Director Yeon Sang-ho / Courtesy of Netflix

Director Yeon Sang-ho, renowned for exploring complex social issues in films and series like "Train to Busan" and "Hellbound," returns with the Netflix movie "Revelations," which delves into the dangerous consequences of selective belief in contemporary society.

"Nowadays, people only want to see what they want to see and believe what they want to believe. That's why things like this are happening in Korea right now," the director told The Korea Times during an interview in Seoul on Monday. "Coincidentally, the timing of 'Revelations' coming out makes me feel that this work was born from this era."

"Revelations" tells the story of pastor Sung Min-chan (Ryu Jun-yeol), who believes he is acting on divine revelation to punish a culprit in a missing person case and detective Lee Yeon-hui (Shin Hyun-bin), haunted by her deceased sibling's visions as she investigates the same case.

The film is based on the 2022 online comic of the same name, written by the director with illustrations by cartoonist Choi Gyu-seok.

Yeon elaborated on the film's exploration of human desire and selective perception.

"Like everyone else, I'm curious about my life. I often wonder why my life is going this way. In that process, desires naturally get projected, and sometimes, we even lie to ourselves. When you desire something, you only see what you want to see, and you interpret everything in your desired direction."

He further emphasized how this phenomenon is amplified in today's society.

"It seems that this era emphasizes individual tastes. In the past, when you went to a clothing store, you might have made unexpected choices while browsing. But now, people buy only what they want online. Similarly, streaming platforms analyze individual preferences and reinforce individuality," he said.

"One of the characteristics of humans is that they tend to reinforce their desires, seeing and doing only what they want. With industrialization and the advancement of society, we are increasingly living in an era where we only see what we want to see."

Actor Ryu Jun-yeol plays pastor Sung Min-chan in Netflix movie "Revelations." Courtesy of Netflix

This trend served as significant inspiration for "Revelations."

"This era has led me to create a movie that only sees what they want. The movie ‘Revelations' was created from the point of view of making a movie that only sees what you want through desire," he added.

Yeon clarified that while the film touches upon issues within the church, it is not solely focused on religious institutions.

"The focus isn't on the church itself, although it does depict some of its problems. The main motif is the reality of only seeing what one desires and the societal atmosphere that emphasizes this," Yeon said.

Yeon often features characters like pastors or cult leaders in his works because their professions hold a unique cinematic appeal for him.

"I think it's a very cinematically compelling profession to have faith as a profession. Faith itself is a profession, and I think there's something dramatic about that," he said.

Yeon also shared details about his upcoming film, "The Ugly," based on his 2018 graphic novel "Face." Starring actor Park Jeong-min, the film is set to be released in theaters later this year.

"It's a film I invested in producing, so I'm personally quite nervous. Even from the beginning of this project, I thought I had to do it regardless of whether it would generate [a] profit," the director said, adding that he is attempting to create as many diverse works as possible to find common ground with the audience.