Unlocked (2023) User Reviews

Technology is a scary factor

[pranayjalvi · 7/10 · 28 February 2023]

New Korean content on Netflix, Unlocked, is an interesting and thought provoking movie about being heavily consumed by smartphones these days. While this is not the first movie to tackle this subject, it did a good job in delivering a realistic wake up call about the dangers of social media without any sugarcoating.

The pacing was good and the story delivered an unexpected twist in the end. It was suspenseful, it was urgent, and it was generally well made. Si-wan as the antagonist was convincing, although I felt that the thrill could have been more given it's genre. If you're looking for a thrilling watch instead of a bubbly rom-com this February, Unlocked is one to turn your attention to.

My Rating : 7/10.

Hacking for whacking

[RedKidBytes · 5/10 · 21 February 2023]

A young woman's phone is hacked with destructive consequences. Such as for many young adults, the most important aspects of her social, business, and private life are inseparable from her cell phone.

After someone returns her lost phone, she takes it to a cell phone shop for a broken screen repair and makes a big mistake of writing her password on a piece of paper when the shop owner requests it. Obviously, you don't need to give your password to get your screen replaced. Even if it is required, you should only unlock your phone without giving away your password. And never take your phone to an unauthorized dealer.

The shop owner jail-breaks the phone and side-loads the spying software which allows him to see her through her phone's camera and mirrors her phone screen onto one of his phones. He watches her every move and records all her calls.

The acting is great, however, the script is disappointing in the 2nd half. Particularly the dialog between the two police officers is ridiculous. The way they handle the case is so unlikely, unreasonable, and plain stupid that their actions cause irreparable harm to the plot. It literally drops icy cold water on the face and disconnects the viewer from the story.

The plot had so much to offer. If the police handling of the case would have not been written so dumb, the film could have been much more enjoyable.

Don't lose your smartphone

[dseemalhar · 6/10 · 19 February 2023]

It's a cybercrime thriller based on book.

Premise is promising, antagonist is quite eerie but then film didn't explore much and didn't offer more promising thrills after a point.

It's a cautionary tale, rather ominous film which tells possible dangers if you lose your smartphone. It tells how easily any smart psychopath can use your smartphone and ruin your life.

Performances are good specially Si-wan, (he is playing back to back as creepy antagonist), became his forte. His character became one dimensional.

In many Korean movies, cops are having low IQs, don't know why 😅

After a point, movie became bland than what I expected, it could have been better.

Scary Thought To Have Spyware On Your Phone

[PalmBeachG · 7/10 · 26 February 2023]

This is a departure of the type of Korean films I usually watch (Rom-Coms), but decided to watch it solely because of the main lead Siwan as I had a curiosity to see him act in a total opposite role of what I have seen him do in the past (nice-guy roles). I just finished watching him in Summer Strike. He did not disappoint in this switch to a scary bad murderous guy. There is a little too much violence for me in the film, especially at the end and I was watching it before bed and turned it off to finish it in the morning as it was scary. Finished it the next day and the ending was different than I expected.

(5.5 Stars) Decent But Lacking Something Special

[Foutainoflife · 6/10 · 26 February 2023]

Storyline 1: Girl loses her phone. Weirdo finds phone, installs spyware and proceeds to destroy girl's life.

Storyline 2: A body has been found on a mountaintop. Detective thinks his runaway son might be involved. With a bit more investigating, more bodies are found. Yep. We've got a serial killer.

IMO, South Korea has found a niche in producing quality thrillers. With films like Oldboy (2003), I Saw the Devil (2010), Blood and Ties (2013) and The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil (2019), there's a nice collection of films that can keep you on the edge of your seat. Each has a special something that pushes it into an above average watch. It could be the actors portraying their characters, the story itself or the way the film progresses but each film has a little something extra that makes you lean back after watching it and say, "That was good." While I didn't have that moment at the end of this, it was still a decent watch.

The story is somewhat cliché and predictable. It was lacking a true sense of drama and thrill. The actors delivered good performances but they all failed to reach above and beyond. The stand out, for me, would have to be our weirdo. There's something about the smug, arrogant narcissist that gets under my skin and keeps me hooked simply because I want to see this guy get what's coming to him. That's what really kept me interested.

