Underwhelming thriller mostly saved by Siwan's acting
Very interesting thriller with an interesting, albeit common prose. In our times, when access to someone else's information can be achieved easily, it's terrifying to imagine what would happen if one monitored my whole life through my phone.
The first half was very interesting, I was very curious to learn about the stalker's identity and purpose and it was so scary to watch him monitoring Na-mi's steps. But after the first half, the movie became kinda boring to me. Although I still wanted to see how he would be caught and how Na-mi would solve her problem, the plot became predictable and lost its spark. Some of the characters' actions were so silly, it was clear that their purpose was to pace the way for the story's development but couldn't it been done more conveniently? The third act wasn't that dramatic and the ending was kinda anticlimactic.
There were many themes that could have been explored more but the movie didn't delve into them. I expected more commentary regarding the loss of human connections and the way people rely on their phones. It was brought up sometimes in a subtle way but it wasn't enough to highlight this message, which the movie intended to. Yes, it's clear how dangerous online activity can be but I wanted something more. Instead of telling and not showing, it was little telling and little showing.
Si-Wan's performance was the best, he was absolutely captivating as Oh Jun-yeong. His body language, the tone of his voice, his gaze, his demeanor. He knew how to embody his character and he made me feel sick yet unable to take my eyes off my screen when he appeared. It was a pity that the movie didn't do more with his character. I know that some villains do bad actions for the sake of it and that I shouldn't expect every villain to have a sob story but I still wanted to see more of him. He felt one-dimensional which is a pity because there were many layers to explore.
The rest of the characters were decent but not spectacular. Na-mi was good, I really liked Chun Woo-Hee's performance, but oh God, some of her decisions just pissed me off so bad. For example, how could she seriously trust a guy she met a few times over her best friend whom she has known for years!?
All in all, Unlocked was a gripping yet lackluster thriller. It hold my attention for the most part but it's not the best out there. I do not regret watching it and if you're new to korean cinema, it could be a decent option.
The first half was very interesting, I was very curious to learn about the stalker's identity and purpose and it was so scary to watch him monitoring Na-mi's steps. But after the first half, the movie became kinda boring to me. Although I still wanted to see how he would be caught and how Na-mi would solve her problem, the plot became predictable and lost its spark. Some of the characters' actions were so silly, it was clear that their purpose was to pace the way for the story's development but couldn't it been done more conveniently? The third act wasn't that dramatic and the ending was kinda anticlimactic.
There were many themes that could have been explored more but the movie didn't delve into them. I expected more commentary regarding the loss of human connections and the way people rely on their phones. It was brought up sometimes in a subtle way but it wasn't enough to highlight this message, which the movie intended to. Yes, it's clear how dangerous online activity can be but I wanted something more. Instead of telling and not showing, it was little telling and little showing.
Si-Wan's performance was the best, he was absolutely captivating as Oh Jun-yeong. His body language, the tone of his voice, his gaze, his demeanor. He knew how to embody his character and he made me feel sick yet unable to take my eyes off my screen when he appeared. It was a pity that the movie didn't do more with his character. I know that some villains do bad actions for the sake of it and that I shouldn't expect every villain to have a sob story but I still wanted to see more of him. He felt one-dimensional which is a pity because there were many layers to explore.
The rest of the characters were decent but not spectacular. Na-mi was good, I really liked Chun Woo-Hee's performance, but oh God, some of her decisions just pissed me off so bad. For example, how could she seriously trust a guy she met a few times over her best friend whom she has known for years!?
All in all, Unlocked was a gripping yet lackluster thriller. It hold my attention for the most part but it's not the best out there. I do not regret watching it and if you're new to korean cinema, it could be a decent option.
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