
Wall to Wall (2025) Movie Review – A confusing thriller that leads nowhere
Kang Ha-neul may have been typecast as the bumbling buffoon in his K-dramas but if you want range, his movies never fail. From comedies to thrillers, he can do it all and has the presence for one-man narratives as well. And whether it is his recent movie, Streaming or the jaw-dropping Forgotten, Ha-neul's thrillers are pretty underrated. But does his Netflix movie, Wall to Wall add another feather to his cap?
Helmed by Kim Tae-joon, who is known for his iconic Netflix thriller, Unlocked, Wall to Wall has all the makings of an adrenaline-filled, gritty mystery. Along with Kang Ha-neul, the cast includes familiar faces such as Seo Hyeon-woo, Yeom Hye-ran, Jeon Jin-oh, Park Sung-il and Kang Ae-sim.
Wall to Wall is said to be a psychological thriller, complete with mind games, twisted schemes and traitorous characters. Real estate rates are skyrocketing and Seoulites have to bend over backwards to even rent a place. Noh Woo-sung (played by Ha-neul) gets what he thinks is the deal of a lifetime, even though he has to take out a hefty loan to buy an apartment.
3 years later, he is unable to pay his bills and his neighbours are making his life miserable. He is what they call 'house poor' as he now owns an apartment but cannot afford anything else. The rates are going down and he cannot sell it without going into a heavy loss.
One day, he is confronted by his downstairs neighbour who blames him for the constant noise coming from the unit above him. He decides to take matters into his own hands but for the life of him, he cannot find the source of the noise. Is he imagining things or is someone out to get him?
Wall to Wall starts off as a promising thriller. Every aspect contributes to the suspense from the eerie percussive music and the clinical lighting to the intentional tight close-ups and literally shady lighting. Each apartment unit has a different aesthetic to represent its resident but overall, there is something ghostly.
It is as if the building has come alive and seems inhospitable to its occupants. Like the conspiracy in the story, the very environment seems to conspire against Woo-sung. Even the most mundane act like Woo-sung gambling with crypto, adds a sense of thrill and keeps viewers on edge. The first act is basically a one-man show and Ha-neul keeps us hooked with his nervous and manic anti-hero. Right when things slow down, another plot twist shows up.
There are strange happenings like 1301 holding a blade to a mysterious figure supposedly breaking into Woo-sung's home. It is followed by a surreal montage which is bound to have viewers wondering what is real and what is Woo-sung's imagination. As the noise and the neighbours get to him, the movie becomes very clear in its message on how greedy and capitalistic society has become.
But the plot gets predictable and dull when the first clue to the culprits is revealed at the midway mark. It even gets a little righteous and convoluted during the climax, followed by a confusing and vague ending. The anti-capitalistic message holds but there is no big impact or payoff.
The cast does its best to pile onto the surrealism but the narrative doesn't trust viewers to follow its conclusion. Instead, Seo Hyeon-woo is forced to become the director's mouthpiece and explain everything that has been going on, step by step. Yeom Hye-ran is wasted as well, as her beguiling landlord is sidelined before succumbing to an overused trope.
Viewers may have tuned in courtesy of the premise which is quite reminiscent of Strangers from Hell. There are hints of supernatural elements too, similar to Happiness, #Alive or Sweet Home Season 1. Drama around apartment politics is not a new genre and the limited, cramped space is perfect for thrillers and murder mysteries.
So, it is no wonder that expectations were high. Wall to Wall had quite the potential to amp up the psychological trauma and mind games. However, it is unable to make up its mind on which route to take, as evident in the clashing motivations and the hasty resolution. While the first act is enticing and Kang Ha-neul is a treat to watch, the second half and its ending are bound to disappoint viewers.
Read More: Wall to Wall Ending Explained
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
Post Malone, Eminem, and Travis Kelce among cameos in Happy Gilmore 2
The highly anticipated sequel, Happy Gilmore 2, was released on Netflix on July 25, marking Adam Sandler 's return as the hot-tempered golfer. The film sees Happy Gilmore re-enter the sport to raise $30,000 for his daughter, portrayed by Sunny Sandler, to attend a ballet school in Paris. Original cast members Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald reprise their roles, joined by new additions including Ben Stiller, Margaret Qualley, and Bad Bunny. Happy Gilmore 2 features numerous celebrity cameos, notably NFL star Travis Kelce as a waiter and chef Guy Fieri as a rival golfer. Musicians Kid Cudi, Eminem, and Post Malone also make appearances, with Cudi playing an FBI agent, Eminem a confrontational golfer, and Malone a sports commentator.