It fails to be driven by a sense of vengeance like what is seen in I Saw the Devil (2010), the urgent thrill of something like The Chaser (2008) or the strategy and action one finds in The Divine Move (2014) but it is an okay watch for a weeknight on the couch. If that's what you are looking for, check it out.

The final act messes things up!

[SoumikBanerjee1996 · 6/10 · 14 March 2023]

Even if this is a work of fiction, the things and the messages it sought to convey here show just a small portion of the terrifying reality we cannot afford to overlook!

This movie tries to educate us about that issue while presenting a relatable piece of narrative that could happen to anyone, which is the most frightening aspect of the film. In todays modern world of digital dependency, we prevalently underestimate the factor of anonymity and that could bring a slew of problems. One mistake can bring inconceivable repercussions.

Now, merely evaluating it from a cinematic point of view, it was just passable; neither great nor horrible! The first two acts are excellent because they happen to construct a tense, suspenseful buildup, but when the third act gets underway, everything falls apart. I'm not certain as to what exactly went wrong, but they were just not able to maintain the momentum or the true essence of the tale.

A solid thriller.

[Vivekmaru45 · 6/10 · 26 February 2023]

The concept of this film is derived from the fact that what if someone had unlimited use of your smartphone and how much damage he could do to your life.

The movie is about an elusive serial killer who has a habit of stealing the smartphone of his chosen victim and stalking them and finally terminating them.

The film shows digital crime in this modern digital era. The plot concerns a young and enterprising woman who has a great ambition to succeed in life. However when her smartphone is stolen and her identity manipulated by the thief, slowly her life turns into a living nightmare.

Thrown into the mix is a veteran cop who is desperately searching for his missing son. The lives of these two individuals will be slowly entwined into a dramatic climax.

Verdict: I've seen many good Korean films in my life: I Saw The Devil(2010) and The Man From Nowhere(2010) being prime examples of how good the Korean film industry is. This film is excellent from start to finish, you will never feel bored. However the movie is not meant for repeated viewing unlike the two movies I mentioned earlier. You'll watch this film once and never care to see it again.

a very nice...

[ops-52535 · 8/10 · 1 March 2023]

South korean thrillerdrama, telling you a bonecollector like fairytail, with a whole lot of realistic vibes on our digital livelyhood, and complete trust on the digital devices that has become a mustve just to survive in our new brave world, a film about how lost and found can turn a life into 1000 pieces, because the relentless truth of today is that youre digitized whether youd like it or not, and when youre registered its easy to collect data on you, just like apharteid and stasi did back then, and a virus , malware or spyware can and might take over your true self...

a bit longdrawn this opportunistic story is, and if youre a western, have in mind that this is made for the south korean market, an audience that are far more digitized that most citizens of the western hemisphere. I felt the creeps all the way through, predictability was hard to make, and the musical score that enhances the drama, so a recommend from the grumpy old man.

The show is okay, but lack of a good motive

[hongdelin · 7/10 · 16 April 2023]

I think the movie is good, quite unique and goes well with modern day technology which can come true in the reality as well.

However little is explained of the bad character's motive in doing all that. It would be good if the show explained his reason for doing all that. Without this motive, it somehows make the show incomplete. You cannot totally hate him, nor empathize with him.

Overall despite being a 2 hour show, i didnt really felt it was that draggy, so it was pretty good. Good pace.

Additional positive note, the actress is really cute and pretty........and i like her. Cheers :DDDDDDDDD.

Slightly better than your average Netflix thriller! [+53%]

[arungeorge13 · 5/10 · 17 February 2023]

While Unlocked is a tad better than the wannabe thrillers Netflix keeps dumping onto us, I felt some of its thriller potential fizzled out in its last act. There are two stories at play: one is that of a psychopath stalker out to destroy a young woman's life (for the heck of it) by having access to her smartphone; the other is of a cop investigating a serial killer, who he suspects, might be his runaway son. At 1h 57m, the film's storytelling hooks do their job of engaging us, accompanied by solid performances from Woo-hee Chun and Si-wan Yim.

