Unlocked – Movie Review
ABC Film Challenge – World Cinema – U
Director: Kim Tae-joon
Writer: Akira Shiga, Kim Tae-joon (Screenplay)
Cast
- Chun Woo-hee (The Wailing)
- Im Si-wan
- Kim Hee-won
- Park Ho-san (The Call)
- Kim Ye-won (Horror Stories)
- Jeon Jin-oh (The Roundup)
Plot: A woman’s life is turned upside-down when a dangerous man gets hold of her lost cell phone and uses it to track her every move.
Runtime: 1 Hour 57 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Unlocked starts when a young woman Lee Na-Mi (Woo-hee) drops her phone on the bus. Unaware, in a drunken state, she returns home. The next morning Oh Joon-yeong (Si-wan) connects to Lee Na-mi about finding the phone, with an A.I. female voice.
When Lee Na-mi gets her phone back, she doesn’t think much as changed and looks to get along with her life. however, Oh Joon-yeong has cloned the phone and starts following her every move.
Verdict on Unlocked
Unlocked is a mystery thriller following a young woman who finds her life turned upside down when a dangerous man hacks her phone. He starts following her every movement and sabotaging her life. However, things start to become dangerous as the police start discovering a series of dead bodies, that are connected to the man.
This thriller shows the dangers of letting someone get a hold of your phone. Even if it is an accident, things end up in the wrong hands. It brings a slow dangerous stalker figure to life, showing how easily they can get into someone’s life. The suspense is strong even if the detective side of the story can take away from the bigger part of the movie. Whenever we stick with the main two people, we find the intensity and disturbing side of the story shining through.
Where to Watch
Final Thoughts – Unlocked is an intense thriller that highlights the dangerous of hacking on phones.
One reply on “Unlocked (2023) Movie Review”
A great review. I haven’t heard of this film, but your review has compelled me to check it out. South Korean Cinema has really gained attention over the last few years. Korean filmmakers have proven that they have a strong ability to make engaging movies. The plot for “Unlocked” reminds me a lot of the Oscar-winning film “Parasite”. That film was also a compelling mystery in which phones played a pivotal role. I absolutely adore that film and have seen it over 100 times. So, I will definitely keep “Unlocked” on my watchlist of films to see in the future.
Here’s why I adored “Parasite”:
https://huilahimovie.reviews/2020/02/21/parasite-2019-movie-review/