The Wailing
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Back in cinemas Oct 3 — 1 cinema in New York · 2 screenings at 1 cinema on our showtimes page
Where to watch: Streaming on Prime Video · Shudder (US, subject to change)
▶ Watch the trailer
How it scared people
The vibe
A bumbling cop, a rainy mountain village, a stranger in the woods, and a possession case where every clue might be a trap. Na Hong-jin's epic keeps shamanism, Christianity, and sheer bad luck in unresolved tension — the ritual sequence is modern horror's high point, and the ending starts arguments to this day.
The Wailing (2016) Parents Guide
| MPA rating | No MPAA certificate (released outside the US system) |
|---|---|
| Runtime | 156 minutes |
| Jump scares | 4/5 — genuinely scary, with sustained tension and hard-hitting scares |
| Gore | 3/5 — a moderate amount of blood and violence |
| Dread | 5/5 — the kind of film that follows you around for days |
| Themes | pagan folklore; religious themes |
The Wailing carries no MPAA certificate. We score it 4/5 for jump scares, 3/5 for gore and 5/5 for lingering dread, over 156 minutes. Older teens and adults — less for what it shows than for how long it stays with you.
We rate what the film does — scares, gore, dread — not scene-level content like language or nudity, which we don't track.
Before you press play
- How scary is The Wailing?
- On our intensity scale, The Wailing rates 8/10 for jump scares and 10/10 for dread. It is genuinely scary, with sustained tension and hard-hitting scares. The dread keeps climbing even between the big moments.
- How gory is The Wailing?
- The Wailing rates 6/10 for gore — expect a moderate amount of blood and violence.
- How long is The Wailing?
- The Wailing runs 156 minutes (2h 36m).
- What is The Wailing rated?
- The Wailing has no MPAA certificate — common for films released outside the US. On our scale it rates 8/10 for jump scares, 6/10 for gore and 10/10 for dread.
- Where to watch The Wailing (2016)?
- The Wailing is back in cinemas from Oct 3 — 2 screenings at 1 cinema on our showtimes page. As of our last update, The Wailing is streaming on Prime Video and Shudder in the US (checked 2026-09-14). Availability changes, so check your service before settling in.