Daily Record
34 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Netflix viewers rush to watch 'compelling' reboot of classic Scottish crime series
The recent reboot of the famous Rebus has been added to Netflix as viewers are just discovering the world of Detective Inspector John Rebus and they can't get enough A modern retelling of a legendary Scottish crime drama has quickly become a hit on Netflix, with viewers calling it "absorbing" and "compelling" as it climbs the streaming platform's top TV show charts. The revamped Rebus series originally premiered on the BBC last year and is inspired by Ian Rankin's long-running Inspector Rebus novels. The first book, Knots and Crosses, hit shelves in 1987 launching a franchise that has since grown to include 24 titles. With most of the stories set in Edinburgh, the series follows the investigations of the complex and gritty Detective Inspector John Rebus and has made a massive impact on the British crime fiction scene - accounting for around 10% of the UK's crime novel sales and consistently selling over 500,000 copies per release. Back in 2000 Rebus was first adapted for television, with John Hannah taking on the title role. The show continued until 2007, with Ken Stott leading the cast in later seasons. The new version introduces Richard Rankin, known for his roles in Outlander and Burnistoun, as a younger Rebus bringing a fresh energy to the character while maintaining the dark tone that fans love. The synopsis reads: "The story follows Detective John Rebus as he deals with an infamous Edinburgh gangster, at the same time dealing with the aftermath of his divorce and a changing workplace." Critics were quick to praise the reboot, branding it as "terrific" and describing Rankin's performance as "alluring." Similar fans have praised the reboot, with many taking to Rotten Tomatoes to review the series, with Rebus having an impressive 100% rating on the review site. One fan wrote: "This is a very good series. Richard Raskin is much different from Ken Stott, but he's great in the role. I also liked Rebus' partner and ex-wife, too. This series reminded me of Crime, starring Dougray Scott." Another viewer simply stated: "Very good series with a likable lead." While one viewer praised the casting, saying it had him hooked, as they said: "The casting was great. Rankin is a sympathetic and handsome lead. I like the fact that none of the main characters are without fault and all have their vices. I was sucked into the story and watched the whole season over a number of days." Speaking to the BBC about his role as Rebus, Raskin said: "Rebus is an iconic character in Scottish literature and television. It already has such a huge following. That aside, it was within the first ten pages of episode one that had me absolutely hooked." "I could tell Greggory Burke [the show's screenwriter] was doing something new and exciting with this. It felt real, it felt dark, and it felt charged." He added that the series was a "dark, cinematic and gritty character drama." The show's debut episode drew an impressive 6.3 million viewers across all BBC platforms and later went on to win three RTS Scotland Awards. Now that the series has landed on Netflix, a new wave of viewers are discovering (or rediscovering) the world of Rebus. Fans will be pleased to hear that a second season has already been confirmed. According to the BBC, the upcoming storyline will see the detective "uncover the links between the violent world of the Edinburgh drug trade and the city's law and finance sectors."


Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Kanye West and Bianca Censori go viral for graphic PDA at rollicking late-night afterparty
Kanye West and Bianca Censori have gone viral yet again as a video circulated of them tangling tongues during a steamy knees-up. The amorous moment took place in February, during a rollicking Grammys afterparty where Bianca performed a karaoke rendition of Adele's Rolling in the Deep. Hours earlier, she had left onlookers astonished by appearing on the red carpet of the awards show in a completely see-through minidress with no underwear. By the time of the afterparty, she was somewhat more conservatively attired in a skimpy sheer black unitard that rode up to emphasize her rear end. In resurfaced video from the fete, Kanye could be seen indulging in a public display of affection with his wife, running his hands over Bianca's body as their tongues met. As the beano wound down, Kanye appeared stony-faced when he was spotted giving his wife a piggyback ride out of the venue in Beverly Hills. Video of the tongue-tangle went viral this week as Bianca jetted into Seoul, wearing perhaps her most surprising look to date - a completely covered up-outfit. In a departure from her usual flesh-flashing attire, Bianca, 30, showed hardly a shred of skin as she touched down into the South Korean capital alongside her spouse, 48. Quite literally covered from head-to-toe, she wore black leggings, furry leg warmers, and a taupe messenger cap atop her raven locks. Even her eyes were concealed behind a pair of sunglasses, adding an air of further mystery. Kanye dressed similarly in all-black, opting for a zip-down sweatshirt, leather trousers, and suede footwear. The couple's outing comes about a week after Censori appeared in scantily-clad photos, which were photographed by her rapper husband and shared to Instagram. The images showed the brunette posing in white lace lingerie while posing in her hotel room in Japan in shots which were taken in October last year. The