'The Wailing' tops box office on day one

Poster for "The Wailing" / Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Korea

By Kim Da-hee

Director Na Hong-jin's new film "The Wailing" – also known as "Goksung" in Korean - topped the box office on its opening day Wednesday.

The thriller was shown on 891 screens nationwide and garnered over 170,000 moviegoers that day. It beat American superhero film "Captain America: Civil War," which was shown in 1,444 theaters and attracted 80,583 viewers the same day, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).

Bookings for "Goksung" reached 52 percent as of Thursday morning.

The film features star actors Hwang Jung-min and Kwak Do-won and is Na's first since the 2010 crime thriller "The Yellow Sea."

The story starts with a series of mysterious deaths in the rural village of Gokseong, South Jeolla Province. It follows policeman Jong-gu (Kwak Do-won) as he investigates the case.

Viewers said the film grabbed their attention for the whole 156 minutes as the suspense and intensity gradually built up.

The movie will screen in the Out of Competition category at the Cannes Film Festival on May 11-22.

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