Revelations – The Criminal Died Accidentally But …

“Revelations” is a 2025 Korean drama movie, categorized as Crime, Thriller, and Suspense; based on a webtoon of the same name and streaming on Netflix.

SUMMARY: A detective in the violent crimes unit follows a rapist around after he is released from prison hoping to prevent him from committing another crime. His first victim was her sister. The minister of a small congregation had a brief encounter with the rapist when he came into one of the assemblies because he followed a young girl into the building. Later, the minister started believing he was being given divine orders to punish evildoers, so murdering the rapist is a righteous act.

♦ Involuntary Manslaughter or a Divine Order?

In “Revelations”, Sung Min-Chan has been serving as a minister of a small congregation. He grew suspicious of his wife and hired a private investigator. The investigator confirmed his suspicions that his wife was having an adulterous relationship with another man. The betrayal was painful, but he hoped she would confess. Maybe he could salvage their marriage since they had a young child.

One day his wife told him she was attending an event, and he needed to pick up their child from the daycare center. But before that, they were driving about town and noticed that a new church building was being erected. She told her husband to talk to the head minister to see if he could get a better position working there instead of at the small congregation. He did speak to the head minister but their conversation was unfruitful. The head minister did not indicate that he would even consider Sung Min-Chan. When he left the meeting, he was very disheartened and had forgotten that he was supposed to pick up their child.

His wife called him on the phone, and she was in a panic. The school officials said their child left with a man. Sung Min-Chan also panicked when he saw the rapist come out of his place and put a shovel in the back of his car. His imagination ran wild. He immediately suspected the rapist had kidnapped his child and was going somewhere to bury the body. He tried to call the police, but his phone battery died. So he followed him in his own car.

The rapist knew he was being followed so he drove to a dark woodsy secluded area off the road. He and Sung Min-Chan got into a fight and the rapist fell down a hill and hit his head against a rock. Sung Min-Chan thought he had killed him. Oh no! Where is his child? His wife called again to tell him that their child had gone home with a friend. It was the friend’s father who had picked them up from school. No worries. Their child is safe.

No worries??? This was too much to bear. First, his wife’s betrayal. Then, the disappointment of no opportunity to get a better ministerial position. And because of his wife’s frantic phone call saying she would blame him if anything happened to their child, he accidentally killed someone! No worries??? Is God punishing him? All of a sudden, he thought he had a vision.

For sure, he saw the face of Jesus on a mountainside. Maybe the death of the rapist is a divine punishment. Yes! Yes! That’s it! God wants him to punish evildoers like that rapist. To be doubly certain the man was dead, he kicked his body over a small cliff and left his car on that secluded road. He noticed that the rapist had removed his ankle monitor bracelet. It might take the police a little time to find him.

♦ A Young Girl is Missing

Lee Yeon-Hui has been assigned to the violent crimes unit. She knows the rapist was released and has both professional and personal reasons for monitoring him closely. His first victim was her sister and she wants to prevent another rape. A young girl has been reported missing. Lee Yeon-Hui is convinced that the rapist abducted her. However, the rapist had removed his ankle monitor bracelet and the team is out searching for him everywhere. If they can find him, they might be able to save the girl.

The missing girl was a member of the small congregation where Sung Min-Chan served as minister. Her mother had gone there to ask for prayers and got a phone call saying her daughter may have been found. The message is misleading. The daughter had not been found. The car that belonged to the rapist had been found. Since the vehicle was abandoned the police were searching the area for both the rapist and the girl.

The parents of the missing girl had gone to the potential crime scene, hoping they would find their daughter. Sung Min-Chan came with them because he is their trusted minister. The search was unfruitful, and Sung Min-Chan was perplexed. He didn’t expect them to find the girl. But why didn’t they find the body of the rapist? Did he survive?

Sung Min-Chan asked if the police were positive that there was no body. Lee Yeon-Hui immediately began to suspect him. He acted like he expected a dead body to be found. WHY?

Main Characters:

• Sung Min-Chan (played by Ryu Jun-Yeol, “The 8 Show”, “The Night Owl”, “Alienoid 1 and 2”, “Believer”)
• Lee Yeon-Hui (played by Shin Hyun-Bin, “Reborn Rich”, “Cinderella at 2 AM”, “Beasts Clawing At Straws”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 6 of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.3 out of 10 stars
• Letterboxd: 2.5 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as My Drama List.

“Revelations” is a good movie to watch for a change of pace. Being a loyal Netflix subscriber, I was excited about K-dramas for 2025. So far this year, I have only watched and reviewed three Korean romance dramas and one medical drama: “Potato Lab”, “Melo Movie”, “When the Stars Gossip”, and “The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call”. This crime thriller broke up the monotony.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Revelations: Cast, Release Date, Photos, Trailer, Plot of New Ryu Jun-yeol Movie. | Netflix Tudum

Revelations Review – A Haunting Tale of Faith, Guilt, and Vengeance from Yeon Sang-ho | What’s on Netflix

New Korean Thriller With 69% Rotten Tomatoes Score Becomes Netflix Global Hit | ScreenRant

‘Revelations’ Review: Yeon Sang-ho’s Glossy Religious Netflix Thriller | Indie Wire

‘Revelations’ Review: Ryu Jun Yeol Outperforms As Murderous Pastor in Netflix Crime Thriller | My Music Taste

TRAILER/TEASER:

Netflix K-Content. “Revelations.” YouTube, 23 Feb. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLtK2ilJaJ4.

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