Wonderland

I had high expectations for this film due to its intriguing storyline and the presence of talented actors. However, it ended up being somewhat of a disappointment. The narrative was quite convoluted, making it difficult to follow unless you had already read the story it was based on. This lack of clarity meant that, without prior knowledge of the plot, viewers might find themselves confused or only understand the unfolding events much later. Despite the promising premise, the execution fell short, leaving many questions unanswered and many scenes feeling disjointed.

What kept me engaged were the performances of the actors, who delivered their roles with commendable skill and depth. Their talent was the saving grace of the film, bringing some life to an otherwise muddled storyline. It's a pity that their efforts were overshadowed by the film's structural issues.

In the end, while the film had its moments, it didn't live up to the high expectations I had. I can only give it a 5 out of 10, primarily because of the actors' performances, whom I truly admire. Their dedication and talent shone through, even if the film itself did not.

With the reality and impact of AI on the horizon, the premise of this thought-provoking movie is what if a technology business could create a convincing, life-based avatar of a loved one who's died or is in a vegetative state. The business model requires you to maintain their 'life' by subscription and to pay for things they 'need' or 'want' as you interact with them. This postpones mourning for the living but creates ripples in their lives that leaves the pain of their losses fresh.

It asks what would you pay to have one more conversation with your mother or father, or hide a mother's death from young child, or watch your dead child grow up on your cell phone through an app? What if you cannot afford the service in perpetuity? What if someone lost to you comes back to life a different person than the avatar you've come to love?

Very thought provking premise, the actors were almost less important though Park Bo-Geum is always compelling.

This film envisions a near-future world where people interact with artificial intelligence that mimics the deceased and those in comas. It intricately weaves multiple instances of these interactions into parallel narratives, creating a complex and layered storytelling experience. The overall tone is pleasant and visually appealing, with subtle dystopian undertones and a touch of magical realism.

The storyline provided by IMDB isn't entirely accurate. Key storylines include a deceased mother interacting as an AI with her daughter and mother, and a young woman engaging with an AI of her lover in a coma. Another major plotline involves the people running the AI service, with additional instances of the AI service in use depicted throughout the film.

The spoken languages include Korean, English, and Chinese.

I would strongly suggest that people research the premise of the movie before watching as it takes a long time before the storyline becomes clear. In a world where loved ones who have passed but can be created in an AI universe we see stories of how people connect and how our memories of people are not all they seem. The movie cast includes Tang Wei, Bae Suzy, Park Bo-gum and Gong Yoo who along with the rest of the cast deliver great performances. I am not surprised it failed to be popular in Korean cinemas on release as it was released in the summer when you expect action blockbusters not films leaving viewers to question the depths of human connection. I viewed it on a streaming service, knew the plot and thought it was an interesting watch.

I understand the frustration by some reviewers, but I wonder if they're a little harsh. This movie made me think of Black Mirror, which gets rave reviews for its futuristic dystopian themes. However this movie, which in my opinion holds the same genre, is getting beaten up for not being "complete". I think that open-endedness is part of its creativity. If you follow k dramas, you'll know the stellar cast in this film, even the smaller roles. I thought the emotions portrayed were almost heart wrenching at times. I do believe you need to be into this type of artistic genre to enjoy and appreciate it, but if you like Black Mirror, I think you should give it a chance!