The idea of an identity-stealing stalker-killer picking his victims by slyly accessing their smartphones is terrifying. Though the plot moves along in a rather predictable way, with the perpetrator systematically destroying the protagonist's life exactly how we anticipate, the film never falls short on fundamental thrills. Will the protagonist gain the upper hand? Will the criminal be caught? Do both stories eventually converge? These questions get answered in an okayish (and gory) finale, but the developments until then are pretty compelling.

Excellent movie!!!!!!!

[ogilkar · 10/10 · 22 February 2023]

"Unlocked" is an intense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. The movie's fast-paced will keep you engaged throughout, with plenty of twists and turns.

One of the standout elements of "Unlocked" is its direction. The film's pacing is also expertly crafted, with the tension steadily building throughout the film until it reaches a stunning climax.

The cast of "Unlocked" is also excellent, delivering a compelling performance.

Overall, "Unlocked" is a wonderful movie that I highly recommend. The direction is top-notch, the acting is superb, and the plot is thrilling and engaging. If you're a fan of thriller movies, this one is definitely worth a watch.

a realistic thriller movie

[LetsReviewThat26 · 6/10 · 28 February 2023]

This was quite a realistic movie in the way it is set up and yet again another great korean film, in this movie woo-hee chun plays lee na mi. A young girl that leaves her phone on a bus and gets it stollen. She does get it back but little does lee know that something has been added to it and now everyone of her moves is being monitered . At the same time the cops are investiagiting a body found in the woods. The villian of this movie is oh jun yeong. He is played by.si-wan yim and plays the role well and is very effective at being creepy. This movie is structured well throughout and I like the buildup that actually has a satisfying ending. Overall a pretty good movie.

Watchable but...

[jamesshi99 · 5/10 · 17 February 2023]

Acting was fine overall, but something is missing overall. The plot at least made sense, but highly predictable. Sorry but nothing there to thrill anyone. I recommend this movie if you are a big fan of any actor/actress in this movie. Or the Korean movies excite you so much that you are willing to waste several hours one night.

"Don't lose your mobile phone!" This message was loud and clear, and this movie shows how much our daily lives are tied to it. Our love hate relationship with the mobile phone is here to stay, so let's handle it with care at all times. Or else someone will come after you and people who cares about you.

It was okay, just a little exaggerated.

[kmhlbeavis · 6/10 · 26 February 2023]

The beginning was kind of weird. You have images of someone playing video games and doing stuff on the phone. Then that's when the main lead female comes out. She works at her dads business. She later uses her phone and then someone calls her to say they found it and it's at a cellphone repair shop and that they would pick up the bill. That's the first red flag. The obvious one is when the repair person asks for the password. That's really exaggerated and false. You don't need a password to replace a screen or even repair the phone. I had my screen replaced and never was I asked for my password. Later on she trusts the stranger more than her friend. Then the police get involve and one of the cops realizes that it may be his son. Since the wife knew that he had worked in cellphone repair. He had a chance to stop him but didn't , which brings us to the end of the movie. The father of the girl almost dies because of the cop and then later the girl shoots the guy to death since the father didn't have the backbone to do it. It later cuts to a seen where they are taken in an ambulance for treatment, but nothing was ever told of what happened later making this a really lousy ending. It's okay to watch because you would only lose 2 hours of your time .

Painfully annoying, unsatisfying, watchable.

[genetic_malfunction · 6/10 · 16 April 2023]

The title is its goal. I believe that I was supposed to get mad at the incompetence of positive characters and feel like i could be playing one of their roles someday. Unfortunately while I did ger mad at them, rarely did I feel that the situation would've turned out this way.

Reasonably the characters would be more forceful and proactive as to resolve the situation rather than prolong it and one having an established strong will and hot head shouldn't really bow down and submit, in my most humble opinion. The movie masterfully dodges exploring themes of family or police procedurals in favor of dully speculating on surveillance by third parties like the official software don't do it already.

The villain just came off as a dork with no control over his own elaborate schemes operating on luck and spewing jigsaw style messages with even less substance. AND he doesn't even get what he deserves. Disappointing, but visually nice.

