In a remote part of South Korea villagers begin to succumb to a mysterious sickness that causes people to fly into a violent, murderous rage.

The Wailing (곡성: Gokseong) is a 2016 South Korean horror film directed by Na Hong-jin and starring Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min and Chun Woo-hee.

A stranger (Jun Kunimura) arrives at a remote village in the mountains of South Korea, and soon afterwards a mysterious sickness starts to spread through the village.

The locals suspect that the stranger is to blame.

When they start killing each other for no apparent reason that suspicion quickly turns to mass panic. The daughter of the investigating officer (Do-won) soon falls under the same savage spell, forcing him to call in a shaman to assist in finding the culprit .

The film draws on ancient shamanistic traditions to evoke an obscure, primitive realm where violence lurks around every corner, and evil takes on human as well as supernatural forms.

The film masterfully blends horror, humour and mystery, veering between caustic comedy and blood-soaked horror over the course of its intense two and a half hour running time. It’s length is definitely justified, allowing the tension to slowly build, until finally it leaves you with its frighteningly haunting ending.

The Wailing received universal critical acclaim upon its release and was a commercial success at the box office.

An American remake is already being discussed, with Ridley Scott showing an interest in the project.

Watch the official trailer for The Wailing HERE: