Review | Netflix movie review: Unlocked – Korean serial killer thriller starring Chun Woo-hee and Im Si-wan is painfully uninspired
- This Netflix film about a serial killer and his target fails to tick any boxes. The screenplay offers no insights and relies on a barrage of clichés
- It stars Chun Woo-hee and Im Si-wan, whose are both promising actors, but the narrative offers no chances for them to show their skills
1/5 stars
Few things in life are more frustrating than losing your phone, but Kim Tae-joon’s insipid new thriller Unlocked comes painfully close.
Tired, uninspired, and utterly devoid of thrills, the film stars Chun Woo-hee (Han Gong-ju), whose character becomes the target of an emotionally detached serial killer, played by Im Si-wan, after he gains access to her smartphone.
Unlocked struggles to articulate any kind of meaningful commentary on society’s over-reliance on handheld technology and misplaced faith in the security of the digital realm, offers no fresh insights or keen observations on the phenomenon, and falls back on a barrage of tedious clichés.
Perhaps most frustrating is that Chun and Im are among the most promising young actors of their generation, capable of delivering authentic, layered and absorbing performances when working with decent material.