A CAPITALIST NIGHTMARE

Netflix's Wall To Wall is a psychological thriller that critiques class division in South Korea

- Story by THANA BOONLERT

hump thump bump. Netflix’s psychological thriller Wall To Wall envisions a dystopian contemporary South Korea. It is a cautionary tale of late-stage capitalist society fraught with economic volatility, mental breakdowns and class divide.

Directed by Kim Tae-joon, who debuted with Unlocked in 2023, Wall To Wall follows Woo-sung (Kang Ha-neul) who uses his retirement savings and even his mother’s land to buy an apartment in Seoul. A couple of years later, his dream of a happy family turns into a nightmare. His exhaustion is worsened by inter-floor noise. As neighbours point fingers at him, Woo-sung sets out to find the wrongdoer.

Wall To Wall paints a gloomy scenario of failed social mobility. Woo-sung is an example of those who leave rural hometowns for better opportunities in cities. With hard work, they hope to achieve success in life. But the rags-to-riches myth is an illusion. After breaking up with his girlfriend, he shoulders financial burden alone. Working two jobs barely pays off his mortgage and Woo-sung ends up pilfering snacks from an office pantry and avoids using electricity in his room. The apartment is no longer a symbol of social status, but a prison that keeps him spending money. The Seoul Dream is now broken.