I also really liked Sang Yu’s visual transition from a degenerate starving artist to a clean-cut man in a suit. It’s impressive that the props were so well-made despite the sheer number of them. There were a lot of props in this film, considering that the main character is a supernatural antique thief. Personally, I think the set and prop design stole the show. The CGI was very realistic and better than a lot of contemporary Western fantasy superhero films. You can tell that this film had a big budget for visuals. As the only female main character in the film, the moviemakers could have really done better. And though Hua’er was given some personality, she still comes off as a manic pixie dream girl. In this day and age, I don’t expect to still see blatant stalking framed as a grand romantic gesture. Unfortunately, this film fell short of Sang Yu’s relationship with Hua’er. I appreciate the portrayal of his friendship with San, which had a natural and rather touching development. The lead role was excellently played by Darren Wang. He isn’t a hero, a villain or even an antihero he’s just a person. And even though his first priority is himself, he is neither selfish nor particularly careless. Sang Yu does what most reasonable people would do if they woke up (or in his case, fell asleep) with superpowers he makes money. The old superhero trope of immediately trying to save the world or wreaking vengeance on enemies is a little stale. Something I appreciate about this film is that although it is fantasy, the actions and thought processes of the characters are realistic. There were too many mixed metaphors and the ending felt cobbled together, with a very vague conclusion. However, in my opinion, the deeper spiritual meaning the film aimed for fell a little flat at the end. The film took a few unexpected turns and played on the psychological aspect more than I expected. While watching this, I could tell that there was a twist coming, but it wasn’t what I expected. Of course, power comes with consequences. He starts bringing back precious antiques which he pawns for huge amounts of money. He learns how to wake himself up at will, which comes with one amazing perk he can bring items from his dream world back to his current reality. The old man tells him that whenever he’s in the middle of a nightmare, he should just tell himself “I’m only dreaming”. A kind street vendor saves him at the last minute, offering a free meal and some advice. With no money, no family, no prospects and his sanity in shambles, he sends San a suicide note via text and climbs onto a building to jump to his death. He eventually comes home to find himself evicted. With everything else going on, Sang Yu still frequently passes by a nearby café to watch Hua’er, a girl he’s pining after. His agent, San, is hounding him to finish the script he got an advance for, and his landlord is demanding unpaid rent. Unable to sleep properly for months on end, he can no longer write. He tries to cure his chronic insomnia by going to various healers without success. Every time he sleeps, he crosses over to a strange alternate reality where a dark shadowy figure attacks him. The movie follows the life of Sang Yu, a poor screenwriter plagued by terrifying nightmares. Be warned, the film involves violence and themes of suicide. The film received mixed reviews, however, it’s a good watch if you want to see a dark fantasy spin on the age-old rags-to-riches story. The romance subplot helps balance out the brooding and introspective energy of the film. The film has a mish-mash of genres I would best describe it as a fantasy superhero movie meets psychological thriller.įans of Inception will enjoy the reality-bending storyline and visuals. Welcome back to Netflix Hidden Gems! Continuing with our tour of Asia, we’re heading over to China with Super Me (2019).
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