The Wig 2005
Directed by
Won Shin-yeon
Made by
Corea Entertainment
The Wig Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Wig (2005). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
A young woman named Soo-hyeon, Chae Min-seo, is battling cancer, and her mute older sister Ji-hyeon, Yu Seon, decides that Soo-hyeon should come home to enjoy what little time she has left rather than spend it in a hospital. To help her cope, Ji-hyeon buys a long-haired wig so Soo-hyeon can go out without feeling ashamed of being bald, and Soo-hyeon embraces the gift with contagious happiness, wearing it constantly and beginning to look and act healthier, more confident, and more radiant as she ventures out into the world.
Soon, however, Soo-hyeon grows vain and becomes fixated on the wig, even attempting to win Ji-hyeon’s boyfriend, Kyeong-joo, Sa Hyeon-jin. He ends things with Ji-hyeon, showing little interest in Soo-hyeon. When one of Ji-hyeon’s friends discovers her husband’s infidelity, Soo-hyeon lends her the wig, insisting it will boost her confidence and beauty. The next day, that friend is found dead with her husband, both covered in hair, and the wig is mysteriously returned to Soo-hyeon. Frightening visions of the friend’s demise haunt Soo-hyeon, and she cruelly ignores Ji-hyeon’s attempts at conversation, while disturbing images plague her mind. She even tries to sleep with Ji-hyeon’s ex, but Ji-hyeon intervenes, and the two drive home as Soo-hyeon goads her.
Back at home the sisters fall into silence until Soo-hyeon washes the wig and Ji-hyeon spots a ghost in it, revealing that the wig is cursed and corrupts Soo-hyeon. Ji-hyeon takes control, seizing the wig, locking Soo-hyeon in her room, and cutting the cursed item to shreds. The cancer returns with renewed force, and Soo-hyeon is forced back into the hospital, where she escapes by skipping her medication, leaving a disturbing image of her pulling pills from a bloody scalp.
The truth behind the haunting emerges: the wig belonged to a man who had been in a romantic relationship with Ji-hyeon’s ex Kyeong-bin Rah. As a gay man, he faced shame from Ji-hyeon’s ex, was beaten by a group of teens, and after his hair was cut, he took his own life. The ghost of this man begins to corrupt and possess Soo-hyeon, guiding her to seek out Ji-hyeon’s ex, and the two reconnect. As they share a kiss, Soo-hyeon’s hair grows at an impossible speed, and Ji-hyeon arrives to set fire to the strands, freeing her sister and destroying the ghost. Yet a terrifying twist follows: Ji-hyeon hallucinates that the ghost is still with them and, believing she is protecting Soo-hyeon, strikes her sister. Only then does she realize it was a hallucination, and she collapses in tears at what she has done. The film ends with a photograph of the two sisters as children, a reminder of their bond before cancer and Ji-hyeon’s loss of speech.
The Wig Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of The Wig (2005) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Soo-hyeon comes home for her last days
Soo-hyeon, a young woman battling cancer, is brought home by her sister Ji-hyeon to spend her remaining time outside the hospital. Ji-hyeon buys her a long-haired wig to help her feel confident despite her illness. With the wig, Soo-hyeon appears healthier and more animated, venturing out of the house more often.
Wig-fueled vanity emerges
Soo-hyeon becomes increasingly vain and obsessed with the wig, using it to project a glamorous image. She even tries to win Ji-hyeon's boyfriend, causing tension between the sisters. The boyfriend breaks up with Ji-hyeon, and Soo-hyeon finds little support from him.
The wig goes to a friend
A friend of Ji-hyeon's discovers her husband is cheating and Soo-hyeon lends her the wig, hoping the friend will feel prettier. The friend uses the wig and seems steadier for a moment. The next day, the friend and her husband are found dead, and the wig is returned to Soo-hyeon.
The curse begins to reveal itself
Back at home, Soo-hyeon ignores Ji-hyeon's attempts to talk and is haunted by frightening visions of the friend's demise. The wig's influence grows stronger, and eerie events begin to escalate around them. The sisters' relationship strains under fear and suspicion.
A dangerous encounter on the road
Soo-hyeon tries to have sex with Ji-hyeon's ex, shattering the sisters' trust. Ji-hyeon intercepts, grabs Soo-hyeon, and drives them home, where the tension between them lingers. The wig's power seems to push Soo-hyeon toward reckless choices.
The ghost is revealed in the wig
Upon returning home, the sisters are quiet until Soo-hyeon washes the wig and Ji-hyeon sees a ghost within it. The apparition reveals that the wig is cursed and corrupts Soo-hyeon's mind. Ji-hyeon understands the danger and prepares to act.
Ji-hyeon seizes the wig
Ji-hyeon grabs the cursed artifact, locks Soo-hyeon in her room, and cuts the wig to shreds. The curse intensifies as Soo-hyeon's illness returns stronger. The sisters' crisis deepens as they grapple with the supernatural threat.
Hospital escape
Soo-hyeon returns to the hospital but escapes the ward, refusing to take her medication. Her flight marks a plunge toward the wig's haunting climax.
Wig origin and the ghost's motive
It is revealed the wig belonged to a man who had been in a romantic relationship with Ji-hyeon's ex; he was gay, shunned, and beaten, leading to his suicide. His ghost becomes the active force corrupting Soo-hyeon. The haunting becomes personal as he pursues Ji-hyeon's ex.
