London Film Festival Day 8: Lion, The Wailing & Kate Plays Christine

A singular, fearless thriller from the brilliant Na Hong-jin (The Chaser), The Wailing observes a town driven to its wits end as a spate of violent deaths terrorise the residents.

At 156 minutes in length combined with a slow pace and not-always-coherent narrative, this is definitely a challenging sit, albeit one awash in deliciously unsettling atmosphere. Performances are remarkable across the board, especially Kim Hwan-hee as the cop protagonist's daughter, while cinematography cements the juxtaposition of the town's rural beauty with the inherent grimness of the central scenario.

Even with all this darkness, the film doesn't forget to be stingingly funny, and does a great job investing the audience in its large cast of characters.

Rating: It's probably too long and too slow, but the overall effect it has on the viewer is well worth the ride. Odd and disturbing like little else in recent memory, The Wailing is a well-crafted, chilly thriller even if you might leave the movie with more than your share of questions. 7/10