[6.6] Spywares and KR revolvers - A simple guide!

[cjonesas · 7/10 · 23 April 2023]

An average intelligent movie showcasing naivety, trust, "friendship", sociopathic behavior and of course "unlimited" leaning and overuse of information and communication technologies such as the Net and smartphones.

The story is mildly intelligently told, the acting by the protagonist, cast and to a further degree the antagonist (are) believable and scary.

The storyline gets confused on the way and in the middle forward, lacks impactful events, is not super believable for the characters and involved detectives alike, is needlessly and un-credibly somehow violent toward the end and the ending itself lacks logical continuity and explanation as to the protagonist "desperate" action and the antagonist outcome. The serial-killing sub-plot is not well explored and gets diluted in the main spyware and cell phone control story.

Also, a little too much screen showing various related and unrelated social media messages in Korean (of course) that put an additional strain on the viewer's subtitle reading skills!

The movie overall is not bad, is a truly important production for Net "addicted" people out there, most of them very young, hopefully understanding the message, to try to rely a little less on their cells and #$^! Social media imbroglio and try to start a healthier lifestyle in the near future, if possible!

Though I'm pretty sure that they won't change their way of life and their constant (?-body position and pose) leaning on their cell phones is by itself very scary, let alone the misfits that they may encounter while using them.

• Screenplay/story: 6.5
• Development: 7.5
• Realism: 7
• Entertainment: 6.5
• Acting: 7
• Filming/cinematography: 7.5
• VFX: 8
• Music/score: 6.5
• Depth: 6.5
• Logic: 5.5
• Flow: 6.5

-Crime/drama/mystery/thriller: 6.5

• Ending: 5.

Opinion

[wrdcwrdc · 6/10 · 25 February 2023]

K

The movie is nice .. and it need a little self guidance for what we are born for cause other wise it will lead to such diesasters

Also I was lost with the true killer as that picture in his back it showed some guy drown in water .. who is this guy ?? Is he the real son of this officer ?? And that last fact when they said the killer is not registered in the systems .. does it mean he is not the real officer son ?? Or does it mean he is the real son and he facked the doucuments ??

S

The strange thing is when they checked joe first time he just told them im not him and give me your ID to know the urespectful police who threaten a civilians with their guns !!... and as simple as that they just believed him and didnt request any form of approval or getting him to the nearset police offecier .. i know they are busy with hunting the true killer .. but doest mean to just let him go .. at least lock him in the car and come back to him later !!

Simple and a really good movie

[weamKYF · 8/10 · 25 February 2023]

: I enjoyed watching this movie.. it really has very talented actors.. Korea always gives us the best emotions when it comes to thriller and mystery films..

i have to say that the main actor is very good.. but i felt after the end of the movie that i wanted to see more of his acting.. and more explanation why his character act like this.

Overall.. the movies deserves your time although in few scenes you found yourself shouting to the cops there :)

I appreciate any effort in this field, i do like the movie overall, few scenes were fast as if we need more explanations.

At least we need a hint, why the bad guy is like that.

Thank you anyway. I love this movie.

Some unusual twists and a warning about modern technology

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 29 April 2023]

This very current modern day thriller does make you think twice about how much your cell phone is being used and what dangers there are. Identity theft is a part of it too. How can we protect ourselves when there are so many changes so often?

There is an unusual aspect about the cop being the father or not.

Im Si wan with his angelic face has been playing villains well recently so much he even got an award for Emergency Declaration. Don't quite get the motivation for his evil deeds. So the ending felt a bit lacking. Usually there is some background for the killer in K movies.

Watch it. It's a good thriller for today's technology dependent people.

This Movie Tried Too Hard

[susieagroup · 4/10 · 9 June 2023]

I initially liked the concept of this movie and was excited to watch. I was looking forward to something that everyone could relate to since technology is a part of all of our lives. After the first half hour I quickly realized that this was going to be a let down. This movie complicated itself and went on longer than it needed to. I found myself looking at the clock waiting for it to get to the point. At times it felt like there were two stories going on. I think if the storyline would have been kept neater this could have been a real jem of a movie. The movie ran a little long trying to make itself bigger and better but i think it failed.

