The Wailing [2024] – Movie Review | Fantasia (4/5)

THE WAILING (2024) is a new Supernatural Horror movie that stays with you long after the end credits. The story is universal and haunting in terrifying ways. Screening at Fantasia 2025. Read our full The Wailing (org. title: El llanto) movie review here!

THE WAILING (2024) is a new horror movie screening at Fantasia 2025. It screened at Sitges 2024 and continues to win over audiences worldwide. This supernatural horror movie feels very real and relatable in ways you may not expect.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH

The amazing South Korean movie The Wailing from 2016 >

The story spans both decades and continents, as the same entity appears to be targeting young women. However, don’t think men can be safe either. A vibe of both It Follows and Terrified without being too similar to either.

Continue reading our The Wailing movie review below.

Across time and countries

The Wailing begins in modern-day Madrid, where Andrea is dealing with a lot of huge changes to her life. Not only does she discover the truth of her own origin, but she also witnesses a loved one being murdered, and no one believes her.

She is being haunted by a strange and terrifying entity that she can’t even see. But she can feel him. Trying to explain something you don’t understand yourself, or even see, makes you come across as being crazy.

We soon find out that someone else had a very similar experience twenty years ago. This happened both decades ago and thousands of miles away, in La Plata in Argentina. In this instance, it was Marie being tormented by the very same presence.

From bad to worse to deadly

There’s also a third woman, Camila, who knows what is going on. However, nobody will believe her. In other words, we’re dealing with women being attacked and assaulted, but not believed.

Without any good description of the perpetrator or any proof of the events, it’s impossible to get any help. Outside of suggestions of medication or a stint in a psychiatric ward.

What all these women have in common is also that they will hear the same, terrible sound. The sound of a ghostly wailing (from a woman) will overwhelm their senses. And it appears to come from an empty apartment.

The stars of The Wailing should be familiar to many genre fans of Spanish-language productions. We have Ester Expósito (Someone Has to Die), Mathilde Ollivier (Overlord, 1899), and Malena Villa (El angel).

The Wailing screened at Fantasia 2025

This is a feature debut from director/co-writer Pedro Martín-Calero, and I am extremely impressed. He started as a cinematographer and then directed a string of popular shorts and commercials. Also, he directed music videos, including for The Weeknd.

For me, expectations were fairly high due to the screenplay being co-scripted by Isabel Peña. She is a brilliant screenwriter who previously wrote on projects like The Beasts, May God Save Us, and The Chalk Line. To name just a few!

The Wailing was, in part, inspired by the writing of Mariana Enríquez, which I am not familiar with. Though now I think I should. I adored just about everything about this movie and even the ending, which I’m sure will baffle (maybe even annoy) some viewers.

The Wailing (org. title: El llanto) is reviewed as part of our Fantasia 2025 coverage. It will be out on digital on December 5, 2025.

Details

Director: Pedro Martín-Calero
Writers: Pedro Martín-Calero, Isabel Peña
Cast: Ester Expósito, Mathilde Ollivier, Malena Villa