Warning: This article contains spoilers for Revelations.

Netflix recently added the South Korean thriller, Revelations follows the threads of three unique characters: an overzealous pastor, a traumatized detective, and a misunderstood criminal. When a young girl goes missing, all three figures are thrown together in a twisted web of secrets, violence, and of course, revelations.

The Korean thriller begins with Min-chan, a ionate pastor who welcomes the hardened criminal, Yang-rae, into his congregation. However, when Min-chan discovers that his child might be missing, he immediately suspects Yang-rae, and attempts to hunt him down, leading to Yang-rae's disappearance. The following day, it is revealed that Min-chan's son was found, but another child has actually been kidnapped. Detective Yeon-hee investigates, troubled by the case of Yang-rae because he was behind the death of her sister. From there, Yeon-hee gets closer to discovering Min-chan and Yang-rae's roles in A-yeong's disappearance.

What Happened To A-yeong

A-yeong's Case Is Symbolic For Yeon-hee

Revelations' biggest mystery is what happened to A-yeong. The 12-year-old girl, A-yeong, first appears in the film as she is walking to church, followed by Yang-rae. After the service, she seems to walk home with her friends, yet the next time she is mentioned, it is revealed that she has been kidnapped. Considering Yang-rae's pursuit of her, it is clear that he is the culprit. It isn't until the end of the movie that audiences see A-yeong is being held captive in a house set to be demolished. Fortunately, just before the house is wrecked, Yeon-hee saves A-yeong.

Despite the fact that A-yeong's disappearance is the lynchpin tying Min-chan, Yeon-hee, and Yang-rae together, she is more of a symbolic character than an actual protagonist. A-yeong's kidnapping is less about A-yeong herself, and is more about how it affects the other characters. The most important effect A-yeong's situation has is that it symbolizes what happened to Yeon-hee's sister. Yeon-hee blames herself for not being able to save her sister, so when she saves A-yeong, she is finally able to forgive herself for the past.

Min-chan’s Involvement With Yang-rae Explained

Why Min-chan Wants To Kill Yang-rae

One of the most complicated elements of Revelations is how Min-chan becomes involved with Yang-rae. Initially, Min-chan wants to help Yang-rae as a member of the church. However, Min-chan's good will quickly turns when he suspects Yang-rae of kidnapping his son. Min-chan follows Yang-rae into the woods and gets into an altercation with him, leading Yang-rae to fall down a ravine and sustain a serious injury. Min-chan is terrified, but ultimately decides to push Yang-rae off a cliff. Min-chan seems to do this after seeing a sign from God.

Min-chan's son ends up being at a friend's house, not kidnapped.

Ultimately, this is the most important part of Min-chan's story. After seeing a symbol on the side of a mountain, Min-chan believes that he must kill Yang-rae because it is God's will. His thought process is that he is ridding the world of a sinner. Therefore, when Yang-rae ends up surviving and returning, Min-chan is determined to kill him. This is further complicated by the fact that Yang-rae is the only one who knows where A-yeong is, so once Min-chan kills him, the police have less of a chance to find A-yeong alive.

Why Yeon-hee Had Visions Of Her Sister

Yeon-hee's Growth In Revelations Explained

At the same time as Min-chan is dealing with Yang-rae, Yeon-hee is trying to figure out how these two men are connected to A-yeong's kidnapping. Throughout this investigation, Yeon-hee is haunted by her own demons, specifically in the form of her sister's ghost. Five years prior, Yeon-hee's sister was kidnapped and tortured by Yang-rae. She managed to escape, but eventually, took her own life. Yeon-hee believes it is her fault for not saving her sister. Thus, her sister's ghost constantly yells at her, demanding to know why she wasn't there when she needed her most.

Yeon-hee's growth in Revelations may be one of the greatest parts of the movie. Yeon-hee is clearly agonized by her sister's death and the reappearance of Yang-rae. However, as she gets further into A-yeong's case, she realizes that Yang-rae is just as human as her sister was, and deserves more empathy. As a result, Yeon-hee attempts to learn more about Yang-rae, which helps her figure out where A-yeong is being held. Plus, she comes to with the fact that her sister's death is not on her hands, but was something out of her control.

