Revelations ending explained: Who is the one-eyed monster, and what happened to A-yeong?

On March 21, 2025, Netflix released Revelations, which delves into the dark corners of faith, trauma, and morality. The South Korean thriller, directed by Yeon Sang-ho, stars Ryu Jun-yeol as Pastor Sung Min-chan and Shin Hyun-been as Detective Lee Yeon-hui. The story revolves around a missing person case involving a young girl, A-yeong, and a convicted s*x offender, Kwon Yang-rae (Shin Jae).

The film's ending leaves viewers with two questions: Who is the one-eyed monster, and what happened to A-yeong? The one-eyed monster is not a literal creature but a symbol of Yang-rae's traumatic past. The past is tied to an oculus window from his childhood.

Meanwhile, the missing girl, A-yeong, is found alive by Detective Yeon-hui in a building with a similar window, just in time to save her from certain death.

DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this movie review belong solely to the author. This article contains spoilers for Revelations.

At its core, Revelations follows two characters, Pastor Sung Min-chan (played by Ryu Jun-yeol) and Detective Lee Yeon-hui (played by Shin Hyun-been). A devoted pastor, Sung Min-chan, faces personal and professional struggles when a rival megachurch threatens his congregation. His world spirals further when he becomes convinced that a recently released criminal has kidnapped his son.

Meanwhile, Lee Yeon-hui, a detective haunted by her sister's abduction, is forced to investigate the same suspect. This makes her question justice and revenge. The story unfolds as these two embark on separate yet intertwined quests driven by faith and desperation.

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Revelations ending explained: Unraveling the mystery of the one-eyed monster, A-yeong's fate, and final confrontation

The film's climax is a tense showdown between Min-chan, Yang-rae, and Yeon-hui. Min-chan is convinced that he's carrying out God's will. He kidnaps Yang-rae and plans to kill him. However, Yang-rae reveals he knows where A-yeong is hidden, cryptically stating that a "one-eyed monster" ate her. This clue becomes the key to unraveling the mystery.

The one-eyed monster is deeply tied to Yang-rae's traumatic past. Through conversations with his psychiatrist, Yeon-hui learns that Yang-rae was abused as a child in a house with an oculus window. It was a circular window that resembled a single eye.

This window in Revelations became a haunting symbol of his suffering and triggered his descent into violence whenever he encountered similar structures. The "monster" represents the trauma that consumed him and is not a physical being.

Yeon-hui connects the dots when her father mentions a "one-eyed thing" in a building he's remodeling. Realizing Yang-rae has likely hidden A-yeong in a house with such a window, she races against time to find her. In a finale sequence, Yeon-hui rescues A-yeong just as the building is about to be demolished.

This act not only saves the girl but also helps Yeon-hui heal from the guilt of failing to save her sister years before.

As for Min-chan in Revelations, his fate is sealed. He is arrested for his crimes and initially believes his actions were divinely justified. However, his faith shatters when Yeon-hui visits him in prison to tell him that A-yeong is alive. He realizes the "signs" he saw were products of his own delusion and not messages from God.

In a haunting final scene of Revelations, Min-chan spots a stain on his cell wall resembling Jesus and tries to wipe it away. This leaves viewers to wonder if he's truly free from his delusions or still trapped in his twisted faith.

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In the end, Revelations leaves viewers with a powerful question: Are the signs we see truly divine, or are they just reflections of our own desires and fears? The film's ambiguous ending ensures this question lingers long after the credits roll.