defiant post came shortly after West denied shocking allegations of sexual assault and sex trafficking made by his former assistant, Lauren Pisciotta. Hours earlier, she had left onlookers astonished by appearing on the red carpet of the awards show in a completely see-through minidress with no underwear Days after the fierce rebuttal, Censori showed off her ample assets and tiny waist as she posed in the sheer bra and matching thong-style knickers. She boosted her petite frame with a pair of stilettos and wore her blonde locks in a bouncy blown out style, which covered her pretty features. One sizzling shot saw her crawling across the plush cream carpet on her hands and knees in a very seductive fashion. Revealing that it was her husband behind the lens, she wrote in the caption: 'Japan October 2024 shot by @ye.' A recent similar shoot taken at the same time saw Censori share another set of photos from the private shoot. Cesori has been sharing the polaroid snaps to her social media page. Last week, she gave fans another glimpse at her enviable figure with three more snaps. In one of the photos she was pictured on her knees leaning backwards while wearing a sheer tube top and pulling down her stockings with one hand. Another one of the retro style snaps featured her seemingly naked from the side, wearing high heels, with one of her legs extended in the air. A third image showed Bianca in a shaggy blonde wig and straddling the carpet while shooting a seductive glance at the camera with a hand placed in her mouth. 'Shot by @ye,' she captioned all three of the images. The couple have been caught up in reports that West's former assistant Lauren Pisciotta has filed a sexual assault case against him. Earlier this month, a Yeezy spokesperson issued a statement to criticizing the rapper's former employee's amended complaint against him, which they point out is the 'the fourth version she has advanced.' 'Each new revision contradicts the others; each is more absurd and outlandish than all previous claims combined,' the Yeezy rep insisted. 'Does Ms. Pisciotta actually believe her confabulations? We cannot know. But this breathless new installment of fantasy fiction discredits all past, present and future testimony.' The spokesperson continued: 'We stand ready to annihilate Ms. Pisciotta's tall tales before a jury—an exoneration so inevitable that even she, lost in her fog of fantasy, must surely see it coming.' Yeezy representative Milo Yiannopoulos also addressed the matter, highlighting 'the absurdity of Pisciotta's quadruply revised claims, which now include kidnapping, battery, rape, false imprisonment and even sex trafficking.' 'She picked the one rapper who loathes violence, has never been arrested, and doesn't even own a gun,' Yiannopoulos claimed. In response to the statements above, Pisciotta's attorney, Lisa Bloom, told 'While Kanye West's publicist has come up with a slickly worded (and outrageously false and defamatory) attack on Ms. Pisciotta, Kanye himself has publicly admitted much of what she's claiming.' 'Kanye's publicist is deafeningly silent on Kanye's own admissions, which will destroy him in court. We look forward to seeing him there, where he cannot hide behind a high priced spin team,' Bloom concluded. The response on West's behalf come just days after Pisciotta accused the father-of-four of sexually harassing and assaulting her on multiple occasions. In her amended complaint, filed earlier this week, Pisciotta accused her former boss of forcing 'his penis into her mouth' during a business trip in San Francisco. The oral rape allegedly occurred not long after she began working for Ye in July 2021. She alleged that he attempted to kiss her on the lips, more than once, despite her repeatedly rejecting his advances, which she insists she told him were 'not professional.' After participating in a writing session for his album, Donda, the complaint alleges that West invited Pisciotta to his hotel suite to discuss the record. When she arrived, Pisciotta alleges in the complaint 'Ye abruptly laid down in his bed and insisted that Ms. Pisciotta lay beside him.' She proceeded to 'reluctantly' sit next to him in bed as her then-boss praised her work and shared how he could 'propel' her success in the music industry, according to the complaint. The conversation quickly turned south, she claims, as he began speaking in graphic detail about an unnamed model's genitals and described his sexual encounters with other women. Pisciotta claims in the complaint that West attempted to kiss her again, but that she 'continued to deflect his advances.' She then claimed he began to ask her questions about her vagina, such as 'What's it like?', 'Can I touch it?', and 'I just wanna see what it's like.' According to the complaint, despite her reminding him his behavior was not professional, Pisciotta alleges West 'stroked his penis over his pants with one hand and forcibly touched her vagina with the other hand.' 'Ms. Pisciotta immediately told Ye to stop. Ye soon fell asleep mid-sentence,' the complaint reads. 'Ms. Pisciotta left the room once Ye fell asleep.' During that same stay in San Francisco, Pisciotta claims West went to her hotel room and demanded to use her shower. After cracking the door open, Pisciotta says in the complaint that her former boss 'pushed the door open and proceeded directly into the bathroom.' When he reemerged, she claims in the complaint he was only wearing a 'towel covering the lower half of his body' and approached her while she was sitting in a chair. She claims 'Ye dropped the towel from his waist to expose his penis,' removed her from the chair she was sitting in, and pushed her onto the bed, so that she was pinned against its pillows and headboard. Pisciotta says he used his 'body to pin and restrain' her and restricted her from leaving the bed, before thrusting his penis repeatedly into her mouth, according to the complaint. 