A Suspenseful Ride Full of Twists and Turns

[Monmoncho · 8/10 · 16 March 2023]

Unlocked is a captivating film that falls under the crime and drama genre. The plot revolves around a serial killer who preys on victims by gaining access to their phones. The main character, a young actress, becomes a target of this killer after misplacing her phone and subsequently disclosing her password to the killer. The killer's strategy involves installing spy software and cameras on the phone, giving him full access to the victim's movements, data, and control of the phone. With this access, the killer causes chaos on the actress's life, destroying her career, relationships, and family, ultimately leading to his plan to kill her.

The film's main characters are Im Si-Wan and Chun Woo-Hee, who deliver outstanding performances, making it a must-watch movie. The cast's acting skills are crucial to the movie's success, as they bring the storyline to life, making it more compelling.

Watching this film provides viewers with valuable insights into the importance of safeguarding personal information, especially passwords. Our phones contain significant amounts of personal data, making it critical to keep them safe and secure. Losing a phone to a malicious person can have destructive consequences, as illustrated in the movie.

Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to the security of our mobile devices. While the film provides an excellent representation of cyber crime, it can be quite terrifying, especially for children. Parents should exercise caution when allowing children to watch the movie, as it can lead to unintended consequences. Children might perceive the killer as smart and want to emulate him, leading to potential harm. While the movie is informative, it could benefit from additional thriller and drama scenes, as some parts are predictable. Nonetheless, it delivers valuable lessons on cybersecurity and the importance of protecting personal information, making it a must-watch film.

Shame about the heroine...

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 19 March 2023]

After watching this film I'm beginning to think that Koreans are even more obsessed with their smartphones than us in the west! The backdrop works as a satire of technology-obsessed society, in which every aspect of one's life is controlled by that little gadget which seemingly never leaves the hand. The rest is a reworking of the usual psycho-thriller genre, with plenty of familiar tropes. It starts out fairly innocuous and with maybe only a mild case of stalking, before gradually moving into darker territory as the story goes on. It's no THE CHASER, but it's watchable in its own right although the ending is too drawn out. It doesn't help that the heroine is so unrelentingly stupid which makes it very hard to really root for her.

Unrealistic plot and dumb characters

[edgarhg-67223 · 2/10 · 20 March 2023]

Many of characters choices and actions very unrealistic and quite stupid. If any of the characters acted with any common sense, most of the bad things that happen in the movie could have been preventable.

1) The woman that loses her phone goes to repair shop in an abandoned building and then gives her password to the person who's gonna repair her phone without a second thought.

2) The cops are super irresponsible and incredibly dumb. They also could've stopped the killer when he goes to visit main character's house, but don't even bother to question him because he isn't the original suspect.

The danger of spreading you life on the net.

[deloudelouvain · 8/10 · 28 February 2024]

South-Korean cinema, still one of my favourites since awhile now. They just manage to release some really good movies, unlike their neighbouring countries that rarely bring us decent movies. No overacting with the South-Koreans which is quite rare with Asian actors. Writer/director Kim Tae-joon had the good idea making a crime/thriller about our usage of our smartphones, something a lot of people are just addicted to. You could not have made this movie a couple decades ago, as everybody would have seen it as a sci-fi but nowadays it looks pretty realistic. Certainly the youth that feel the need and urge to share their complete life with the rest of the world, until they will encounter an evil person like in this movie. Good acting, good storytelling with a bit of mystery, and good cinematography, definitely worth a watch.

bad just avoid

[salahadelali · 1/10 · 8 August 2023]

I am a big fan a Korean movies specially from the thrill and mysterious genre, so i stopped by this one, gave it a lot of chances to get anything out of it after 25 mins of nonsense story telling, so this maniac is committed to destroy young hard working Korean girls lives by hacking their phones then probably kill them next to a special tree, why really why The boy who plays the sociopath is very boring and has no future in acting, the other main character is played by a dull actress who have nothing to offer except being more boring than that other boy.

This movie is silly and ridiculous and above all very dull.