It seems like every time a new South Korean film is picked up for international distribution, horror/thriller fans get spoiled by it. Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy, Bong Joon-ho’s The Host, Kim Jee-woon’s I Saw The Devil and so on. Director Na Hong-jin is relatively new to the scene, but has already earned recognition for his work with his debut films The Chaser and The Yellow Sea. With those under his belt, Na has unleashed his next horror-thriller, The Wailing, aka Goksung. Debuting internationally at Cannes, Na’s film certainly doesn’t disappoint in the tension department.

In a small countryside town in Gokseong, Jeollanam-do, local policeman Jong-goo (Do Won Kwak) wakes up to investigate a murder scene. Upon arriving, he and his colleagues are taken aback by what’s occured: A seemingly normal family man has without warning killed his wife, and now sits in a daze on the front porch, covered in strange boils. It’s only the start of the strangeness, as more people become sick with the mysterious illness. While the killings are chalked up to an addiction to poisonous mushrooms, Jong-goo hears rumours of a mysterious Japanese man (Jun Kunimura), whose appearance coincides with the start of the illness. But after Jong-goo’s own daughter becomes infected with the mysterious illness, it’s a race against time to find out just what’s going on.

I’ve ranted about my love of atmosphere in a film’s setting and environment before, but it’s absolutely true when I say that The Wailing has it in spades. From the film’s beginning, the rain-drenched rural countryside reeled me in. It’s absolutely gorgeous, for one, and dripped with character. Part of what also added to the character of the film is that alongside the remoteness of the town came the superstitions. Much like the typical remote towns in Western horror films that pledge to a fanatical and warped religion, the townspeople in The Wailing cling to Korean folk shamanistic beliefs, which to many, is a goldmine for tapping emotion. Na also throws in a few references to Christian beliefs in the film, which again enhances the spookiness. Coupled with some great camerawork, the film just mesmerises in its look and feel. But that’s only the start.

Still with the mystery aspect of the film, Na has crafted a story that is unpredictable, but slowly raises the tension throughout the film’s 156-minute runtime. The first half of the film starts out slow to establish the atmosphere of the town, including a tense meeting between the stranger and Jong-goo (who goes to town on the stranger’s hut after uncovering some incriminating evidence). But after Jong-goo enlists the help of a charismatic Seoul-based shaman named Il-gwang (played by Hwang Jung-min) to help his daughter, culminating in a furious hex ritual sequence that has Jong-goo’s daughter writhing and screaming like Linda Blair, the film kicks into another gear that throws the story into a whodunit territory that keeps you hooked until the end. It’s all the while kept captivating by the acting. Do Won Kwak is excellent as Jong-goo, possessing numerous layers while maintaining a meek sort of appearance. Hwang Jung-min’s character reminds me of Bill Murray’ Peter Venkman, possessing those “gameshow host” qualities but without the scepticism. There’s just something funny about him changing from his robes into a tracksuit and smoking a cigarette after his meeting with Jong-goo (and after asking for 10 grand for the ritual).

Any complaints that I would have against the film would ironically be the story. What makes it so good is what could also turn people off. The deliberate vagueness and unanswered questions of the overall story can be frustrating to some (especially given the film’s long runtime). As well, the first half of the film does have some comedic aspects thrown in that feel out of place, and the editing doesn’t quite feel as tight as it does in the second half. But thankfully, the tension is there to pick the film back up and keep things going.

I definitely haven’t had as much fun with a film like this in a long while. The Wailing exudes atmosphere from every aspect, and the steadily rising tension makes the runtime fly by. The acting by all involved fits in perfectly. And while the story is deliberately disjointed to a fault, it keeps you wanting to see just where things will go. If you’re a fan of Korean horror, The Wailing is absolutely a must-watch. And even if you’re not, a film with this type of atmosphere and tension is truly hard to pass up.

The Wailing will be released in US theatres June 3rd.