Unlocked (2023) Plot Summary and Ending Explained

Unlocked 2023 Plot Summary and Ending Explained
Unlocked (2023) Plot Summary and Ending Explained

“Unlocked” is a Korean movie that premiered on February 17, 2023. It falls under the thriller and crime genres and runs for 1 hour and 57 minutes. Chun Woo-hee takes on the main lead role, portraying Lee Na Mi. The movie was both written and directed by Kim Tae-joon. You can catch this film on Netflix and HiTV.

Plot Summary

In this Korean movie, the story centers around a character named Lee Na Mi, who loses her cellphone on a bus. The phone ends up in the wrong hands of Oh Jun Yeong, who initially appears innocent but is later revealed to be a psychopath. With the phone in his possession, he shatters her world. Although he returns the phone to her, he installs a hidden camera inside it to monitor her every move and activity on the phone. As the story progresses, it becomes evident that Oh Jun Yeong is linked to numerous murder cases. He eventually captures Lee Na Mi and her father, torturing the father while forcing Lee Na Mi to witness the horrifying scene. Fortunately, the investigation team arrives in the nick of time to save them both. In the end, Lee Na Mi shoots Oh Jun Yeong, bringing the ordeal to a close.

  • Lee Na Mi’s lost phone falls into the hands of Oh Jun Yeong, setting off a chain of events.
  • Oh Jun Yeong’s innocence fades, revealing his psychopathic nature and connection to numerous murders and identity thefts.
  • Lee Na Mi and her father are held captive by Oh Jun Yeong, but timely intervention from an investigation team prevents tragedy.

What does Oh Jun Yeong do after he gets Lee Na Mi’s phone?

Lee Na Mi falls asleep on the bus, and her phone slips from her grasp
Lee Na Mi falls asleep on the bus, and her phone slips from her grasp

Lee Na Mi falls asleep on the bus, and her phone slips from her grasp. In a hurry to get off at her stop, she leaves it behind unknowingly. The phone ends up in the possession of Oh Jun Yeong, a tech-savvy individual. He doesn’t just hold onto the phone; he delves into its contents, trying to get through the phone.

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Lee Na Mi receives a call from a girl claiming to have found the phone
Lee Na Mi receives a call from a girl claiming to have found the phone

When a call comes in from Lee Na Mi’s friend, Oh Jun Yeong answers using an AI with a female voice instead of speaking himself. Later, the phone is returned to Lee Na Mi, but not directly by Oh Jun Yeong. Instead, she receives a call at her workplace from a girl claiming to have found the phone and arranged for its repair. Lee Na Mi goes to collect it and finds it damaged. There, she encounters a masked man who turns out to be Oh Jun Yeong.

Lee Na Mi goes for repair and provides the phone's password in writing
Lee Na Mi goes for repair and provides the phone’s password in writing

To facilitate the repair, Lee Na Mi provides the phone’s password in writing. Oh Jun Yeong repairs the phone and returns it to her, seemingly as good as new. However, unbeknownst to her, he has installed a hidden camera inside the phone, allowing him to monitor her activities and even capture her face through the camera that is shown on his phone.

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A scene from 'Unlocked' where Oh Jun Yeong installs a hidden camera in Lee Na Mi's phone
A scene from ‘Unlocked’ where Oh Jun Yeong installs a hidden camera in Lee Na Mi’s phone

What is revealed about Oh Jun Yeong’s character as the story progresses?

As the story goes on, we see that Oh Jun-Yeong is very scary and seems to have a mental problem. He’s really smart and good at tricking people, like when he tricks Lee Na-Mi into giving him her phone. Later, Lee Na Mi-an’s dad starts to suspect him, so Jun-Yeong ties him up. It turns out Jun-Yeong has fixed lots of phones, which makes people think he’s done bad things to many people.

Unlocked movie scene where Detective Woo Ji-Man talks to Jun-Yeong, and Jun-Yeong just smiles creepily
Unlocked movie scene where Detective Woo Ji-Man talks to Jun-Yeong, and Jun-Yeong just smiles creepily

The scariest part is when Detective Woo Ji-Man talks to Jun-Yeong, and Jun-Yeong just smiles creepily like nothing’s wrong. Even after Na-Mi gets a new phone, Jun-Yeong still finds her and sends her creepy messages. Na-Mi feels like she’s being followed, so she runs away, accidentally recording a scary moment where Jun-Yeong’s creepy smile is caught on audio.

Jun-Yeong seems really messed up in the head, not scared of anything, and seems to enjoy making others suffer. He’s dangerous and acts like a fearless psycho.

Why does Detective Woo Ji-Man become deeply involved in the case involving Lee Na Mi and Oh Jun Yeong?

The scene where Oh Jun Yeong pretends to be Detective Woo Ji-Man's son
The scene where Oh Jun Yeong pretends to be Detective Woo Ji-Man’s son

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Detective Woo Ji-Man becomes deeply embroiled in the case involving Lee Na Mi and Oh Jun Yeong because all murder cases point to his son as the perpetrator. We are also confronted with a scene where the mother and son are in contact. However, delving deeper, we discover that Oh Jun Yeong is pretending to be the son, as the real son was Oh Jun Yeong’s first victim. Due to the strained relationship between father and son, the father remained unaware of his son’s whereabouts. Ultimately, the truth is unveiled: the son is deceased, and the mother, who believed she was in contact with him, was actually communicating with Oh Jun Yeong. This revelation occurs when the father discovers his son’s phone and finds a wallpaper depicting the son on water, evoking deep emotions of sorrow and lamentation.

How does the story conclude, and what role does Lee Na Mi play in ending the ordeal with Oh Jun Yeong?

A still image from movie 'Unlocked' where Oh Jun Yeong submerges Lee Na-Mi and her father in a bathtub
A still image from movie ‘Unlocked’ where Oh Jun Yeong submerges Lee Na-Mi and her father in a bathtub

Lee Na-Mi, along with her father, is captured by Oh Jun-Yeong and confined inside the bathroom, both bound and submerged. The detective arrives at the right moment and rescues them both. Lee Na-Mi regains consciousness quickly, but her father, remaining submerged for a longer period, struggles to regain consciousness. With the detective urging him to breathe, it seems unlikely he will survive. As the bathroom door opens, Lee Na-Mi, lying on the floor, overhears Oh Jun-Yeong attempting to negotiate with Detective Woo Ji-Man while the latter angrily holds him at gunpoint. This fills Lee Na-Mi with fury. She strides over to them, wrests the gun from Detective Woo Ji-Man’s hand, and shoots Oh Jun-Yeong. Subsequently, she hears her father’s voice calling out to her. In shock, she turns around, rushes towards him, and embraces him, shedding tears as she cries aloud.

Does Unlocked conclude with a happy ending?

The Korean movie indeed concludes on a happy note, intertwined with an open-book conclusion regarding the perpetrator. Lee Na Mi and her father are rescued from drowning by Lee Na Mi herself, who then shoots the perpetrator, Oh Jun Yeong. Detective Woo Ji-Man uncovers the truth about his son. However, there remains uncertainty about the fate of the perpetrator, as he has yet to awaken. A cautionary lesson about the dangers of such circumstances is imparted. The movie ends with a text message being sent to another person regarding finding Kirke’s coffee shop, where Lee Na Mi works, prompting a response requesting a picture, leaving viewers in suspense once again and indicating a probable Unlocked part 2.