We discuss the ending of the South Korean Netflix film Jung_E, which will contain spoilers.
The science fiction film Jung_E takes place in 2194. The title refers to a project cloning a fierce warrior (Kim Hyun-joo), the former leader of Allied Forces, who takes on a robot race hellbent on destroying human existence. But hell, can you blame the pissed-off version of Wall-E? That is because Earth is now closing in on the 22nd century when humans have to live in shelters. After all, the world has become uninhabitable because of record-setting climate changes. Jung_E is a renowned mercenary. However, like most heroes, her legend has grown because she lost her life in battle. To continue her good work, after her death, the government signs a deal with her family to clone her. Why? As a way to win the civil war. The AI can be cloned and mass-produced as soon as Jung_E can get past the simulation.
With the world now forced to live sheltered from the searing sun and sudden weather changes, an internal battle wages as scientists work tirelessly to turn the warrior into Jung_E. This would be a scalable robot that can be multiplied. One of them working on Jung_E is Yoon (Kang Soo-yeon), who was only a small child when her mother was killed. By her grandmother signing over Yoon’s mother’s rights, she signs over her brain for cloning and her image and likeness. We later learn Yoon has terminal cancer. The doctor recommends she sign papers and pay for cloning her brain into an artificial body. The government has three options: Type A, B, and C. The lower you go on the alphabet, the cheaper the transition, but the fewer rights the human has.
Jung_E Ending Explained – Will Jung_E be able to complete the simulation?
The Jung_E project is taking place at Kronoid, a lab trying to perfect the military weapon. Sang-hoon runs the lab, a toxic boss put in charge by the esteemed director. He puts Yoon’s mother through a continuous loop of Groundhog Day torturous experiments hoping to inflict pain, so this can map and clone her brain to produce a squadron of well-trained killers. When the team, led by Sang-hoon, is called to the director’s office, we are shocked to discover that Sang-hoon is also a robot clone! And Yoon is also in on the secret. The director tells Yoon that the project is coming to an end. The war is now over, and there is no use for Jung_E in the future.
Yoon is now going through some existential crisis and can no longer watch her mother being tortured over and over. However, she soon discovers that her mother is Type C since the government will no longer use her to fight a war. They are now using her to be cloned for “companionship” purposes and market them as a likeness to sell for POP Dolls, monetizing her mother and dehumanizing her simultaneously.
Will Jung_E be able to complete the simulation? No, because Yoon brings a horrific simulation to an end before Sang-hoon pushes them forward anymore. The director calls him up, and she clears the lab. Yoon tells Jung_E the truth about who she is. Her daughter is now safe and then deletes all data from Kronoid databases. She prevented her mother from being the next hot holiday gift (or a very life-like sex toy). Yoon then attempts a prison break, pretending Jung_E has been shot in the head and transferring her mother’s brain into a prototype, generic clone. Soon, Sang-hoon returns, chases after them, and onto the train (to Busan?). He is killed, but not before wounding Yoon, which will most certainly lead to her immediate death. She begs the clone to leave her, so her mother can escape.
The former captain does, looks back, and then into a world of immense possibilities.
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