Hi fiction lover! It’s been a while since I reviewed a show, so I decided to tell you my thoughts about Wonderland (Korean Movie). Wow, this cast is amazing! First we have Bae Suzy, who I loved in While You Were Sleeping. Then we have Park Bogum who played a stunning prince in Love in the Moonlight. I am not too familiar with Tang Wei or Jung Yumi, although I know they are seasoned actresses. I got a glimpse of Choi Wooshik in Our Beloved Summer though! The actors really came through and each brought an individual flare that kept me wanting more from each character.
The movie is described as a fantasy sci fi romance, where AI has allowed people to communicate with their deceased loved ones. The concept is killer, and the story follows two main storylines—a flight attendant and her comatose boyfriend, and a mother who wants to be a part of her daughter’s life.
The Charm of Wonderland (Korean Movie)
Bai Li starts us off strong here with a mother’s bond with her daughter. I was pleasantly surprised that this film utilizes Mandarin, English, and Korean, with a heavier focus on the latter. Anyway, I was intrigued by the AI concept and wondered whether this is actually in our future—a program to talk to deceased loved ones? Would you sign up for such a program? I think I would be freaked out, but I would like to try it out. I don’t think I’d get over the fact that I’m talking to an imitation though.
On the other main thread of the story, we have Jeongin, who is waiting for her boyfriend Taeju to wake up. In the meantime, she seems more than happy to talk to him through the program. How sweet! I was almost fooled too by such realistic and heartwarming calls from his job up in outer space. This convinced me to give a program like Wonderland a try if it ever came out. Also, this got me thinking more about the possibility of AI as a romantic partner. Wouldn’t that be a huge and controversial thing if that takes off? I feel like we can already see it happening with certain apps. Jeongin and Taeju have both changed since the days before Taeju’s hospitalization. But I kept rooting for them to rekindle their romance!
There are several twists and turns in the story. All I can say is that I love Bai Li’s love for her daughter, and the mending of the relationship between Taeju and Jeongin. I definitely questioned a lot of things while watching. What makes us human? What really qualifies as reality? If you are wanting your brain to be itched while still enjoying a compelling story, I definitely recommend you to take a look at Wonderland.
Should You Watch It?
With endless options on Netflix and other platforms, it can be hard to know whether to take the plunge and invest two hours into a movie. I’m here to say that you very much might enjoy Wonderland, especially if you are drawn to speculative shows with a hint of romance, and maybe a bit of a haunting element. It’s definitely not a horror by any means, and my heart was warmed many times, but it will challenge you and leave you pondering long after the credits show.
Taeju was the standout character for me, with how it seemed like you could be viewing vastly different twins, program Taeju and post-accident Taeju. I couldn’t help but root for him, even though he may have lost a part of himself since going through rehab and the hospital. I am a sucker for sweet characters who make an effort!
I’m realizing that spoiler-free is definitely a challenge to commit to, but I just want to leave you with a bit of a taste of Wonderland. With the surge of AI in the world now, I know that more and more things will be possible, so much so that we might just question our reality in the future.
Thank you so much for reading this review of Wonderland (Korean movie), and be sure to check out my blog if you’re also a fan of fiction!
I agree this was charming in many respects, but overall was left with too many unanswered questions about whether or not the AI recreated people were self aware and how that would even be possible. Would have enjoyed seeing either more of the science (even if imaginary science) to explain exactly how the system operated or more of the human side (Park Bo Gum and Suzy transitioning into a new normal for them; the little girl allowed to grieve for her mother instead of being lied to). The man in Hawaii was an attempt at humor, but fell short and just took away time that should have been given to filling out the two main stories. Bo Gum and Suzy did an amazing job and deserved a chance to continue their journey. (Another question: why did the father who died want to be at his own funeral? It wouldn’t actually be him, but his AI copy. He faced death as going on vacation, but that whole scenario made the death process too flippant, and he and his family had no meaningful interaction to say goodbye. After all, the AI was not the person. The actual person was dead and not having fun in Hawaii. The self awareness of the archaeologist towards the end, her “real” concern for her daughter and her ability to breach the computer system was pretty corny. How the real man interfaces into the AI world was also distracting to my ability to get into the story. Why would a real man even care to speak with an artificial creation? Like he had a crush on this dead woman’s image? Sort of creepy. Just my thoughts. Worth the watch to see Bo Gum’s amazing skills but left me wanting more great acting and less underdeveloped sci-fi. I would rate as 7 out of 10.
I agree with you! The concept was ambitious but was lacking in areas, particularly in many things left unexplained. I was also wondering as well whether the AI is really aware. We are led to believe that, but at the same time it’s hard when we are certain that the real person has already left the earth.
Like you, I absolutely adored Bo Gum, but it wasn’t really clear exactly how much he changed after the hospitalization–rather it was told to us and we were just supposed to believe. I understand that he was distant and not as happy, but I wanted to see more of that on screen.
Thanks for your great insight!