The Wailing on Netflix, but it is also available on multiple platforms, including Kanopy, Hoopla, and the Criterion channel.
Had no clue this even existed. Glad you liked it, run time aside.
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