HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 6: THE WAILING (2016)

Remember the days when Hollywood was tapped out of ideas for horror films and began remaking Japanese and Asian horror films like crazy? The Grudge, The Ring, Dark Water, Pulse, Shutter, and many more were imported and or remade with English speaking actors. For a time these remakes ruled horror cinema. Their ideas were weird, a little further out there than what western audiences were used to, and, most of all, they were scary. And they usually relied on suspense and frightening imagery instead of violence and gore. You could say that these films popularized PG-13 horror films, even making PG-13 horror a viable commodity.

THE WAILING is a South Korean horror film directed by Hong-jin Na. The Wailing is very much in the tradition of the Asian horror renaissance of the 2000's. It's another ghost story but a decidedly nontraditional ghost story at that (which is kind of a staple of Asian horror. So... it's traditionally nontraditional?). But the film has enough disturbing imagery and suspense to still feel fresh even in a crowded genre. And it's epic. The film is over two and a half hours long and one helluva slow burn. Few horror films have breadth and scope to be considered epic. Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is one example of a horror epic. The Wailing is another.

THE PLOT

A string of bizarre murder/suicides plagues a small rural South Korean town. First someone comes down with an abnormal skin disorder. That same person begins acting peculiarly, not like themselves. Then eventually the afflicted person kills their family. A duo of local beatnik cops, simply holding the public back from the crime scenes, begin noticing strange things and hearing bizarre stories from the locals. Rumors float around that a Japanese man living deep in the surrounding forests is responsible. And what's more, locals claim to have seen this man feasting off the carrion flesh of dead animals, his eyes glowing read. The old-timers say he's a ghost. But how could a ghost be walking around in flesh and blood? The stakes turn dire when one of the cops' daughter starts exhibiting the mysterious skin condition.

WHAT I LIKED

A Ghost Story of a different color. I can safely safe I've never seen a horror film quite like this. Now I'm not as worldly as I'd like to be, but I was completely unfamiliar with this particular concept of ghosts that this film presents. Without giving away too much, it's like a mix of shaman black magic, demonic influence, possession, infectious disease, murder mystery, and voodoo mysticism. It's all of these and none of these all wrapped up in Korean myth. Again, I don't know if this was all created for this movie or based on actual Korean folklore. Whatever the case may be, it is very authentic and disturbing.

Twists and Turns. With all these different ghostly and supernatural elements mixing together, this film keeps you guessing as to what's going on. Not in a confused Lynchian way but more of a "what is it?" sort of way. Is the Japanese man a ghost in physical flesh? Or is he merely a man possessed? Or is he something else altogether? Then there plot points that make you question whether the Japanese man is responsible for the maladies occurring or if he's just a normal guy caught in some racial prejudice. Like I said, there is a lot going on and enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat if not slightly disturbed.

The Imagery. This is kind of a gimme with most horror films but this film overall has a very earthy and frightening design in its settings and locations. The movie harnesses the primal fear of the woods and a fear of nature. The make-up effects for the victims is startling and disgusting too. Overall the design and look of the film is very effective and unnerving.

NITPICKS

Racial Prejudices. Not mine, the movie's. Again, there is probably much of the subtext of this film that's lost in translation. There's an infinite amount of information I don't know about the South Korean people and their relationship with the Japanese. What I do know is that the Japanese occupied Korea for many years at the dawn of the 20th century on through WWII. Obviously there are probably still a lot of sore feelings between the two countries. This context goes a long way in explaining this undercurrent of prejudice present in the film. As I'm typing this I realize this isn't a fault of the movie's. I actually don't have any real objections about the movie. It doesn't hurt the film at all. It actually grounds the story in reality. I guess without knowing the context it leaves Westerners like myself wondering certain things.

THE VERDICT

The Wailing is one of the best horror films from 2016. It's strange, unique, and epic. And of course, scary. You've never seen a ghost story quite like this. The plot keeps you guessing, moving from one possibility to the next. The era of Asian horror importation may be over but that doesn't mean they've stopped making them. The Wailing is currently streaming on Netflix as of the writing of this article. So what are you waiting for. Check it out!

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 1 out of 10

You know, I would recommend more Asian and J-Horror films, but sadly I haven't covered any on this blog yet! Shame on me. In any event here are some films which I feel channel a similar vibe. Check um out!

THE FOREST (2016)

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR (2016) 

THE WITCH ~ A NEW ENGLAND FOLKTALE (2015)