The REAL Horror of The Wailing

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:00]This movie is baffling and scary and even humorous at times. There's so much to say about it. But in this video, I want to ask the question, what is the real horror of the Whailing? We'll be uncovering some details which might just change how you see the whole thing.

[00:00:17]We'll walk through three crucial characters and what's really going on with each of them. The stranger, the shaman, and the woman. Let us begin.

[00:00:29]This 2016 Korean horror movie is named after a real place, Goxion County in South Korea, a rural mountainous region.

[00:00:38]Some of the filming actually took place within the county itself. And the movie imagines a particular village within this county, also called Goxong for simplicity. And Goxyong actually means valley town, but it sounds the same as the Korean word for crying noise or whailing, hence the title of the movie.

[00:00:58]It's a dublon tandra. It refers to both the setting and the noises of anguish which will permeate this setting and what anguish it is. We're gradually confronted with the supernatural nature of this threat alongside two police officers. First, one believes and the other doubts, arguing that the phenomena can be explained exhaustively by the hallucinogenic effects of magic mushrooms.

[00:01:52]But as more strange events unfold, they kind of swap places. is the skeptic becomes a believer and the former believer becomes a skeptic.

[00:02:14]After witnessing a particularly violent case of demonic possession at the hospital, resulting in the death of the afflicted man, both officers are convinced that more is going on.

[00:02:31]bushes really >> and their fears are only heightened after visiting the house of the Japanese man, the prime suspect throughout the movie. His house is clearly the site of some kind of ritual featuring countless photos of victims taken both before and after their deaths.

[00:03:08]We will now be getting into spoiler territory. So, buckle in for the horrors that we are about to confront. And if you're new to the channel, hi, I'm Thomas. I get into the deeper meaning of movies. Do hit that subscribe button below if you enjoy these kinds of videos. It really helps the channel.

[00:03:24]Thanks so much. Okay, here goes.

[00:03:28]The film's opening introduces us to this mysterious Japanese man. The character often referred to as the stranger, and that's what I'll be calling him throughout this video. He begins as a lone figure at the fringes of society.

[00:03:43]We see him pushing a fish hook into a worm. A brilliant opening symbol because it sets up the dynamic we will see throughout the film with snares and traps being laid for unsuspecting characters. but will be left guessing who the real predator is right up to the end. In the gospels, Jesus tells his fisherman disciples that he will make them into fishes of men. And in the film, the stranger is a dark inversion of that. He lures human beings in order to give them the curse rather than salvation. And as for the worm itself, well, if you go right back to the beginning of the Bible, the snake in the Garden of Eden is this mysterious cyclical coiling influence sneaking its way into the narrative and disrupting the order, tempting Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. And Matthew Pujo makes a fascinating observation about this curse that is ushered into the world. For humanity, it means death.

[00:04:40]Adam was formed when God breathed life into the dust of the earth. But he is told that he will now die. He will return to dust. And the snake is told that it will be condemned to crawling on its belly and eating the dust. So Adam returns to dust and the snake eats the dust. Again, you see the snake is this cyclical disintegrating influence of time. But here's where it gets relevant to the film. Pujo says this. being eaten by the snake also includes the reality of the dead being eaten by the worm.

[00:05:15]These are all symbols of the devouring powers of time. So in the film, the worm is controlled by the stranger. He is an agent of death and decay. Fast forward to the end of the movie where he finally reveals something of his true identity to the Catholic deacon Yang Ean.

[00:05:58]He's quoting the words of the risen Lord Jesus in Luke 24:37-39.

[00:06:04]Those words actually appear on screen right at the start of the movie before we see any footage. And as he morphs into this terrifying entity with long fingernails and reptilian eyes, he also reveals nail marks on his hands. We also got a fleeting glimpse of a crucifix on the floor of this man's home. So, what's going on here? Well, it seems that this man is a darkened version of Christ. He is anti- Christ. The risen Jesus appeared to his disciples, inviting them to touch him and see his wounds to give them confidence that it really was him.

[00:06:38]The Jesus they knew who died on the cross and has now punched through death and out the other side into glorified resurrection life. He's demonstrating the physicality of his resurrection body. He's not a ghost. He's not a disembodied spirit. He's the first resurrected human being. But in the film, the stranger is quoting those same words, but in a mocking way. Is he the devil incarnate or some kind of demon using a human man as a vessel? It's ambiguous, but he certainly sets himself up in opposition to the God of Christianity, twisting and appropriating the words of Jesus. And therefore, he's clearly a devilish figure. And I think the purpose of his monologue at the end of the movie is to demonstrate that supernatural evil is real and formidable. He's not a ghost. He's not a hazy, disembodied spirit. He's a being who can bring about genuine realworld harm. He's so real that you can touch him. I think that's the point. But he's not fighting alone. And that brings us to his servant, the shaman.

