A sleepy little town is shaken up by a violent murder. More follow, each victim showing the same signs: catatonia and an unidentifiable, pervasive skin infection. Could these frightful events be somehow connected to the mysterious foreigner recently seen in the mountains near town? The police are at their wits’ end… The Wailing is a major work of our time, fully deserving the high acclaim it drew at Cannes last year. Brilliantly directed and acted, joining multiple genres into a cohesive whole, the film’s themes offer a wide range of interpretations and statements on the world today. The theme of foreigneras- enemy, for example, someone who brings uncertainty and physical danger to a community, is equally applicable to Europe’s so-called refugee crisis. With regard to South Korea, The Wailing also offers a topical treatment of shamanism, or occultism, as well as a critique of the current regime. The film even serves as a commentary on last year’s scandal involving South Korea’s ex-president.