Wall to Wall ending explained: The main culprit remains untouched in a fiery ending

What would you prefer—a life Wall to Wall in tightly knitted compartments of a building, or a simple existence in a peaceful village? Korean filmmaker Kim Tae-joon wants to ask this question in his new film called Wall to Wall, or 84². The aptly named film follows Noh Woo-sung (Kang Ha-neul), a man who initially finds comfort in his compact apartment—until things spiral. But that happiness doesn’t last—it quickly turns into a nightmare.

The film centers on three key characters, including Woo-sung, the other two being Jin-ho (Seo Hyun-woo) and Eun-hwa (Yeom Hye-ran). Woo-sung inadvertently gets stuck in a personal battle between Jin-ho and Eun-hwa. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a personal battle. His real battle is with the relentless noise—and by the end of Wall to Wall, he realizes it’s something he’ll have to live with forever. That’s the real horror.

The secret behind the noise in Wall to Wall

Wall to Wall puts noise pollution at the core. (Image via Netflix)

As it turns out, the noise tormenting Woo-sung is no accident—it’s being orchestrated by his neighbor, Jin-ho, who is an investigative journalist and is in a feud with Eun-hwa. He has hacked into the building’s intercom and is now able to manipulate it according to his will. He can play that disturbing noise anytime he wants and anywhere he wants.

Jin-ho’s plan is to drive Woo-sung crazy and then frame the guy for a murder he didn’t commit. As the story progresses, it is revealed that Jin-ho tried to uncover the truth about poorly constructed apartments, but Eun-hwa, who used to be a prosecutor, stopped him from doing so—which might also have affected the journalist’s career in some way.

Woo-sung isn’t the only one affected by the noise. Others have complained about it too. However, Eun-hwa has been avoiding these complaints and burying them because she has a secret motive. She is buying apartments in the complex because, according to her sources, the property’s value is going to go up due to an upcoming rail project.

The noise pollution is just one piece of Jin-ho’s revenge plot to take Eun-hwa down.

Why does Woo-sung burn everything to ashes?

Wall to Wall also discusses a choice about living peacefully or chaotically. (Image via Netflix)

Don’t think of this as an explosion in the background with Iron Man walking away without watching it. This is more realistic.

What happens is, Woo-sung is actually frustrated with what has been happening in his life. He has befriended Jin-ho, and now both plan revenge on Eun-hwa for what she has done. Though Woo-sung isn’t really interested in killing, he wants to get rid of the chaos going on around him.

This final fight includes some evidence that points toward Eun-hwa’s shady dealings, which Jin-ho, who is dying, wants Woo-sung to reveal to the public. However, this is his trigger, and he says:

"Stop telling me what to do, you motherf*ckers."

And then he turns the oven on, puts that evidence in it, and leaves. Jin-ho has already cut the gas pipeline, so that causes the explosion. Everything burns!

A final choice

This isn’t exactly Wall to Wall’s end. We also have a scene where Woo-sung visits his village with his mother, which is the exact opposite of the chaotic urban life he was living. Still, he chooses to return, and the main culprit of the story—the noise—stays, as he laughs after hearing it again.