 Jason Bechervaise of "Screen Daily" noted ""The Wailing" is initially set up as a thriller and the supernatural setting also helps deliver moments akin to a horror feature, particularly when a strange woman (Chun Woo-hee) first appears.But the film’s gradual progression into something more sinister puts a different spin on Na’s masterful use of pacing".Jacob Hall of /Film commented ""The Wailing" as it exists would involve burning the very structure of a traditional western movie to the ground.