[00:07:46]Our protagonist is the police officer Jong Guu and the stakes of his investigation are heightened when his daughter Hio Jyn becomes possessed. Her name means something like precious child. Indeed, she is, but the evil of the stranger begins to take hold of her and corrupt her. And so, the desperate family resorts to enlisting the help of a shaman called Il Guang to perform an exorcism. From the outset, something seems off about him. He wears expensive clothes and drives a black luxury sedan, and he bears some intriguing similarities to the stranger, the one he's supposedly fighting. Both men have the same underwear. It's a minor detail, but in a film like this, these visual details are often significant. And we see Il Guang driving on the left hand side of the road which some regard as an implicit suggestion that he too is from a Japanese background. And so there is some kind of commentary on xenophobia in this movie. I don't think that explains the film exhaustively, but it's definitely there. There was Japanese colonialism in Korea from 1910 to 1945.

[00:09:00]And the film seems to be tapping into some of the pain and prejudices resulting from that period. It seems that the stranger genuinely is a villain, but some people are suspicious of him and condemn him from the outset simply because he's Japanese. Back to the shaman, his name Il Guang means sunlight. And that's intriguing because according to scripture, even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

[00:09:27]And what unfolds when the shaman arrives is one of the most baffling scenes in the film. Ilg Guang performs this ritual. In his words, he's trying to cast a death hex on the stranger, in order to undermine his demonic power over the girl and the entire village, I guess. And as this ritual builds to a dizzying crescendo, it's intercut with the stranger performing a ritual of his own. The way it's edited, you believe that it's a battle between the two rituals, and the stranger seems to be harmed by the so-called death hex until it's interrupted. But I think this could be a red herring. The juxtaposition of the two rituals makes us assume that they're happening at the same time, but they might not be. This is a film which intentionally misleads its audience through its twists and turns. It keeps us guessing right to the end. In any case, if Il Guang does in fact cause harm to the stranger, intentionally or not through that ritual, it later becomes evident that they are working together.

[00:10:33]Now, Ilg Guang's ritual is based upon actual exorcisms. Here's how the writer director Nah Hong Jin describes it in an interview. In attempt to find primitive religions that still exist, I traveled to many Asian countries, including Korea, to collect information. Every time I witnessed a ritual, whatever the purpose it may be, I experienced heart bursting excitement followed by serious dizziness. My reactions would be all but naturally explained from a person watching the offerings burn in licking flames. But I wanted to convey those feelings to the audience by believing and wholly staging that exact value which has been passed down for thousands of years. The music used in the sequence is played by actual shamans and all the actions played are the same as in the ritual of exorcism performed in real life. I secretly wondered if any audience would have a seizure or something but that didn't happen. Now, there's talk of demonic possession and exorcism in many traditions around the world and down through history. And the methodology behind this one through the relentless cacophony of noise, it seems to be trying to make things as uncomfortable as possible for the little girl or rather for the demon residing within her. And I suppose if you maintain that for long enough, maybe the the intention is that the demon will want to flee eventually. In this case, Il Guang's ritual might have the appearance of calling upon guardian spirits for protection against evil, but he's a deceiver. And when he encounters the woman who seems to be the actual guardian of the village, the one he he should be appealing to to carry out the exorcism, I suppose, well, what happens?

[00:12:10]He vomits blood. And when he tries to flee, he is stopped by a swarm of locusts, another biblical image. Ilgang claims that these attacks against him are signs that the woman is the true enemy. But really, if she's right, they're signs that he is evil and he vomits in the presence of her goodness.

[00:12:30]So, let's turn our attention to this mysterious woman.

[00:12:38]Her name is Mumong, which means no name.

[00:12:42]Have I mentioned that this filmmaker likes to create ambiguity?

