Okay, here’s the deal; If you like Atmospheric Horror that gets under your skin and slowly reveals itself to you…Don’t read this review. Just add Pedro Martín-Calero’s The Wailing (El llanto) to your watchlist and go have a tea. There are no M. Night Syamalan twists but the less you know about this one, the better. The Wailing is a movie the unfolds at a very deliberate pace, filling you in piece by piece until the whole picture comes into focus. It’s one of the scarier stories I’ve seen this year and that’s thanks in large part to the careful construction of its apprehensive mystery. A mystery which only really works if you’re trying to solve it in real time with the characters on screen.
But if you must know; The Wailing, directed by Pedro Martín-Calero who co-wrote the screenplay with Isabel Peña (The Beasts), is a sprawling supernatural story that spans generations, taking you from modern day Madrid to late 90s Argentina. Waiting for our characters on either end of the world is an oppressive entity with an insatiable lust for the suffering of women. Particularly, the women of Andrea’s family tree. Like a ghost from a J-Horror flick he is only visible in pictures and video, but where he goes death follows and surrounding him are the wails and cries of the women in his grasp.
“One of the best of the fest at the 2025 Fantasia Film Festival […] A subtle slow burn that will haunt you.“
Atmospheric Horror should get under your skin and make you feel the intensity of a moment without explosive in-your-face antics. It rarely happens, but when a movie like Pedro Martín-Calero’s The Wailing (El llanto) comes along, it stays with you for a long time. A lot of modern Horror can be very vibe-heavy, but it often lacks the atmospheric pressure to have any real lasting power. Call it personal preference, but I want my Atmospheric Horror to feel like walking through a nightmare. Like an inescapable fate is luring me deeper into darkness in search for any hope of light. Which is exactly why I’m making the early call to declare The Wailing one of the best of the fest at the 2025 Fantasia Film Festival.
The Wailing leaves you wanting more, but in the best way. It’s a delicate balancing act of solving a mystery and coming up against something you can’t fully explain, and the feeling in your gut might give you more answers than what you see on screen. I don’t think I can fully explain Peter Weir’s Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975) or David Lynch’s Lost Highway (1997) but when I watch those movies, I can feel the answers I’m looking for. There is a clear logic to The Wailing, you won’t be lost by the end, but it wants you to fill in some of the pieces for yourself. If you aren’t afraid to roll up your sleeves and get cozy with some oppressive, keep-you-up-at-night scares, The Wailing is a subtle slow burn that will haunt you too.
Pedro Martín-Calero’s The Wailing (El llanto) celebrated its Canadian Premiere at the 2025 Fantasia Film Festival. Click HERE to follow our continued coverage of the festival and let us know if you’ve ever filmed a ghost (seriously, we want to see that video!) over in The Official Nightmare on Film Street Discord. Social Media is a cesspool. Come hang out where all the cool creeps are.
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