Director Yeon Sang-Ho wants to contribute to the AI conversation, but his soft sci-fi thriller Paradise Lost is too undeveloped to register.
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Original Title: 실낙원 (Sillagwon)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller, Mystery
Run Time: 101′
Rated: NR
U.S. & Canada Release: November 6, 2026
U.K. Release: TBA
Where to Watch: In theaters
There has been no shortage of movies examining and critiquing AI recently. Some are thoughtful, engaging and nuanced. Others are like Paradise Lost. The new endeavor from Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan) is clearly coming from a genuine place. The director—like many of us—seems concerned about the future of artificial intelligence, particularly how it can blur the line between fantasy and reality.
Unfortunately, this film never fully gets off the ground, and cannot take the AI conversation deeper. The result is a frustrating, if not downright silly, experience.
When So-young’s (Kim Hyun-joo) son, Sun-woo (Yu Ji-wan), disappears along with several other children, a company called TransHuman creates virtual reality glasses that allow the grieving parents to “reconnect” with AI versions of their children. So-young indulges herself with this fantasy for years until her son, now older (Bae Hyeon-seong), reappears. The plot grows increasingly contorted from there, twisting itself into a muddled soft sci-fi procedural.
My frustration arises from the promise of the film’s premise. Sci-fi, especially soft sci-fi that plants only the smallest suggestions of futuristic tech into the soil of the world as we know it, has more potential than any other genre to ask deep questions about our humanity. Think of Kogonada’s After Yang, for example. But in order for those questions to cut deep, the plot needs to do so as well. But Paradise Lost simply cobbles together several genre tropes and presents them in a completely uninteresting and outdated mis-en-scene. Someone should tell Yeon that shakycam stopped being cool around 2008.
The genericism begins with the opening shot: a coffee maker brewing a pot while the news is overheard in the background. From there, the audience is subjected to other tropes, such as voiceover narration and important plot points being relegated to one-on-one conversations in an office or a hallway. Even as the tension begins to ratchet up about halfway through the film, the direction lacks a personality, rendering the tension-building ineffective.
To make up for the lack of plot and depth, Yeon tries appealing to the emotions through Kim’s mother character. But emotionality without substance leaves every attempt at such emotion feeling hokey and unearned. Such is the case here. Kim is trying to find depth in a story and a character that has none. And while Bae does some interesting things with his character, the same issue ultimately plagues his performance, too.
It’s a shame, because Yeon has proven he can make suspenseful, timely thrillers, but the suspense the director generates in Paradise Lost usually feels silly and unearned rather than insightful or clever. It’s clear he wants to add his voice to this all-too-important discussion of AI. And while his contribution to that conversation isn’t necessarily too late, it certainly is too little.
Paradise Lost (2026): Movie Plot & Recap
Synopsis:
After several children, including her son Sun-woo, mysteriously disappear while on a bus to camp, So-young eases her grief by relying on a virtual reality version of her son. When her real son miraculously reappears, she must reckon with this new, artificial life she has created for herself.
Pros:
- Bae Hyeon-seong rises above the material to deliver the most compelling performance in the film, despite script issues involving his character.
Cons:
- Half-baked ideas about family dynamics and AI hold back the film because those themes remain at the surface level and never extend into interesting new territory.
- The script relies too heavily on exposition and lazy, unrewarding storytelling.
Beyond the Review
Is Paradise Lost (2026) based on a book?
Yes, Yeon Sang-ho’s Paradise Lost (2026) is based on Oh Seong-eun’s novel “Black Inferno” (2025). It’s not based on John Milton’s poem.
Is there a connection between Paradise Lost and the movie Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die?
No, Yeon Sang-ho’s Paradise Lost and Gore Verbinski’s Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die aren’t part of the same cinematic universe. There are thematic connections in how they explore AI, but they are unrelated films.
Was Yeon Sang-ho’s Paradise Lost screened at a festival?
Yes, Paradise Lost had its World Premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was screened as a ‘Special Presentation’.
Yeon Sang-ho’s Paradise Lost will be released in US and Canadian theaters on November 6, 2026. The digital release hasn’t been announced yet.