4 days ago
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- The Review Geek
Wall to Wall (2025) Ending Explained – Why does Woo-sung burn the ledger?
Wall to Wall Plot Summary
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 gets what he thinks is the deal of a lifetime, even though he has to take out a hefty loan to buy the 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?
Who is the source of the noise?
The residents of 1301 and Reporter Yeong Jin-ho from 1501 are responsible for the noise. To make it seem like Woo-sung is responsible, the noise is heard only when he is home. 1501 hacks into everyone's security system and uses the intercom camera to keep a tab on Woo-sung's whereabouts. When 1501 wants to look innocent, 1301 makes the noise while he visits Woo-sung.
To stop Woo-sung from cashing in on his crypto stocks and leaving the place, 1501 breaks into his place and installs a speaker and plays construction sound. He then gathers all the residents to create a ruckus. The husband from 1301 pretends to get hit so that Woo-sung is arrested and unable to sell his crypto stocks.
Why does 1501 target Woo-sung?
1501 has a grudge against the building representative, landlord and former prosecutor, Jeon Eun-hwa, as she is responsible for burying his exposé on the poor construction and corruption involving the apartment complex. However, he is quite psychotic and has no qualms about killing other people to expose her.
Out of all the residents and tenants, Woo-sung lives alone and can be framed easily. He isn't likeable either, so it is easy for 1501 to turn the other residents against him. To create a sensational story that no one can bury or ignore, 1501 plans to kill some of the residents, including Mrs Jeon. He will then frame Woo-sung, kill him and make it look like a suicide.
After stealing Jeon's ledger which records the corruption, the new exposé will have proof and paint the building's poor construction as the reason for Woo-sung's breakdown. Because of 1301's premature death, 1501 is forced to rush his plans and Woo-sung makes him doubt his success. This way, he is able to save himself as he allies with 1501.
What is Mrs Jeon's plan?
Mrs Jeon secretly buys as many units as she can with the money she got during her stint as a corrupt prosecutor. While she takes advantage of Woo-sung's situation and buys his unit at a much lower price, she doesn't want the property value to drop. Via her contacts, she knows that there will be a metro line running near the complex which will instantly raise the property value. She can then sell them at a much higher price than she bought them or rent them out.
Why does Woo-sung burn the ledger?
While 1501 searches for the ledger, Woo-sung frees Mrs Jeon and tries to use an air gun on 1501. All hell breaks loose as Mr Jeon stabs 1501 before dying. Mrs Jeon tries to convince Woo-sung to kill 1501. He is unable to decide, and annoyed, she beats him up. She is about to kill him but a heavily wounded 1501 kills her.
The ledger and all the apartment purchases are hidden in plain sight. 1501 orders Woo-sung to give him the ledger but the man has had enough. Woo-sung burns the ledger and the contract which is proof of the Jeons buying his apartment. He causes a gas leak and leaves right before the apartment explodes.
Due to the arrest, Woo-sung is unable to cash in on his crypto stocks and loses all his money. Even though he owns his apartment again, the property value would go down if the ledger were shown to the public. It is why he burns it.
What is the noise at the end of the movie?
At the end of the movie, Woo-sung moves in with his mother but we see that the noise in the apartment complex continues when he visits. He looks at his ownership papers and laughs. One can interpret the noise as PTSD and him laughing at the absurdity of it all. Another way it can be interpreted is that the noise is real and no matter what, noisy neighbours are a part of life, as Mrs Jeon puts it.
Read More: Wall to Wall Movie Review