[00:12:46]She seems to appear from nowhere at multiple points in the film and most interpretations regard her as a supernatural village guardian. In Korean mythology, there's a figure called Seang, the goddess of villages. And traditionally, she was honored through the construction of stone cans and trees called Seang. These marked the boundaries between villages. And I wonder if that is what is being referenced when the woman in the film is throwing those stones towards the police officers. She's trying to confront them with her presence and her desire to fight the evil in their midst. It might also be a reference to the woman caught in adultery in John 8. Jesus says to the crowd, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." And the point is that only Jesus, the perfectly pure son of God, is qualified to throw those stones, but he doesn't. He has mercy for sinners. And so when the crowd dissipates, he says to the woman, "Go and from now on, sin no more." So how would this relate to the film? Well, Mumong seems to represent purity in the story. And by throwing stones towards the police officer, Jongu, the protagonist, it foreshadows how she will later convict him of his own sin.

[00:14:18]Now, it seems clear that the stranger is involved in the possession of Jongu's daughter. And yet, according to Muong, it was a sin when Jong Guu pursued the stranger and killed him. Of course, the stranger then rises again. It's a kind of perverse resurrection, I suppose. But it seems that it was wrong for Jongu to run him over in that way. Perhaps because at that moment he acted out of fear and prejudice rather than faith.

[00:14:45]Amumong explains that she should be the object of his faith.

[00:14:55]This echoes the words of Paul and Silas to the jailer in Acts 16. Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household. So the stranger is a perverse Antichrist figure. And this woman, although she's drawn from a different mythology in the story, she appears to be the most Christlike figure. And she has a final test of faith for Jongu, which is directly based on the words of Jesus. She says that she has laid a trap for the demon.

[00:15:33]And this is of course referring to Jesus saying to Peter, "Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times." Jesus predicted that Peter would betray him before the rooster crowed.

[00:15:45]And in the film, what happens? Jongu decides not to trust Muong. He betrays her, as it were, partly due to a phone call with his deceptive shaman, Il Guang. also because he sees that Mumong is rather suspiciously wearing items belonging to the victims. His daughter's hair pin lies on the ground nearby.

[00:16:06]That's not a great look, to be fair, so he runs to be with his family before the third cry of the rooster. And around the house, we see some plants hanging with little white bows. We see that site at a number of the crime scenes. As Jongu enters this zone prematurely, the plants wither there and then. And that to me indicates that they were placed by Muong. They perhaps point to her harmonious relationship with nature, they represent the trap that she has laid for the demon. And because Jongu disobeyed her, the trap has now failed.

[00:16:43]Jongu arrives to find that his possessed daughter has slaughtered his wife and mother-in-law. And now she's coming for him. And in his dying moments, he remembers the good times they had together. His final words are dripping with irony.

[00:17:12]This final scene is intercut with Il Guang, the shaman, taking photos of the victims, confirming his allegiance to the stranger. And there's a deleted ending of the film, which makes this interpretation even clearer. We see the stranger luring a child with some sweets, but then the child's mother intervenes. Then Il Guang rocks up to collect the stranger. They drive off, perhaps in search of another village to torment. and Mumong watches bereft. Now, that deleted ending seems to support my interpretation of those three characters. I wonder if it was cut in order to give the film more ambiguity.

[00:17:49]In any case, it's a devastating tragedy.

[00:17:52]Jongu loves his daughter. He wants nothing more than to set her free from the demonic influence. But through a series of sins, mistakes, and simple misunderstandings, the entire family is consumed by the demonic evil. Jongu isn't blameless, but you can understand some of his confusion and reluctance to trust Muong. So, what is this film saying? Here are some more words from writer director Naong Jin.

[00:18:19]During the break, after I finished the LOC, that's one of his previous films, several deaths of my close acquaintances followed one another. Attending a funeral had become rather a common ordeal for me, but it felt much worse back then. The deceased were my close friends and in no way felt like a common experience. Unfortunately, their deaths were not of natural causes, leaving those who were left behind all the more sorrowful. The question was why did they have to be victims of all people? I already had the answers for the how.

[00:18:49]What I had to find out was the why. So I began to meet and talk to the clergy of various religions which was the starting point of this film. I believe that no areas of study or school of philosophy could answer my question. I'm a Christian and if I didn't believe in the God from the Bible to begin with, I would have told this story in an entirely different way. Perhaps I could have answered the question with scientific reasoning. But I'm not very devout practitioner like the rest of my family, participating in missionary works and such. I sometimes find myself agreeing to the concepts and comments that deny the existence of God. When making important decisions, I seek counseling from the Buddhist monks at temples in the mountains and pray there as well. So he's a professing Christian, but he seems to have an affinity for multiple spiritualities. And in the sense the film is expressing something of his own synratist wrestling with the problem of evil. It's one of the biggest questions. We reckon the dilemma was first posed formerly I suppose by the Greek philosopher Epicurus. Here it is summarized by David Hume. Is God willing to prevent evil but not able then he is impotent? If he is able but not willing, then he is malevolent. If he is both able and willing, whence then is evil?