The ghost guides a reunion
The ghost guides Soo-hyeon toward Ji-hyeon's ex, and the two share a kiss, signaling a fragile reconciliation. Soo-hyeon's hair grows at an impossible rate, a stark sign of the ghost's power. The bond between the living and the dead tightens around the sisters.
Fire destroys the hair
Ji-hyeon appears and sets fire to the long hair, trying to release her sister and destroy the ghost. The act appears to succeed briefly, but it triggers a terrifying hallucination for Ji-hyeon. The sisters confront the consequences of their choices.
A deadly illusion
Ji-hyeon hallucinates that the ghost is in the same place as Soo-hyeon and viciously attacks her sister. Only afterward does she realize the vision was a hallucination. The moment marks a devastating turning point in their relationship.
Soo-hyeon dies
Soo-hyeon dies as the cancer returns with renewed force, while Ji-hyeon grieves and tries to understand what happened. She realizes too late that some of the horrors may have been misperceived. The sisters' bond is left shattered by tragedy.
Ending memory
The film ends with a photograph of the two sisters as children, before Soo-hyeon's illness and Ji-hyeon's loss of speech. The image contrasts their carefree past with the present sorrow.
The wig's curse defined
The wig's curse drives the entire story, exposing themes of jealousy, grief, and the dangers of vanity. The ghost's origin and the sisters' fates intertwine in a tragedy that lingers beyond the final image.
The Wig Characters
Explore all characters from The Wig (2005). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Ji-hyeon (Yu Seon)
Ji-hyeon is mute after a car accident that damaged her throat, relying on nonverbal communication to navigate her world. She becomes the guardian of her ailing sister, attempting to shield Soo-hyeon from the consequences of her vanity and the curse of the wig. Her determination leads her to confront the ghostly danger, culminating in a confrontation that tests her sanity and love for her sister.
Soo-hyeon (Chae Min-seo)
Soo-hyeon is a cancer patient who, facing terminal illness, becomes enamored with the wig as a conduit to regain vitality and social acceptance. Her vanity and jealousy push her to manipulate others and threaten relationships. The wig's influence reveals the fragility of identity and the consequences of chasing beauty at any cost.
The Wig Settings
Learn where and when The Wig (2005) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Location
South Korea
The story unfolds primarily in the sisters' home and in medical environments, reflecting a contemporary Korean setting. The domestic space becomes the engine of tension as vanity and fear take hold. Hospitals recur as the place where Soo-hyeon's illness is confronted and treated.
The Wig Themes
Discover the main themes in The Wig (2005). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
🪞
Vanity
Soo-hyeon's adoption of the wig triggers a dangerous fixation with appearance, blurring the line between confidence and self-obsession. The pursuit of beauty becomes a catalyst for moral compromise and strained family ties. The film uses vanity to explore how looks can mask pain and fuel control over others.
👻
Possession
The wig is revealed to be a conduit for a male ghost whose tragic death and rejection linger. The spirit corrupts Soo-hyeon, invading her thoughts and actions, turning intimate moments dark. Supernatural forces intensify psychological horror, making appearance-driven vanity feel like a haunting.
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Sibling bond
Ji-hyeon and Soo-hyeon share a complicated sisterhood shaped by care and secrecy. Ji-hyeon's mute resilience drives her protective instinct, while Soo-hyeon's desperation strains their relationship. The sisters confront guilt, fear, and the consequences of choices in a fragile, tense dynamic.
The Wig Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of The Wig (2005). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In a quiet, sunlit home that feels both sanctuary and cage, Su‑hyeon, a young woman confronting the final chapters of a terminal illness, returns to the care of her older sister Ji‑hyeon. Their relationship, forged in years of unspoken affection, is suddenly brightened by a simple, intimate gesture: a long‑hair wig meant to let Su‑hyeon step back into the world without the visible reminder of her fading health. The gift carries an air of tenderness, promising a brief taste of normalcy and confidence to a life eclipsed by medicine.
The film unfolds with a hushed, almost reverent atmosphere, where everyday rooms are soaked in soft, natural light that slowly gives way to shadows that seem to linger a heartbeat longer than they should. A subtle dread threads through the domestic setting, turning familiar textures—hair, mirrors, the sound of a sister’s sigh—into conduits for something unseen. The tone balances fragile warmth with a growing sense of unease, inviting the audience to breathe with the characters while feeling an undercurrent of something unsettling beginning to stir.
As Su‑hyeon dons the wig, her demeanor shifts in ways that feel both empowering and oddly foreign. Confidence blooms, yet the very object that restores her outward appearance also seems to echo with a quiet, persuasive whisper. Ji‑hyeon watches, at first with relief, then with a dawning apprehension, as the sister she has always known starts to seem a shade different—her eyes flicker with an intensity that hints at an inner conflict beyond the physical illness they both know so well.
The story teeters between the tenderness of sibling devotion and the uncanny tension of a home that may be harboring a hidden presence. It asks quietly whether love can shield us from the shadows that cling to our most personal artifacts, and whether the line between comfort and possession might be thinner than a strand of hair. The mood remains contemplative, inviting curiosity about how far the bond between the sisters can stretch when something as simple as a wig begins to reshape their reality.
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