Derailed
Year: 2016
Runtime: 91 mins
Language: Korean
Director: Lee Seong-tae
Who is the worse guy? When two men find their lives derailed, they meet challenges that force them to face a fierce battle to protect their loved ones.
Warning: spoilers below!
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Derailed (2016) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained
Read the complete plot breakdown of Derailed (2016), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Jin-il, [Minho], leads a small gang of four runaway youths who scrape by on odd jobs and petty crime. Ga-young, [Jeong Da-eun], decides to run a prostitution scam by luring men, and Jin-il and Bong-gil, [Lee You-jin], steal from the client. When she tests the scam on her first target, Hyung-suk has no interest in sex but offers to help young people like her by giving them a job in his karaoke bar, a front that quietly doubles as a space where underage workers are groomed for prostitution. The first attempt spirals into violence: Hyung-suk beats the two boys, but they overpower him and reclaim his car and wallet. Later that night, as they try to sell the car, Jin-il and Ga-young recognize and are recognized by the buyer Sung-hoon, Ga-young’s former boyfriend who was jailed for murder but released early thanks to his wealthy family, after Jin-il tipped off authorities. They flee, narrowly escaping capture.
That same night, Hyung-suk tracks the pair down and abducts Jin-il and Ga-young. Under duress, after beating Jin-il, Hyung-suk forces Ga-young to sign a contract to work at his bar until the car is paid off—a debt Jin-il begins paying off by committing further crimes. Hyung-suk also tracks Sung-hoon, and confronts him to recover payment for Jin-il’s whereabouts. Sung-hoon, determined to know where Jin-il is, sends his own henchmen to locate Hyung-suk’s apartment and offers payment for Jin-il’s location.
In a separate sting operation, a failed scheme involving stolen cellphones (there were none) leads to Bong-gil being accidentally stabbed by his own knife and ending up in police custody after hospital release. Jin-il is arrested at the same time and, facing a mounting confession, tells the police that Hyung-suk’s bar is a front for a brothel that exploits underage girls. A police sting using Jin-il at the bar fails because Hyung-suk has removed Ga-young and pretends not to know Jin-il, and Jin-il escapes custody. Hyung-suk then warns his henchman that Ga-young will be released only if she proves too troublesome to keep around.
As the net tightens, Jin-il shadows Hyung-suk and discovers that he has a daughter. In a desperate bid to protect Ga-young, Jin-il abducts the girl. Hyung-suk agrees to release Ga-young if he can locate her, while Sung-hoon tailors his pursuit to follow Ga-young to Jin-il. Ga-young reaches a rooftop at a train station, where Jin-il braces for an imminent crisis, and he vows to disappear for a long while as police close in. Sung-hoon arrives with his henchmen, attempting to seize Ga-young, and attacks Jin-il. With his daughter safe, Hyung-suk rushes to the roof, frees Ga-young, and clashes with Sung-hoon, before turning his ire toward Jin-il for taking his daughter. Ga-young steps in, and Sung-hoon taunts their fated reunion after prison. In a final, brutal push, Jin-il shoves Sung-hoon over the rooftop railing, carrying himself over as well. They plummet several stories, and the scene leaves their fates ambiguous as the credits roll, with Jin-il shown moving weakly, leaving open whether either man survives.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:00
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Brutal Crime Descents like in Derailed
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Narrative Summary
Stories in this thread typically begin with a protagonist, often an ordinary person or a desperate youth, being drawn into a criminal enterprise. The narrative escalates through a series of violent encounters, betrayals, and escalating stakes, forcing the character to shed their former morality to survive in a brutal environment.
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These movies are grouped by their shared dark tone, high intensity, and fast pacing. They consistently explore themes of exploitation, survival, and moral ambiguity within a grim, often urban, criminal setting, creating a coherently brutal and anxious viewing experience.
Fatalistic Survival Thrillers like Derailed
Characters trapped in a downward spiral with no clear escape.Similar movies to Derailed that focus on desperate survival against impossible odds. If you were captivated by the heavy emotional weight and ambiguous, fatalistic ending of Derailed, this collection features stories with a similar oppressive and anxious mood.
Narrative Summary
The narrative pattern involves characters whose lives are 'derailed' by a single event or a series of misfortunes. They are thrust into a relentless struggle, often against multiple antagonistic forces, where every choice leads to further complication. The journey is a downward spiral, and the climax offers little catharsis, emphasizing the brutal and unforgiving nature of their circumstances.
Why These Movies?
These films share a heavy emotional weight, a dark and oppressive tone, and an ambiguous or bleak ending feel. The combination of desperate characters, high-tension survival scenarios, and a fatalistic worldview creates a specific, coherent vibe of anxious hopelessness.
Unlock the Full Story of Derailed
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Derailed Timeline
Track the full timeline of Derailed with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Characters, Settings & Themes in Derailed
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