'As Ms. Pisciotta frantically pled for Ye to stop, Ye forced his penis into her mouth. Ms. Pisciotta froze in shock and fear but continued to plead with Ye and beg him,' according to the legal documents. After the alleged rape, she alleges he apologized and left. When she confronted him about the sexual assault, she said in the complaint he gave her what she thought was 'a sincere apology' and agreed to continue working for him. Still, she insists in the court record he never stopped his sexually inappropriate behavior and harassment. She claims he detailed sexual fantasies about her, demanded she send him explicit material including topless and nude photographs, constantly remarked on her body and even allegedly called her while engaging in sexual acts with another woman. Other shocking claims in the second amended complaint included that he offered someone the opportunity to have sex with her and that he 'constantly told her that 'he wanted to have sex with her and how he thought about her while he had sex with other women.' She also says he offered 'one million dollars in exchange for her deleting her OnlyFans account, from which Ms. Pisciotta earned approximately one million dollars over the course of eight months.' After deleting her account, Pisciotta claims in the court paper that West refused to pay the 'agreed-upon amount' and quickly lost her substantial OnlyFans following. During her employment, she alleged he interrogated her about her love life, the last time she had sex, how large her partners' penises were and if she would be 'open to engaging in threesomes with her partners, his partners, and other women Ye found on various social media platforms.' After terminating her in fall of 2023, she claims he 'grabbed' her neck and 'squeezed his hand around her throat, restricting her airflow' after running into each other at a concert, according to the complaint. 'With his hand still around her neck, Ye pulled Ms. Pisciotta's face towards his, inserted his tongue in her ear, and licked her ear repeatedly, causing it to become wet with his saliva. Ms. Pisciotta recoiled in horror and quickly walked away,' her complaint says. Pisciotta claims West went on to move into Ms. Pisciotta's same apartment complex, which caused her 'significant anxiety and distress.' She said in the complaint while he lived there he would walk past her place in a 'conspicuous manner' and even 'stationed his security team at various points of the complex.' Pisciotta alleged this pushed her to relocate to 'Florida as a means of escaping Ye.' Following her move, she claims he hired an individual who offered 'swatting' services for purchase, to 'swat' her. Pisciotta, who began working for Ye in 2021 as a music talent scout (A&R) for his Donda album, originally sued West in 2024. While working as his personal assistant and Chief of Staff, she handled his music, fashion ventures (like YEEZY), property management, and schedule. During this time, she claimed in the complaint that he controlled her life and made her ask for permission to shower or take breaks. Additionally, she alleged he verbally abused her, especially in front of male colleagues, demanded 'hugs' where he would press himself against her and spoke about monitoring her social media to masturbate to her photos. She also accused him of assaulting her in 2015 while she blacked out at a studio session. She believes she was drugged and has no memory of the evening, according to the court document. Another disturbing allegation involves a flight to a fashion show. She claims in the complaint that he locked her in a room and masturbated in front of her, until someone from the outside was able to open the door as she 'cried into her lap.' West previously denied Pisciotta's other allegations made in her initial June 2024 complaint. In his initial legal response to her prior claims, West's companies issued a blanket denial of all allegations made by Pisciotta — including her claims of sexual assault. In response to Pisciotta's original lawsuit, West's lawyer called the claims 'baseless' and announced plans to countersue. In her new, second amended complaint, Pisciotta lays out a sweeping list of allegations, including sexual harassment and a hostile work environment, assault, battery, sexual battery, sex trafficking, stalking, false imprisonment, gender discrimination, promissory estoppel, failure to prevent harassment, discrimination and retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Pisciotta's lawyer confirmed to Daily Mail that the second amended complaint was mailed to West. In a statement to Pisciotta's attorney, Lisa Bloom, wrote: 'We are pleased that the judge granted our request to file an amended complaint against Mr. West in the sexual harassment, assault and battery case we are litigating against him in California Superior Court, County of Los Angeles.' 'In a series of recent tweets, Mr. West calls himself 'a walking me too' (we agree) and corroborated many of our client's claims by proclaiming, 'If a CEO don't hug you inappropriately he's a f@gg*t' and 'Life is about using your position to f*k the baddest b!**hes possible' and other disgusting and offensive posts,' she continued.