Posted by Released on Netflix in October 2023, Ballerina can be considered one of the most fascinating and promising action movies of the year. This South Korean film explores one of the most iconic themes in Korean cinema: revenge at any cost. In this case, the role of the avenging angel takes the form of a woman, Ok-ju, who promises to seek vengeance for the death of her best friend. Who is responsible for her friend’s death? Will she succeed in avenging her friend? Ballerina is a gripping action film that will leave you breathless until the end. Here, you’ll have the plot and the ending carefully explained.
You can watch the official trailer of Ballerina here on YouTube.
Ballerina, the plot explained: why does she die, and who’s Chef Choi?
Let’s take a closer look at what Ballerina is about, its plot, and how the revenge unfolds. The protagonist of Ballerina is the young Ok-ju, a solitary girl with extraordinary fighting skills and strength, as we discover in the very first scene of the film, where she manages to neutralize four thugs who were robbing a convenience store. Her only friend is her best friend, nicknamed Ballerina because she is a classical ballet dancer. It was thanks to Ballerina that Ok-ju had managed to find beauty in life. Before her encounter with her best friend, the protagonist had no social connections with the world, and in her own words, it was Ballerina who showed her that there is also beauty and vitality in the world.
As the movie plot has explained to us, Ballerina is, in fact, the opposite of Ok-ju; yet, it was she who, shining with her own light, had invaded and warmed Ok-ju’s life. However, she takes her own life and leaves a note asking her friend to seek revenge for her death, with the name of the person responsible for her decision written on it.
“Chef Choi”, the name on the note left by Ballerina, is the first clue in a long treasure hunt that will not find its ending until her revenge is complete. While trying to figure out how to reach Chef Choi, Ok-ju answers a call on Ballerina’s phone. The voice on the other end of the line gives her an appointment (with the tone of an ultimatum) with who she believes to be Ballerina. The appointment is set for late at night in a tunnel. Thanks to this, Ok-ju can observe from a distance and identify who this person is. She deduces that Choi is involved in illegal activities. From there, she begins to follow him, studying her prey. She follows him to his home and waits until he leaves to see what’s inside and, most importantly, to gather information.
It’s here that Ok-ju discovers what happened to Ballerina in the movie plot. In a drawer, Ok-ju finds evidence related to Ballerina’s case. In the drawer there were USB sticks with the name of each victim written on them. Inside there were videos of sexual violence suffered while the victims had been drugged. Among the victims there was also Ballerina, and Choi kept her in check by threatening that he would spread those videos. Ok-ju decides to seek justice and uncover the truth about Ballerina’s plight.
Thanks to the miscrospies she had placed in Choi’s house, Ok-ju discovers where he usually selects his victims and goes to a nightclub to ensure that Choi chooses her. Her plan succeeds, and Choi takes her to a hotel where he had taken his other victims to film them. Ok-ju pretends to have drunk the glass containing the drug cocktail poured by Choi, and while he films her, she tries to attack him. She doesn’t manage to complete the task, but with the help of another girl, also a victim like her friend Ballerina, she manages to escape. This way, the plot of Ballerina comes closer to its ending: let’s have it explained separately.
Ballerina, the ending explained: the final revenge
Once we get to the ending of Ballerina, even Choi wants revenge after being disfigured by Ok-ju during their confrontation. He also needs to resolve the situation because the mafia clan he belongs to is putting pressure on him. Therefore, he must find and eliminate her as soon as possible. He tries to do this with the help of the corrupt pharmacist who prepares the mixtures he uses to drug his victims.
It will be Ok-ju who succeeds in her mission. After managing to escape, she will prepare for the final assault, armed to the teeth, and she will relentlessly eliminate anyone who stands between her and the revenge for her beloved Ballerina. One by one, each member of the mafia clan will fall, as they were all complicit in Ballerina’s death. Then, in the end, it will be the turn of the pharmacist, and finally, the ultimate revenge against Choi.
In the ending of Ballerina, the final revenge takes place by the seaside, Ballerina’s favorite place, known only to Ok-ju and her. That’s where Ok-ju will unleash the hell that awaits Choi, using her flamethrower and making him consume in the tongues of fire the one who extinguished Ballerina’s life.
