Debapriya Bhattacharya
Directed by Kim Tae-joon, ‘Wall to Wall’ follows Woo-sung (Kang Ha-neul), a young man desperate to get his own apartment. He pools together everything he has, takes out a loan, and even gets early severance from his job to purchase the apartment he has been renting. However, things do not change for the better for him. Every night, Woo-sung is kept up by the noises coming from the floor above him, while those living below believe him to be the source of the ruckus. Determined to get his rest, he goes up the building to meet the penthouse owner, Eun-hwa (Yeom Hye-ran), and his upstairs neighbor, Jin-ho (Seo Hyun-woo). Soon, it becomes clear to him that there is no one around whom he can trust.
Originally titled ’84 Jegopmiteo,’ the movie highlights the housing crisis in Seoul, South Korea. With the real estate market becoming fiercely competitive, people are tempted to do anything possible to influence prices. If the Netflix film has caught your eye, here is a curated list of movies similar to ‘Wall to Wall’ that you are sure to enjoy.
10. Alone (2020)
‘Alone’ by Johnny Martin revolves around Aidan (Tyler Posey), a young man who wakes up to find himself in the middle of a zombie outbreak. As Screamers, zombie-like creatures who incessantly scream, flood the building, Aidan locks himself in his apartment to stay safe. With his family being out, he is forced to face the crisis alone and soon falls into depressive episodes. Much like Woo-sung in ‘Wall to Wall,’ Aidan does not get a moment of rest as he attempts to survive the ordeal, especially with the noise that keeps reminding him of the ever-present danger.
9. The Gift (2015)
Marking the feature directorial debut of Joel Edgerton, ‘The Gift’ tells the story of Simon and Robyn Callem, who move from Chicago to Los Angeles, the former’s hometown. They run into Simon’s high school classmate Gordon Moseley, who starts dropping in uninvited at their house bearing gifts. After a series of awkward encounters when the couple decides to cut him out, a horrible secret from Simon’s past emerges, making Robyn question how well she knows her husband. Like in ‘Wall to Wall,’ the trouble in the couple’s life begins after moving to their new LA home.
8. Door Lock (2018)
Originally titled ‘Doeorak,’ Lee Kwon’s ‘Door Lock’ centers around Kyung-Min (Gong Hyo-jin), a woman who lives alone in a studio apartment. One night after returning home from work, she finds her high-security door lock cover left open. Slighly unnerved by the incident, she changes her password. The same night before she goes to sleep, she hears someone trying to unlock the door. Kyung-Min calls the police but receives no assistance. As she uncovers more clues of attempts to break into her home, she decides to take it upon herself to investigate. Similar to Woo-sung in ‘Wall to Wall,’ Kyung-Min is forced to face the perceived threat right outside her apartment by herself.
7. The Sentinel (1977)
Based on an eponymous novel by Jeffrey Konvitz, ‘The Sentinel’ by Michael Winner follows Alison Parker, a New York City model with a troubled past who decides to turn her life around. Breaking up with her married lawyer boyfriend, Michael Lerman, she moves into a historic Brooklyn Heights brownstone. The building has only one other tenant, Father Francis Matthew Halliran, a blind priest who occupies the top floor. Alison starts witnessing strange occurrences soon after relocating and comes to a realization that the priest is in the building to stop something extremely sinister. She finds herself in trouble in her new apartment, much like Woo-sung in ‘Wall to Wall.’
6. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Roman Polanski adapted Ira Levin’s eponymous novel into his film ‘Rosemary’s Baby,’ which opens with newlyweds Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) and Guy (John Cassavetes) moving into Bramford, a large Renaissance Revival apartment building in New York City. While the building has a bad reputation, they pay no heed to it and soon meet their odd neighbors, Roman (Sidney Blackmer) and Minnie Castavet (Ruth Gordon). Even as their financial state gets better, Rosemary becomes increasingly isolated, especially as she becomes pregnant. Only after she gives birth is the truth revealed to her. The birth of Rosemary’s baby is intricately linked with the couple moving into their new home. As such, the abode plays a prominent role, much like in ‘Wall to Wall.’
5. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
Inspired by a folklore, ‘A Tale of Two Sisters’ tells the story of Su-mi (Yum Jung-ah), a young girl institutionalized in a mental hospital who reunites with her younger sister Su-yeon (Im Soo-jung) after being discharged. Returning to live at their home in the countryside, Sumi finds her widower father (Moon Geun-young) has remarried. The stepmother of the girls, Eun-joo (Kim Kap-soo), lives with them, much to their displeasure. As Su-mi tries to settle into her regular life, strange events take place at home, and reality soon comes crashing down. Originally titled ‘Janghwa, Hongryeon,’ the film follows ‘Wall to Wall’ in depicting another instance of shifting residence resulting in dire situations.
4. Hide and Seek (2013)
Originally titled ‘Sum-bakk-og-jil,’ Huh Jung’s ‘Hide and Seek’ revolves around Sung-soo (Son Hyun-joo), a successful businessman who lives in a penthouse with his wife and children. After learning about the disappearance of his step-brother Baek Sung-Chul (Kim Won-hae), Sung-soo visits the latter’s home to check. There, he notices odd symbols carved into every door, and meets the distinctly weird neighbors, Joo-hee (Moon Jeong-hee) and her young daughter Pyeong-Hwa. As he looks deeper into the disappearance, more sinister incidents take place. As in ‘Wall to Wall,’ Sung-soo’s troubles begin with his arrival at his brother’s apartment.
3. The Echo (2008)
‘The Echo’ by Yam Laranas is a remake of his Filipino film that stars Jesse Bradford as Bobby Reynolds, a former convict who gets released from prison and moves back to his old apartment in East Village, New York. Finding a job as a mechanic, Bobby tries to rebuild his life, but is shunned by many of his past friends and neighbors. Soon, he witnesses inexplicable disturbances in his apartment and hears a shouting match from the family next door. As he tries to get the cops involved, he realises something far sinister is afoot. Like Woo-sung, Bobby’s apartment continues to be his prison even after he gets his freedom.
2. Dark Water (2002)
‘Dark Water,’ originally titled ‘Honogurai mizu no soko kara,’ by Hideo Nakata is based on an eponymous short story collection by Koji Suzuki. The story chronicles newly-single mother Yoshimi Matsubara (Hitomi Kuroki), who moves into a run-down apartment with her daughter, Ikuko (Rio Kanno), while going through a bitter divorce and custody battle. Yoshimi is looking for a fresh start, but the strange occurrences in the building get in the way. From a persistent leak to visions of a little girl, they become increasingly unsettling, forcing the mother and daughter to conclude that something supernatural is at play. The troubles they face are reminiscent of those seen in ‘Wall to Wall.’
1. The Tenant (1976)
Directed by Roman Polanski, ‘The Tenant’ is based on a book of the same name by Roland Topor. The narrative follows Trelkovsky (Roman Polanski), a lonely Eastern European immigrant in Paris who rents an odd apartment in the city. However, the other inhabitants are less than welcoming and act downright hostile to him. Trevolsky learns of the building’s previous tenant, who tried to take her own life, and begins to identify with her in disturbing ways. At the same time, he starts suspecting that his neighbors may be plotting to get rid of him for good.
Originally titled ‘Le locataire,’ there are a number of similarities between the plot of the movie and that of ‘Wall to Wall.’ Both protagonists take over an apartment, wishing for a fresh start. However, their wishes are far from met, as their home becomes the source of their troubles. Both Trelkovsky and Woo-sung believe their neighbors to be the problem and not to be trusted under any circumstances.
Read More: Wall to Wall Ending Explained
