Netflix does it again and has recently wowed viewers by releasing a mystery thriller starring many familiar Korean stars. Although the movie is well-made, the one-of-a-kind storyline may leave people either impressed or scratching their heads in confusion.
The complex plot follows Noh Woo Sung (Kang Ha Neul), a young man who went into debt trying to buy a new high-rise apartment in the heart of Seoul, clinging to the hope it’ll soar in property value due to rumors of a new nearby GTX train line opening. However, the gamble wasn’t worth the risk, as viewers can witness Woo Sung spiraling downward in debt and mental health. Realistically, the film effortlessly highlights the reality of many Korean’s, especially money-hungry people looking for get-rich-quick scams.
Wall To Wall isn’t necessarily a spectacular story, but a rather perplexing mystery aimed at driving Woo Sung crazy: loud, untraceable noises coming from the apartments above and below him. Despite pleading with fellow neighbors, he is still subjected to their blame.
Without spoiling too much, a simple noise complaint and deranged neighbors evolve into a corrupt grand scheme of the poor fighting the wealthy. From the penthouse owners trying to vacate tenants for their monetary gain and an undercover thug-like journalist trying to expose the truth of the wealthy, to a murder game being pinned on Woo Sung, it is a lot to take in. The constant spinning around and plot twisting disrupts the story and doesn’t blend as well as it should.
The acting is at least commendable. Kang Ha Neul genuinely captures the despair and decline of his pitiful character. From the trance-like mental breakdowns to his struggles fighting the police, Kang Ha Neul lets loose and displays a range of well-executed emotions throughout the story that are believable and satisfying to watch. The scoring also complements the vast scenarios, such as moments of defeat to insanity.
The casting is well done and a great character to highlight is Woo Sung’s threatening upstairs neighbor Jin Ho (Seo Hyun Woo), who goes from friend to psychotic foe in an instant. Yeom Hye Ran also plays the wealthy and manipulative prosecutor Eun Hwa, who looks down at renters and keeps a ledger of illegal contracts and apartments she collects. Both characters have their reasons for targeting Woo Sung, but the flow of the story is unbalanced. The film’s unpredictability may be its downfall, as it feels like scenes just jump and escalate however they please.
While the movie can suck you in as you wonder what the main source of the noise is, all bad endings point to Woo Sung as Jin Ho describes him as “the epitome of pain suffered by today’s young people.” The story isn’t hand-fed to viewers, so a bit of thinking is involved to find clarity in the ending of Woo Sung leaving Seoul but returning to his dark apartment laughing into a fit of madness.
>> Kang Ha Neul’s Netflix Thriller ‘Wall to Wall’ Gets July Release Date and New Teasers
To summarize, more often than not, the plot seems to be going somewhere, but then nowhere or into an entirely different direction. It doesn’t make it an unsatisfying watch, but viewers should keep in mind the character’s motives. Wall To Wall highlights capitalism vs humanity – do you value wealth and status, or is your sanity and way of living more valuable? It is all reflected in the empty shell of an apartment that Woo Sung lives in. How far are people willing to go, and how much will they sacrifice just for money? (7/10)
