“Exist Within” is a 2022 Korean-language thriller written and directed by Kim Jung Wook. It follows Eun Soo, an aspiring writer, who gets distracted by her upstairs neighbor’s consistent thud. She tries to get in touch with him but to no avail. So, she decides to find the truth behind that insistent thud to use for her script. Along the way, she stumbles upon something far more shocking than she initially imagined. In this investigative thriller, Ryu Hwa-young stars as the writer, whereas Park Jin-woo stars as her upstairs neighbor. In key supporting roles, the film also stars Jung Dong Hoon, Im Jin Taek, Oh Young Shil, and Chae Yeon Jung.
Spoilers Ahead
Exist Within (2022) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
“Exist Within” is a South Korean thriller written & directed by Kim Jung Wook that follows a young writer getting annoyed by her upstairs neighborโs constant disturbance. She decides to find the truth behind it and stumbles upon a web of shocking truths.
What happens in the K-drama, โExist Withinโ?
Kim Jung Wookโs “Exist Within” follows Eun Soo (Ryu Hwa Young), a young aspiring writer struggling to find an idea for a screenplay. She mostly writes at her home, i.e., at her parentsโ apartment during the daytime when they are away. Since she does not have a job, her parents consider her a burden and expect her to be a responsible adult. However, Eun Soo is so preoccupied with her dreams that she doesnโt concern herself with their worries. One day, she suddenly hears a recurring thud from the apartment upstairs. She uses a broom to knock back on the ceiling, but it does not stop the sound and instead increases its intensity.
The sound disturbs Eun Sooโs already disorganized writing routine. So, she decides to complain via intercom but receives no response from the said neighbor. Instead, other neighbors accuse her of being a nuisance. Although she has bills to pay, she keeps worrying more about the nuisance from her upstairs neighbor. As they say, an idle brain is the devil’s workshop. She starts questioning what is happening in the said apartment. Eun Soo begins investigating the apartment’s residents and learns about someone named Kang Won. Later, even at night, she keeps hearing a repetitive thud, but the neighbor does not respond to her.
ย Eun Soo’s Doubts
Meanwhile, Eun Soo fails in a screenplay competition she partakes. Her parents give her an ultimatum to figure out a way to make a living from her passion. If not, Eun Soo needs to move out of their apartment. Instead of worrying about these things, she returns to her investigation of the upstairs apartment. At night, she walks upstairs and notices a trail of water. The next morning, her mother tells her to get her act together. She calls her friend to avoid thinking about it and invites him to share a pizza. Then, she suddenly decides to enter her upstairsโ neighbor, Jung Ho Kyungโs (Park Jin U) van to investigate. Moments later, he walks over to it. Therefore, she hides inside his van.
During the journey, Eun Sooโs friend keeps calling her. It alerts Ho Kyung, who realizes someone is inside his van. He brings her out and slaps her. A police car passing by that neighborhood notices them. Ho Kyung reveals he hit Eun Soo since she was hiding in his van. They take them both to the police station. After the issue is resolved, Ho Kyung asks Eun Soo where she lives. She claims she lives in the room no. 301, even though she lives in 401. After he leaves, she tells her friend that she saw a knife in Ho Kyungโs van with blood on it.
Eun Soo’s Investigation
Back at her apartment complex, Eun Soo steals a mail meant for room no 501. It leads her to realize that the flat owner is Lee Kwang-hwan. They suspect Kwang-hwan is Ho Kyungโs mother. Unlike Eun Soo, her friend does not think there is any serious issue regarding the upstairs apartment. He thinks Eun Soo is blowing the matter out of proportion. However, he agrees to help her with the investigation, hoping it will help her with her writing. Later, Eun Soo and her friend follow Ho Kyungโs car but miss him along the way. So, she buys a device that can track his movements. At night, she sticks it underneath his car.
The next day, Ho Kyung shows up at Eun Sooโs apartment and meets her family to hand over something she forgot in his van. Ho Kyung wants her to be seen as an intruder who causes a nuisance. Regardless, Eun Soo and her friend track Ho Kyung to a religious place and then to the hospital. Inside, they notice Ho Kyung with his young daughter. So, Eun Sooโs friend loses interest in the investigation. However, Eun Soo stops for a while and notices Ho Kyung baptizing his daughter with a strange ritual. She follows him back to his religious place but escapes once a member of his religion catches her.
Exist Within (2022) Movie Ending Explained:
What was behind the thudding from Ho Kyungโs apartment?
Ho Kyung puts a camera behind his carโs window to check if someone is meddling with it. Later, he shows up at Eun Sooโs apartment, explains the reason behind the thudding, and claims he wonโt be a nuisance anymore. However, Eun Soo isnโt convinced. She keeps investigating. Soon, she walks into Ho Kyungโs religious place to see footage of the strange ceremony that all its members attend, like a bunch of rabid killers under the influence. Later, she shares these details with her friend, who wants to report it to the authorities. However, Eun Soo canโt do that since the police can charge her for stalking and following Ho Kyung or breaking into his apartment.
Can Eun Soo expose Ho Kyungโs truth?
Ho Kyung realizes that Eun Soo has attached a device under his car to track him. So, he purposefully leads her to a fishing spot that he frequently visits. Eun Soo shows up there with her friend. There, she notices Ho Kyung using a human finger as a bait to lure fish. Ho Kyung realizes Eun Sooโs suspicion.
So, he leaves the place almost immediately. Eun Sooโs friend decides to follow Ho Kyung. Ho Kyung realizes that and beats the friend by covering him with ice. Then, Ho Kyung kidnaps the friend in his van and drives him away. Soon, Ho Kyung carries the friend out and beats him almost to death. Eun Soo finds her friend in that condition and gets traumatized. She calls the cops to alert them about Ho Kyung but does not reveal her identity.
After the cops show up outside Ho Kyungโs apartment, Eun Soo reveals she is the caller. She wants them to go inside and check on the condition. However, neither the cops nor her neighbors care for her concern. So, she returns to her apartment and finds a way to climb up to Ho Kyungโs apartment.
There, she notices two dead bodies under a layer of ice cubes and another body covered in blood. Moments later, Ho Kyung notices her and attacks her. For some reason, the cops decide to break into the apartment only then. They rescue Eun Soo, who exposes Ho Kyungโs truth and soon recovers from her injuries.
What was Ho Kyung hiding in his apartment?
Ho Kyung committed a cold-blooded murder of a couple. He brought both their bodies to his apartment and kept them under a layer of ice cubes. Besides, he brought a member of his religion to the apartment and beat him mercilessly. This victim, barely alive, kept thudding to send a signal, hoping someone would notice it. In the past, he led Ho Kyung to their religion but eventually started losing his faith. So, Ho Kyung hurt him as a sick way to save his ailing child.
