Director Na Hong-jin, a name synonymous with cinematic brilliance, has returned to the screen after nearly a decade of silence. His latest offering, “Hope“, might be a bombastic sci-fi spectacle, but its DNA is undeniably rooted in the same unsettling genius that defined his earlier works. While “Hope” explodes onto the scene with futuristic action, it’s the echoes of Na’s previous films that truly resonate, reminding us of his focus on ordinary people thrust into extraordinary, incomprehensible mysteries.
A Legacy of Unforgettable Thrillers
Among Na’s impressive filmography, “The Wailing” stands as a crown jewel. This rain-soaked mystery plunges viewers into a remote village gripped by a series of gruesome murders. At the heart of the chaos is Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won), a hapless police officer ill-equipped to confront the supernatural forces at play. What begins as a standard procedural slowly morphs into a terrifying nightmare, seamlessly blending genres and leaving audiences questioning everything they thought they knew.
Environmental storytelling is another hallmark of Na’s work, and “The Wailing” is no exception. The film utilizes sweeping drone shots to showcase the verdant forests and mountains surrounding the village, creating a sense of both beauty and foreboding. This visual language mirrors the natural world’s role in “Hope,” where the environment itself becomes a character.
Tragedy Wrapped in Duty
What grounds the occult terror in “The Wailing” is a profound sense of duty intertwined with tragedy. Jong-goo, a tired family man and an undeniable fool, finds himself utterly unprepared for the unimaginable conspiracy that awaits him and his family. Like the growing desperation driving “Hope,” the village’s police force feels overworked and under-resourced, struggling to maintain order against forces beyond their control, all while a relentless rain beats down upon them.
The gloomy weather in “The Wailing” contributes to its visual grammar, evoking the atmosphere of a gritty noir even as it violently shifts between horror, comedy, and folklore. This tonal instability is another strength, with unexpected moments of hijinks arising from Jong-goo’s sheer incompetence and that of his partner, Oh Seong-bok (Son Gang-guk). Even as the film sheds its noir sheen, Na maintains a captivating spell, and these jarring shifts only heighten the impact of the horror when it inevitably strikes.
A Masterful Bait-and-Switch
The mystery itself is equally masterful, culminating in a finale that demands to be experienced blind. Without spoiling anything, Na orchestrates a climactic collision of three disparate storylines in real time, placing the audience squarely in Jong-goo’s frantic headspace. We are forced to question who to trust as an enigmatic woman issues cryptic warnings and a rooster’s crow acts as a ticking clock for a family’s survival. The film pulls off a breathtaking bait-and-switch, making you absolutely certain of one reality before brutally pivoting to another. This sequence exemplifies the unpredictable nature of the film’s narrative structure and lands with a devastating truth that echoes its opening phrase, citing Luke 24:38–39:
“See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
Fans of South Korean cinema will naturally draw parallels between “The Wailing” and Bong Joon-ho’s “Memories of Murder“, another genre-bending mystery rooted in real events. While Na isn’t explicitly mimicking Bong’s masterpiece, both films brilliantly escalate a rural procedural into something profoundly bleak, centering on two out-of-their-depth investigators, communities consumed by paranoia, and mysteries that grow increasingly sickening with each revelation. Distinct echoes of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s “Cure” also appear in how Na presents evil. The antagonist isn’t your typical monster but what feels like an eerie contagion slowly seeping into the ordinary world.
“The Wailing” stands as a flawless companion piece to “Hope.” It trades the action-inspired set pieces for a darker, more slow-burn mystery that draws you ever deeper into the terrifying secrets of its world with each chilling second. Na refuses to be confined by genre boundaries. His films demand complex narratives that seamlessly blend elements of action, comedy, and horror. “The Wailing” remains one of the most razor-sharp presentations of this vision yet.
“The Wailing” is currently streaming on “Philo“.
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