The Wailing fingerprintRelentless energy, immersive world, light on feelings.
Nerve-racking and terrifying
Builds slowly, so the intensity comes in waves.
Moving
Much of it is about family.
Some dark humor
Not a comedy at heart.
Mystery, the mind, and faith and meaning
Lived-in and easy to get lost in. Holds up on a rewatch.
Standout direction, performances, and storytelling
Layered plot that rewards full attention.
Standout cinematography, sound design, and editing
Nerve-racking and terrifying
Builds slowly, so the intensity comes in waves.
The Wailing is nerve-racking, terrifying, and violent. The story builds slowly, so the intensity comes in waves.
Moving
Much of it is about family.
Emotionally, it's moving. Much of it is about family.
Some dark humor
Not a comedy at heart.
Expect some dark humor.
Mystery, the mind, and faith and meaning
Lived-in and easy to get lost in. Holds up on a rewatch.
Its world is built around mystery, the mind, and faith and meaning. The setting feels lived-in and easy to get lost in. It holds up on a rewatch. It leaves some questions open.
Standout direction, performances, and storytelling
Layered plot that rewards full attention.
The direction, performances, and storytelling stand out. The plot is layered and rewards full attention.
Standout cinematography, sound design, and editing
Look and sound: the cinematography, sound design, and editing stand out.
Based on the GoodWatch fingerprint: our scores for 70+ attributes of every movie. Select a row to see all of them.
Never be tempted.
Overall: Similar vibe.
Quick answers from GoodWatch data.
The Wailing is included with a subscription to Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, fuboTV, and Philo in the United States. You can watch it free with ads on Kanopy, Hoopla, and Rakuten Viki. You can also rent or buy it from Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. All links in Where to Watch go to these licensed services.
Yes. It's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 83/100 (IMDb 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes 99%, and Metacritic 81). The GoodWatch score combines critic and audience ratings.
It's rated NR in the United States. Content advisories: violence, disturbing imagery, and strong language.
2 h 36 min
The Wailing runs 2 h 36 min.
Not quite. Critics rate The Wailing higher (90) than audiences (78). It may be more rewarding than it is crowd-pleasing.
Yes. It cost about $11 million to make and earned $50 million worldwide, 4.6 times its budget.
It was made in Korean, with some Japanese. Produced in South Korea, United States.
+26GoodWatch finds legal streaming, rental, or purchase options for The Wailing in 40 countries. Pick any of them in Where to Watch to see the local services.
TV Tropes lists 41 storytelling tropes for The Wailing, including As the Good Book Says..., Clueless Deputy, Took a Level in Badass.
7.4
