Yeon Sang-ho is pumping out films left, right, and centre these days. This is his fourth film in the last two years, and given that Colony, released only a month ago, was a great cinema experience, it’s scary to think he’s already back with another. Paradise Lost is a psychological thriller with a tone similar to his film from last year, The Ugly. Continuing his exploration of AI first touched on in his previous film, he fully embraces future tech here to tell a poignant and thrilling narrative.

Ryu So‑Young (Kim Hyun-joo) is a single mother getting her son, Ryu Sun‑Woo, ready for a camping trip, making sure his rice balls are prepared and trying to give him an umbrella despite his protests that he doesn’t need one. She believes this is an essential childhood experience; however, everyone on the camping‑trip bus is kidnapped. In the days that follow, the teacher is found dead, and the bodies of several children are discovered, with the rest presumed dead. Years later, now living with an AI version of her son that she can speak to through a pair of glasses, she is shocked to learn that her real son has reappeared alive and well.

Narratively, the film is truly unpredictable, veering in a direction no one sees coming. And while it’s safe to say the older Sun‑Woo is sinister in nature, given how he’s introduced and portrayed, what could easily have become a cliché story instead turns into something meaningful. The film explores our reliance on AI and technology in our day‑to‑day lives, something we’re witnessing in real time. With kids glued to screens and apps like TikTok and YouTube, these platforms, though not inherently AI, still shape children’s realities, influencing how they perceive the world and interact with others.

The same naturally applies to AI, which is designed to be friendly with us and learn from us. What was meant to be a tool to help So‑Young grieve has become something she relies on, a way to keep close the child who was taken from her far too early. This makes it all the more heartbreaking that the older Sun‑Woo is not the innocent boy we met at the beginning. Everything builds toward a quietly devastating ending, the culmination of how this AI allowed her to depend on a version of her son that never truly existed.

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Hang-So’s direction is as tight as ever, letting every moment of tension reverberate down your spine. The film is so tense that when the credits rolled, I couldn’t believe how quickly it all unfolded. It’s paced with sheer perfection, never overstaying its welcome. While the cinematography and score may not wow audiences familiar with Hang-so’s other work or South Korean thrillers more broadly, the performances truly stand out.

Hyun-joo is excellent as So Young, delivering a subtle yet powerful performance as a mother who never truly overcame the loss of her child. Because she never healed from that trauma, every moment of her grief is on full display through Hyun-joo’s incredible work. Bae Hyun‑Sung is also great as the older Sun Woo, offering a performance that beautifully contrasts with Hyun‑joo’s and lets the film’s themes fully flourish.

Paradise Lost is another success for Hang‑so, delivering a truly enthralling psychological thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from the moment the CJ Entertainment logo appeared to the instant the credits rolled. It’s a tantalisingly good time – gripping, lean, and executed with absolute confidence.

Had its world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival / Kim Hyun-joo, Bae Hyeon-seong / Dir: Yeon Sang-ho / Well Go USA

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