# Unlocked (스마트폰을 떨어뜨렸을뿐인데) (2023 film)
**Unlocked** (스마트폰을 떨어뜨렸을뿐인데, literally "I Just Dropped My Smartphone") is a 2023 South Korean thriller released on Netflix, in which office worker Lee Na-mi loses her smartphone on a bus and a stranger who finds it installs spyware on it before returning it, gaining access to her entire life[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unlocked_2023). The film runs 117 minutes, is directed and written by Kim Tae-joon, and stars Chun Woo-hee, Yim Si-wan, and Kim Hie-won[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unlocked_2023) • [2](https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/unlocked/). It is a remake of the 2018 Japanese film *Stolen Identity*, itself based on a Japanese novel[2](https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/unlocked/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 스마트폰을 떨어뜨렸을 뿐인데 ("I Just Dropped My Smartphone")[3](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20230215089300005) |
| Release | Netflix streaming premiere, February 17, 2023[3](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20230215089300005) |
| Runtime / genre | 117 minutes; mystery and thriller, in Korean[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unlocked_2023) |
| Director / writer | Kim Tae-joon, his debut feature[4](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/WHAT-TO-WATCH/SHOULD-YOU-WATCH-UNLOCKED-REVIEW-OF-NETFLIXS-NEW-KOREAN-MOVIE/) |
| Source material | Based on a Japanese novel; adapted from the 2018 Japanese film *Stolen Identity*[2](https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/unlocked/) |
| Lead cast | Chun Woo-hee (Na-mi), Yim Si-wan (Jun-yeong), Kim Hie-won (detective Ji-man)[5](https://www.netflix.com/title/81640988) |
| Reception | 45% Tomatometer (11 reviews); 82% Popcornmeter (250+ ratings) on Rotten Tomatoes[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unlocked_2023) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Na-mi (Chun Woo-hee), a regular office worker who enjoys social media, drops her smartphone on the bus on her way home from a night out[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unlocked_2023) • [3](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20230215089300005). Jun-yeong (Yim Si-wan) picks it up and returns it to her, but only after installing spyware[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unlocked_2023). In one account of the plot, he masks his identity with a prerecorded woman's voice when her friend calls about the phone, and obtains her password at a dingy phone repair shop before infecting the device with malware[6](https://www.jaehakim.com/2023/05/unlocked-korean-film-review/).
Through the phone, Jun-yeong learns her whereabouts, hobbies, tastes, work life, finances, and social network, and approaches her while concealing his true identity[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unlocked_2023). According to the Yonhap production report, he learns everything about Na-mi within three days and commits crimes according to a meticulous plan[3](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20230215089300005). At the same time, detective Ji-man (Kim Hie-won), a police officer, comes across evidence linking his son Jun-yeong to a murder scene and quietly begins probing him, fearing the worst[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unlocked_2023). Na-mi's ordinary life spirals out of control, all because she dropped her phone[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unlocked_2023).
## Production and background
**Debut feature.** Unlocked is the first feature film of Kim Tae-joon, an actor turned director, who also wrote the screenplay[4](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/WHAT-TO-WATCH/SHOULD-YOU-WATCH-UNLOCKED-REVIEW-OF-NETFLIXS-NEW-KOREAN-MOVIE/) • [2](https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/unlocked/). It was produced by Mij Film Co. and was originally planned for a theatrical release before the production company decided on a straight-to-Netflix premiere[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unlocked_2023) • [7](https://readysteadycut.com/2023/02/18/unlocked-2023-review/).
The film is based on a Japanese novel and was previously made into the 2018 Japanese film *Stolen Identity*[2](https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/unlocked/). Sources disagree on the novelist's name: Dennis Schwartz Reviews credits "Akira Shira", What's on Netflix gives "Akira Shiga", and Ready Steady Cut gives "Akira Teshigawara"[2](https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/unlocked/) • [4](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/WHAT-TO-WATCH/SHOULD-YOU-WATCH-UNLOCKED-REVIEW-OF-NETFLIXS-NEW-KOREAN-MOVIE/) • [7](https://readysteadycut.com/2023/02/18/unlocked-2023-review/).
At a production press conference in Seoul on February 15, 2023, Chun Woo-hee said she took the role because the situation is one anyone can imagine themselves in, making the fear feel realistic; she described the viewing experience as like watching a herbivorous animal defenseless before a predator[3](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20230215089300005). Yim Si-wan said he aimed for a consistently playful tone, believing that a character who knows everything about his victim and toys with him from above would be more chilling if serious emotion were excluded[3](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20230215089300005). Kim Hie-won, who joined the project and recommended Yim for the role of Jun-yeong, said she suggested him because his clean, upright image would make the role shocking[3](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20230215089300005).
## Cast
The cast includes Chun Woo-hee as Lee Na-mi, Yim Si-wan as Oh Jun-yeong, Kim Hie-won as detective Ji-man, Park Ho-san as Na-mi's father, Kim Ye-won as Na-mi's best friend, and Jeon Jin-oh[5](https://www.netflix.com/title/81640988) • [2](https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/unlocked/).
## Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 45% Tomatometer from 11 critics and an 82% Popcornmeter audience score from more than 250 ratings[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unlocked_2023). Critical responses varied in emphasis. The [South China Morning Post](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-china-morning-post)'s James Marsh gave it 1 of 5 stars, calling it tired and uninspired and saying it offered no fresh insight on society's over-reliance on handheld technology[8](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-movies/article/3209984/netflix-movie-review-unlocked-korean-serial-killer-thriller-starring-chun-woo-hee-and-im-si-wan). What's on Netflix's Andrew Morgan gave it a "Pause" rating, faulting the villain's flat affect and the detective's bungled investigation, but named Park Ho-san, as Na-mi's father, the film's most compelling performer[4](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/WHAT-TO-WATCH/SHOULD-YOU-WATCH-UNLOCKED-REVIEW-OF-NETFLIXS-NEW-KOREAN-MOVIE/). Knockout Horror praised the dual-perspective structure and pacing, calling it a gripping stalking nightmare[9](https://www.knockouthorror.com/horror-movies/unlocked-2023-movie-review/), while Parent Previews called it a well-made, superbly acted thriller for adult fans of the genre[10](https://parentpreviews.com/movie-reviews/unlocked-2023).
## Viewership and legacy
A KOCCA report on global OTT trends listed Unlocked fourth among 2023's Netflix Korea Top 10 films, behind [Kill Boksoon](https://www.edgepedia.org/kill-boksoon), Confidential Assignment 2: International, and Switch[11](https://welcon.kocca.kr/cmm/fms/crawling/%EA%B8%80%EB%A1%9C%EB%B2%8C%20OTT%20%EB%8F%99%ED%96%A5%EB%B6%84%EC%84%9D%20Vol%201_0531v2_%EB%AF%B8%EB%A6%AC%EB%B3%B4%EA%B8%B0?atchFileId=FILE_bfb97313-8864-4f85-8da4-131cef4580cf&fileSn=1). A Korean Copyright Protection Agency review document also recorded the film circulating as an unauthorized copy on webhard file-sharing sites in 2023[12](https://www.kcopa.or.kr/download.do?uuid=f8e3e8f6-d0ad-4b1c-9cc0-e66607289881.pdf).
Unlocked established Kim Tae-joon as a director of realistic-premise thrillers. Time described his 2023 debut as using a cat-and-mouse serial killer premise to expose modern dependence on smartphones, and noted that his follow-up Netflix thriller *Wall to Wall* (2025) turned a similar lens on apartment living[13](https://time.com/7303631/wall-to-wall-ending-netflix/). [Marie Claire](https://www.edgepedia.org/marie-claire) has since listed Unlocked among the best Korean films streaming on Netflix, warning viewers they may want to update their privacy settings afterward[14](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a32236619/best-korean-movies-netflix/).
## References
1. [Unlocked (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unlocked_2023)
2. [UNLOCKED – Dennis Schwartz Reviews](https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/unlocked/)
3. ['스마트폰을 떨어뜨렸을 뿐인데' 천우희 "모두 공감할 현실공포" | 연합뉴스](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20230215089300005)
4. [Should You Watch 'Unlocked'? Review of Netflix's New Korean Movie | What's on Netflix](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/WHAT-TO-WATCH/SHOULD-YOU-WATCH-UNLOCKED-REVIEW-OF-NETFLIXS-NEW-KOREAN-MOVIE/)
5. [Unlocked | Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/title/81640988)
6. ["Unlocked" (스마트폰을 떨어뜨렸을 뿐인데) – Jae-Ha Kim](https://www.jaehakim.com/2023/05/unlocked-korean-film-review/)
7. [Unlocked (2023) Review – Ready Steady Cut](https://readysteadycut.com/2023/02/18/unlocked-2023-review/)
8. [Netflix movie review: Unlocked | South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-movies/article/3209984/netflix-movie-review-unlocked-korean-serial-killer-thriller-starring-chun-woo-hee-and-im-si-wan)
9. [Unlocked (2023) Review – Knockout Horror](https://www.knockouthorror.com/horror-movies/unlocked-2023-movie-review/)
10. [Unlocked (2023) | Parent Previews](https://parentpreviews.com/movie-reviews/unlocked-2023)
11. [글로벌 OTT 동향 분석 Vol 1 | KOCCA](https://welcon.kocca.kr/cmm/fms/crawling/%EA%B8%80%EB%A1%9C%EB%B2%8C%20OTT%20%EB%8F%99%ED%96%A5%EB%B6%84%EC%84%9D%20Vol%201_0531v2_%EB%AF%B8%EB%A6%AC%EB%B3%B4%EA%B8%B0?atchFileId=FILE_bfb97313-8864-4f85-8da4-131cef4580cf&fileSn=1)
12. [2023년 제 회 저작권보호심의분과위원회 회의록 | 한국저작권보호원](https://www.kcopa.or.kr/download.do?uuid=f8e3e8f6-d0ad-4b1c-9cc0-e66607289881.pdf)
13. [Breaking Down the Bloody Ending of Netflix's Wall to Wall | Time](https://time.com/7303631/wall-to-wall-ending-netflix/)
14. [The 24 Best Korean Movies Streaming on Netflix | Marie Claire](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a32236619/best-korean-movies-netflix/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Crime, thriller, and mystery films (individual works) › 2015–2019 films › Thriller and mystery films › Titles O to Z*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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