[00:20:10]How does the film interact with that age-old question? Well, for one thing, it seems to be convinced by the existence of evil, as we've seen. And for some people, that in itself is a reason to believe in a good God. It sounds almost paradoxical, but here's how CS Lewis describes it. My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how would I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Zed, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such a violent reaction against it? To put it another way, if the devil exists, then a good God must exist. Because evil is a perversion of something that was originally good. You can't have evil without good. The writer director Nah Hong Jin may well resonate with that argument to some degree because yes, his film depicts terrifying evil. But unlike most horror movies, it goes a step further. It seems to also believe in a supernatural good that can potentially overcome the evil as represented by Mumong. I don't think the film is saying that she's the Christian God, the author of life who presides over literally everything, but as we've seen, she's something of a standin for Christ. And yet, well-intentioned though she may be, Jongu rejects her, and the evil wins.

[00:21:40]Does that represent a failure of Muyong herself? Was she essentially not powerful enough to stop the evil? Or is the film instead highlighting human failure and complicity in the problem of evil? Jongu choosing to reject Mumong, the source of goodness and suffering the consequences. That brings us into another timeless debate about the relationship between God's sovereignty and human free will. And I love that the film raises all these profound questions. I think it wrestles with them without offering definitive answers. All those different spiritualities are swirling around and it's unclear which is ultimately true in the context of the movie. Reminds me a bit of the more recent film Sinners. And given the director's own background, it's clearly not anti-Christianity.

[00:22:28]You could argue that it's critiquing aspects of the institutional church, but it's quite fair because it's also saying that hypocrisy can happen in other spiritualities like shamanism. In the case of the church in this film, the deacon is shown to be impotent, I suppose, in the face of demonic evil.

[00:22:46]And earlier in the movie, we meet his priest and when asked about the possessed daughter, the priest says this.

[00:23:02]And it breaks my heart to hear that. May we never say to someone in need that there's nothing the church can do for them. Whether or not they're correct about the nature of their affliction, the church should be a refuge open to them. And yes, hospitals are great.

[00:23:20]They're a part of God's common grace to us all. But humanity's spiritual problem requires a spiritual solution and the church is called to speak into that. And to answer the question raised by the title and opening of this video, what is the real horror of the whailing? It recognizes that evil is real and formidable. But at the same time, it recognizes humanity's helplessness in the face of that evil. That so often human religion and spirituality is inadequate. That's the real horror of the movie, I think, the uncertainty. And I don't think there are quick, easy answers to the problem of evil. But I do find the Jesus whose very words are quoted throughout this movie to be incredibly compelling. The God who enters into human suffering and defeats death itself by going through the most excruciating death himself. On the cross, he takes the penalty for the evil within every human heart. And at the same time, he gains the victory over the devil. The reason the son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. And in these end times, God allows the devil a degree of influence, but it's a temporary influence because the promise is that Jesus will return to fully and finally vanquish evil. And while we wait for that, it is completely understandable and actually advisable to cry out to God, to lament the brokenness of this world. Evil is formidable, but it shouldn't drive us away from God. It should drive us towards him, and it won't have the last laugh. I don't know what you make of all that, but I guess Jesus is the only person I'd ever consider trusting with the problem of evil. I still don't understand it, but I'd rather that it's in his hands rather than in anyone else's.

[00:25:08]I love this movie. It's one of the best horror movies I've seen in a while.

[00:25:11]Thanks to all of you who recommended it to me. It's genuinely scary and at times funny. So, you get this kind of tonal whiplash, which doesn't always work in films, but somehow I think this one pulls it off. The setting is absolutely stunning and intricately and sensitively drawn. You feel like you get to know it in these characters and their little foyables and family dynamics. I think it's a phenomenal piece of work. My name is Thomas. As I already mentioned, I get into the deeper meaning of movies. Do subscribe if you'd like to stay in the loop. And remember, it's deeper than you think. Sorry about all this light, by the way. For some reason, I decided to film this video while the sun was very low in the sky uh coming through my window. So, sorry about that.