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This type of film requires a specific type of mood to properly enjoy. It's not the type to spoon-feed you the hard facts, and - in my personal experience at least - the lack of any good English subtitles will add to the challenge. Yet, for all of that, it's an odd little, flawed, but incredibly memorable gem.
(As this review is rather long, feel free to skip to the last two paragraphs if you're having a tldr moment!)
Story:
WARNING: this is NOT an innocent film. For all its pretty colours and pretty characters, when it gets dark, it gets reeeeaaal dark. Due to spoilers I can't give much else away but just-... this is not a light-hearted story. Be prepared.
That aside you'll likely be confused, a lot, throughout this film: I was. Though the main plot behind it all is actually rather simple, (and unveiled right at the end), the way it's portrayed through a surreal lens made it an intriguing puzzle I found hard to piece together, until it was too late. Several times I thought, "AHA! I know what's going on!" But then there'd always be this one thing, then two, then several which just didn't make sense still. What's real? Was I right? You'll be doing a lot of guessing, I imagine. Even the end of the ending left me with questions.
But exactly because of that I've rated the 'Rewatch Value' rather high. I'll absolutely rewatch this film at some point, now that I know some solid facts. I feel like there's a lot of symbolism and hidden messages that I'll be able to properly appreciate the second time around. And I certainly won't be looking at the characters, and their interactions, in the same light ever again.
Atmosphere:
I don't usually give 'atmosphere' its whole own section but man, is it the main pull of this film! As hard as I had to concentrate and speculate, once I was in I honestly couldn't leave: no matter how awful the subtitles sometimes became. There's a very peculiar and yet captivating beauty to this film, like a surreal and yet dark, twisted fairy-tale. Dreams and nightmares constantly blur lines and even until the end you'll never really know for sure if some things actually happened or not. Prepare to get messed up. (And I say that with entertained but bittersweet love, as I adored it, in its own, quirky little way.)
Acting & Characters:
Oh Hong Jong Hyun! The way he played Hwan, or even just Hwan as a character, is unforgettable. (And so refreshing in comparison to his role in Scarlet Heart Ryeo.) I feel like he really stood out amongst the rest of the cast which, in general, was pretty average. Jung So Min (playing the main female lead, Hye Jung) did her job rather well, but I think I could've felt more for her? While Soo Ryeon's potential feels wasted: there was a lot of intense emotion there that I don't think got enough screen-time.
The other characters...are okay. I still can't decide whether they're entirely necessary however, especially some of their scenes. The actress who was Hye Jung's aunt did a good job in her role though. And it was nice to see a contrast of viewpoints: Hye Jung in the 'dreamworld', and the family in 'real-world', each striving towards the truth.
Music:
Meh. Though certainly not a hindrance I don't actually remember much of it. There's one song in particular that I grew fond of however. You'll know what I mean when you get there.
Overall, this film messed me up. The impression it left on me for the rest of the night - and still does - is actually rather remarkable and deserves some praise. It's peculiar, convoluted, symbolic, and really twisted. One on end I want to rate it badly: as a story I don't think it succeeded in finding the fine balance between clarity and mystery, and the conclusion isn't exactly a proper conclusion either. While on the other hand, emotionally it stirred me up and the atmosphere is so worth it.
So if you're sick and tired of the average straight road with the predictable bends, and are looking for something different - like I was - this is the film for you.
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