One thing that is clear about Artificial Intelligence (AI) is that it is ‘artificial’ by design. Sure, AI is the future, but can it really replicate real experiences and heal broken hearts and grief? ‘Wonderland’, directed by Kim Tae-yong, takes on this well-thought-out futuristic theme, but despite having a stellar cast (Gong Yoo, Choi Woo-shik, Park Bo-gum and Bae Suzy), the film fails to capture the one real thing that AI cannot possibly guarantee – the human ability to process emotions.

The film revolves around Wonderland, a South Korean app that provides a digital service that allows loved ones to communicate with the deceased or those in a coma in the form of an illusion; perhaps to reduce trauma or train their mind to become subservient to this illusion.

Watch the trailer here:

One can argue that if it helps a person move forward in life, what is the harm in it? Also, the effect of this AI simulation on a person’s mind has already been shown in American films like ‘Her’ and ‘Black Mirror’. ‘Wonderland’ is also a similar version, but its implications and characters are not shown in enough detail to make an impact.

‘Wonderland’ has three parallel stories – one with a baby, one with a grandmother and a mother, another involving a young couple (Bo-gum and Suzy), and finally, a grandmother and her grandson. All of their stories are connected by the app, which helps keep the family afloat until they are forced to choose whether they want to continue living in the illusion or accept reality. In between all of this are the people who help sell the services, played in the film by Woo-shik, Gong Yoo, and Jung Yu-mi.

Co-written by Kim Tae-yong and Min Ye-ji, the film doesn’t attempt to give any background to the stories or characters we’re supposed to sympathize with. The star cast doesn’t disappoint; every actor performs to the best of his ability. But, it’s hard to carry an incomplete script beyond a certain point. The film doesn’t give the audience a chance to connect with these characters, thanks to its complicated timelines and screenplay.

The cinematography and VFX are one of the biggest highlights of the film. Every effort has been made to make the production perfect. After all, Korean cinema is known for doing this job right.

The theme of the film is thought-provoking, no doubt about it, but its weak execution doesn’t let it move forward the way it should have. There are a lot of flaws in the story, which if handled carefully, could have made it a great story. But for now, it’s just a hit-and-miss. ‘Wonderland’ is currently streaming on Netflix.