Revelations Review
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Date Created: 2025-03-22 00:21
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Revelations Review: This South Korean thriller, written and directed by Yeon Sang-ho, is based on the webtoon 계시록, by Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Gyu-seok. Starring Ryu Jun-yeol, Shin Hyun-been and Shin Min-jae, the film is a disturbing tale that examines religion, morality, and the fine line between faith and fanaticism. Best-known for his cerebral films such as Train to Busan and Hellbound, Sang-ho once again explores the caverns of human nature, delivering a narrative that’s equal parts creepy and engrossing.
Revelations Review
The film centres on Sung Min-chan (Ryu Jun-yeol), a pastor who wants more clout in his church. However, his life takes a most unhinged turn when he meets Kwon Yang-rae, a man with a sinister past. As she works to solve a kidnapping case, detective Lee Yeon-hui (Shin Hyun-been) finds things aren’t as straightforward as they appear. The unfolding story shows how people warp religion to serve themselves, how trauma moulds a person who would not otherwise be terrible, and how guilt can wreck lives.
What I really loved about Netflix’s Revelations was its multi-POV structure. Each of the characters in the story has his or her challenges. Min-chan is far from your everyday villain — he’s convinced that he’s being divinely directed. But is it really divine, or is he just rationalising his deeds? Yang-rae, however, is terrifying because of what he has endured. Rather than heal his own pain, he inflicts it on others. And then there’s the detective, Yeon-hui, who is fighting her own demons while doing her job.
The movie is brilliant at showing the potential for religion as a means of both comfort and oppression. Makes you wonder: Are people truly following God, or are they simply doing whatever works for them and calling it “faith”? But the parts of the story that felt particularly true to me were these, as this is the kind of thing we can see happening in the real world.
Where Revelations really shine is in how it looks and feels. The movie is dark, and I don’t mean it as in the story. The lighting, the rain, the small cramped spaces, everything makes you feel like you’re on edge like something bad is about to happen. I love that Yeon Sang-ho can build tension without using loud jump scares or tacky action scenes. Instead, he slowly builds suspense, giving you a reason to be more and more alarmed as the story continues.
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There’s one scene that truly struck me. It’s a long, unbroken take of Min-chan, Yang-rae and Yeon-hui in confrontation. It feels so raw and visceral like you’re witnessing it unfold in real time. Scenes like this are why Yeon Sang-ho is such an amazing director — he is an expert in making the viewer feel every moment.
The Revelations cast is a spectacular one. Min-chan played by Ryu Jun-yeol is great. He does not play him as an evil man but as a man who genuinely thinks he is doing the right thing. That makes his own faults even scarier because he doesn’t see them. Shin Hyun-been as the detective is tough and determined, but you can also sense the burden she bears. She just adds so much depth to the movie. Yang-rae is played chillingly by Shin Min-jae. His prosaic, capricious disposition only makes him more terrifying than if he were just another loud, blood-fuelled nemesis.
If the acting here had been weak in any way, I truly don’t think this movie would have worked. The story is complex, and if the actors hadn’t been convincing, it would have unravelled. But thankfully, all the actors are so amazing that they make their character feel real.
As much as I liked Revelations movie, it’s not perfect, despite how much I enjoyed it. One of the biggest problems is how the story divulges information. Sometimes the audience knows something but the characters are dourly slow on the uptake. This slows some aspects down and renders some parts feel needless. For instance, Min-chan announces the location of an important event but we must then wait for the detective to gradually discover the same detail. That robs some of the tension from the film, though, because we already know more than the characters do.
The other problem is that some of the female characters could use some more depth. Yeon-hui is great; other women in the movie don’t receive adequate development. Considering that the film is already tackling power and faith, it would have been interesting to get more perspectives from them.
Summing Up
Despite some niggles, Revelations is a compelling watch and, one that I thoroughly enjoyed and would; definitely recommend. It’s not only the kind of film that entertains but also makes you think about real-life issues. The storytelling by Yeon Sang-ho paired with strong performances, makes for a movie that is unsettling, provocative and visually arresting. Although not as refined as some of his earlier works, this one does a good job of making a raucous and disturbing statement about the power of blind faith and unchecked authority.
Korean movie Revelations is now streaming on Netflix.
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