Yang-rae's Past & Tragic Fate Explained

Is Yang-rae A Bad Person In Revelations?

In the first half of Revelations, Yang-rae is characterized as an evil human being. He is a known criminal who tortured Yeon-hee's sister and kidnapped A-yeong. Yet, at the climax of the film, it is revealed that Yang-rae suffered from a traumatic childhood, which is what led him to these horrific behaviors. Yang-rae's psychologist explains that Yang-rae was beaten by his father everyday, leaving him with countless burns and scars. While these beatings were taking place, his mother would stand outside the door, singing hymns and praying for him. This left a harsh mental impact on Yang-rae.

There is no doubt that Yang-rae acted in an evil manner when he committed his crimes, yet the movie suggests that Yang-rae was not necessarily in a sound state of mind.

The moral quandary that Revelations grapples with is whether Yang-rae can be forgiven or not. There is no doubt that Yang-rae acted in an evil manner when he committed his crimes, yet the movie suggests that Yang-rae was not necessarily in a sound state of mind. Because of his childhood trauma, Yang-rae may deserve as much sympathy as his victims. Yeon-hee seems to forgive him, while Min-chan is convinced of his sin. Thus, viewers are compelled to make their own judgments about Yang-rae.

What Revelations’ “One-Eyed Monster” Mean

The "One-Eyed Monster" Represents Fear

At the center of Yang-rae's tragic backstory is the "One-Eyed Monster." When the authorities first visit Yang-rae's apartment, they find a terrifying drawing of this supposed One-Eyed Monster, which seems to hold various people inside of it. At first, it is assumed that Yang-rae is crazy. However, when he tells Yeon-hee just before he falls to his death that A-yeong has been swallowed by the One-Eyed Monster, she goes on a quest to figure out what that means. Eventually, she realizes that the monster represents houses with a single fish-eye window.

Although the One-Eyed Monster is a physical place and not an actual monster like Train to Busan's zombies, it does have a symbolic meaning for Yang-rae. In his youth, Yang-rae was abused in a room with a single window, and the trauma of that transformed a regular housing element into a true monster. Yang-rae truly believed that this monster was a danger to him, and perhaps he felt that he had to offer it up more violence to keep it at bay, which is why he committed his crimes.

Min-chan's Apophenia In Revelations Explained

What Else Could Have Been Affecting Min-chan

In Revelations, Yeon-hee and the police eventually figure out that Min-chan had attempted to kill Yang-rae. Thus, he is sent to prison for his crimes, despite his protestations that God influenced him. Later, Yang-rae's psychiatrist explains to Yeon-hee that Min-chan was likely suffering from apophenia, a phenomenon in which people see patterns in things that do not actually exist. When Min-chan saw his signs from God, there was nothing actually there. This diagnosis is confirmed at the end of the film when Min-chan finds another "sign" in his prison cell.

Revelations confirms that Min-chan is suffering from apophenia, yet audiences may wonder if this is a front for Min-chan's true evil. Perhaps Min-chan only developed apophenia as a way to allow himself to carry out violence. It was his excuse. This would make sense considering that Min-chan's wife was cheating on him, which likely left him with increased anger and stress. In this way, Min-chan's crimes may have been even worse than Yang-rae's.

What Revelations Was Really About

Revelations Explores Humanity & Trauma

Ultimately, Revelations is a movie that is as thrilling as it is enlightening. Through the stories of Min-chan, Yang-rae, and Yeon-hee, viewers are forced to come to with their own beliefs about morality. They must decide whether someone who commits a crime is a truly evil person or if something more complicated is happening within them. Furthermore, audiences see how trauma can impact a person's life to a dangerous extent. Ultimately, Revelations drives a wedge into the idea of pure good and pure evil.