Lucid Dream (film)

Lucid Dream
Theatrical poster
Hangul	루시드 드림
Revised Romanization	Lusideu Deurim
Directed by	Kim Joon-sung
Produced by	Hong Yong-su, Choi Sun-Joong
Written by	Kim Joon-sung
Starring	Go Soo Sol Kyung-gu Kang Hye-jung
Music by	Jo Yeong-wook
Cinematography	Park Hyun-Chul
Edited by	Kim Sang-bum Kim Jae-bum
Production company	Rod Pictures
Distributed by	Next Entertainment World (South Korea) Netflix (worldwide)
Release date	February 22, 2017 (2017-02-22)
Running time	101 minutes
Country	South Korea
Language	Korean
Budget	US$5 million[1]
Box office	US$676,598[2]

Lucid Dream (Hangul: 루시드 드림; RR: Lusideu Deurim) is a 2017 South Korean science fiction mystery thriller film written and directed by Kim Joon-sung in his directorial debut. The film was released theatrically in South Korea on February 22, 2017.^[3][4] Netflix premiered the film digitally worldwide on June 2, 2017.^[5]

Premise

Dae-ho, an investigative journalist, seeks to track down the whereabouts of his son who was abducted three years ago. With the help of a detective and a psychiatrist friend, he retraces his memory of the incident through the use of lucid dreaming techniques, eventually learning how to travel into the dreams of others.

Cast

Production

Director Kim Joon-sung was inspired to make the film by his own experiences with lucid dreaming and the success of the 2010 science fiction film Inception.^[3]

When asked what drew him to the production, lead actor Go Soo stated, "I enjoyed its lightweight feel, like reading a sci-fi novel...But I got nervous and had sweaty hands after reading through it. So I told the director that I wanted in although I was not that good at acting."^[3] Go Soo gained 10 kg, and later lost more than 18 kg, in order to physically portray the state of his character before and after he loses his son.^[4]

Principal photography began on April 6, 2015, and filming concluded on June 29, 2015 in front of Namhae Catholic Church in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk Province, South Korea.^[1][6]

Release

The film was originally scheduled for release in the fall of 2016. However, it was widely reported that the film was delayed due to the sexual assault and rape allegations that surfaced in June 2016 against actor and K-pop star Park Yoo-chun. A staff member of the production confirmed this, saying, "We had to wait until Park was free from the charge and reschedule the date."^[6] However, Kim Joon-sung denied this, stating, "It took longer than expected to complete the film because it has lots of computer graphics, which delayed the release."^[3] When asked why none of Yoo-chun's scenes were cut in the wake of the controversy, Joon-sung said, "I didn't because his is a character who provides the decisive clue in the story."^[3] Lucid Dream was eventually released theatrically in South Korea on February 22, 2017, distributed by Next Entertainment World.^[3]

Prior to the film's theatrical release, the American entertainment company Netflix licensed the rights to digitally distribute Lucid Dream worldwide sometime after its theatrical run. After the acquisition, Vice President of Communications for Netflix Asia, Jessica Lee, said, “We are looking forward to ‘Lucid Dream’ becoming a movie that’ll receive great love from audiences all around the world through Netflix”. On June 2, 2017, Netflix branded Lucid Dream as a "Netflix Original" and released the film on its digital streaming platform in 190 Netflix-serviced countries.^[7]

Reception

The film grossed $676,598 USD on a $5 million USD budget and was considered a box office bomb in South Korea.^[2]

Critic Min-Ji Jin of Korea JoongAng Daily wrote that, "Despite the original subject and star-studded cast, the science fiction thriller 'Lucid Dream'...fails to make full use of either." Jin said the plot and characterization were weak, believed the twist ending was forced, and compared the film unfavorably to Inception.^[4]

In a review for the Yonhap News Agency titled "Unsalvageable mediocrity," critic Sun-ah Shim wrote, "At face value...it could have been an engaging film, replete with drama, action and paternal love. Instead, it is a mediocre fare that makes for tedious viewing with a distinct lack of suspense." Shim thought, "The film crumbles mainly because of its wholly predictable and loose plot," adding that it, "recycles parts of dramatic devices from Hollywood blockbuster 'Inception'." Shim also disapproved of Park Yoo-chun's performance and believed that the film gave hints about its central mystery too early. In addition, like Jin, he thought the twist was forced. However, Shim gave positive nods towards the film's visual effects and Go Soo's performance.^[8]

References

External links

• Lucid Dream at HanCinema
• Lucid Dream at the Korean Movie Database
• Lucid Dream at Naver Movies (in Korean)