AI 시대, 모성의 실체를 묻다…연상호 신작 ‘실낙원’

The second low-budget project by director 연상호, titled '실낙원', is set to premiere on the 21st. Unlike its predecessor '얼굴' (2025), which depicted a coal mine town during South Korea's post-war economic growth of the 1970s, '실낙원' takes place near a small city where artificial intelligence (AI) technology has become commonplace for recreating deceased individuals.

'얼굴' garnered 108,000 cumulative viewers and 100 billion won in box office revenue by employing a unique financing model where key actors and crew members participated through equity stakes. '실낙원', on the other hand, boasts 14 rounds of filming and a production cost of 5 billion won. 이 감독's Netflix film '정이' featured the 10-year-old Kim Hyun-ju as a mother who tragically lost her child, and this new film sees her portraying a single mother named 소영 (Kim Hyun-ju).

Her young son, 선우 (Yujin-won), goes missing while on a camping trip with other children. Found in an abandoned area, five of the children are rescued, but 선우 and the remaining children vanish forever. After nine years, 소영 receives a call from the police claiming she meets a boy named 선우 (Byeon Hyun-seong), who appears to be her son.

However, the 19-year-old man before 소영 bears no resemblance to the beloved son she once knew. '실낙원' explores the theme of what constitutes human identity in an era where AI can learn and recreate human uniqueness. Building upon the themes of '군체', this film delves into the conflict between collective and individual values. This psychological thriller features Kim Hyun-ju playing her 10-year-old son, 선우, who is presumed dead.

As the movie progresses, the narrative questions the impact of AI on life and death, and the resulting paradoxical situation. The film's tension builds until the revelation of the 19-year-old 선우, but the latter half of the film struggles with logic, resulting in a somewhat diluted conclusion. Similarly intriguing is the prequel series '실낙원―유니버스' in a short video format, where director 연상호 utilized AI-generated content to expand the film's universe based on the screenplay.