Summary
Revelations weaves a dark, twisted tale of faith and trauma, with standout character depth from Yeon Sang-ho that grips and unnerves in equal measure.
If you were to summarize the Korean crime film Revelations, you’d come to the consensus that the story is about testing one’s moral framework, with each character harboring different characteristics. Of course, there’s more to the story, which is dark and twisted in a pronounced way.
The story delves into the psychological depths of its characters, particularly Paster Sung Min-chan (played by Ryu Jun-yeol, as seen in Believer), a devout believer in divine revelation, and police detective Lee Yeon-hui (played by Shin Hyun-been), haunted by visions of a serial rapist case. Their pursuit of a mission person exposes their inner demons.
However, the story is far from straightforward. Revelations open with a young girl, Shin A-yeong, being followed to church by a strange-looking man, Kwon Yang-rae (played by Shin Min-Jae), an ex-prisoner on parole for serial rape.
However, the story about the criminal feels less important than how he connects the characters with a vested interest in him. Once Shin A-yeong is announced missing, acts 1 and 2 of the film set a series of events when the characters’ psyche starts to unravel in a toxifying and intriguing way.
For example, the pastor is struggling with a personal toll in the opening act; he has a private investigator looking into his wife’s affair (who is also a follower of Christianity), and there’s an opportunity for him to lead a brand new shiny church down the road, which he wants to be the pastor for.
Intrinsically, his faith is compounded by personal shortfalls in his life. He’s become consumed by reading into symbolism and self-inflicted by his belief in God’s intervention and the pain that comes with sins.
A good man slowly unravels into something more. That’s the story. Sung Min-chan is the villain origin narrative that made Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight so compelling. It provides the same vibe here.
And as for the detective, Lee Yeon-hui, her mind is terrorized by visions of her sister. She’s unable to let go of the past, and seeing Kwon Yang-rae on the streets, free, has inflamed a dark past in her life that she’s unable to let go of.
Ridding one’s demons is hardly a unique concept in film, but Revelations does it well. It lays the theme thick, to be honest. I expected that with the run time (2 hours), but it’s far from a dull experience. Credit goes to the director, Yeon Sang-ho, and their writing partner, Kyu-seok Choi, for paving the way for robust character development that works well even with many moving parts.
As the story progresses into a missing person case and a pivotal plot twist in the second act, the characters navigate through murky waters. The film deliberately avoids the traditional hero-villain dichotomy, presenting a narrative that challenges the audience’s perceptions and keeps them engaged.
There’s a perception that is welded differently in different people. I’m not saying Revelations is the benchmark for moral framework building, but it’s undoubtedly a Korean film that gives an edge to look into the psyche of the human condition. This is with the application of including religious imagery and deep trauma.
If Revelations failed to balance the themes, this film would have been a disaster. It just so happens that the writing is as crucial to this feature as the director’s vision.
