🎬 Revelations (2025) Review – Yeon Sang-ho’s Netflix Thriller Fails to Connect
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Cast: Ryu Jun-yeol, Shin Hyun-been, Shin Min-jae
Platform: Netflix (released March 21, 2025)
Runtime: 122 minutes
Studio: Wow Point, Esperanto Filmoj
Distributor: Netflix
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🌟 Introduction
Revelations marks director Yeon Sang-ho’s return to Netflix, this time with a dark and atmospheric mystery thriller based on his own webtoon. Produced by Alfonso Cuarón, expectations were high. Despite its stylistic strengths, critics and audiences describe it as emotionally brittle and narratively erratic .
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🧩 Plot & Premise
The film follows Detective Lee (Ryu Jun-yeol) and psychologist Kang (Shin Hyun-been) as they investigate a baffling criminal conspiracy connected to a rare religious sect. As leads grow cold and bodies pile up, buried secrets surface—yet the screenplay often loses coherence in the process .
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🎥 Visuals & Atmosphere
Visually, Revelations impresses. The cinematography paints a moody, claustrophobic world reminiscent of Korean noir—with dimly lit alleys, mist-shrouded streets, and ominous interiors. This stylistic palette reflects Yeon’s signature aesthetic.
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🎭 Performances
Ryu Jun-yeol delivers steady and compelling detective work, but struggles to elevate thin character arcs .
Shin Hyun-been adds gravitas and emotional nuance, even as the script undercuts her character’s potential .
Shin Min-jae provides solid support, though secondary performances cannot fully salvage narrative issues.
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⚠️ Narrative Challenges
Critics note Revelations is disjointed and emotionally flat, with pacing that stumbles through critical streets .
James Marsh at South China Morning Post rated it 2/5, citing lack of cohesion .
Other reviews highlighted plot inconsistencies and weak resolution, calling it “disappointing” .
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