[Sportschosun reporter Jo Ji-young] The ultra-low-budget artbuster by Yeon Sang-ho, the director behind the ‘Yeon-niverse,’ has returned to shake audiences to their core.
A production presentation for the thriller ‘Paradise Lost’ (directed by Yeon Sang-ho and produced by WOWPOINT) was held on the morning of the 18th at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The event was attended by Kim Hyun-joo, who plays Ryu Soo-young, a mother who lost her son nine years ago and has managed to get through each day by meeting him through an AI program; Bae Hyun-seong, who plays Ryu Seon-woo, the son who disappeared after a mysterious accident and returns nine years later; and director Yeon Sang-ho.
‘Paradise Lost’ is a mysterious story that begins when a child who disappeared in a camping-school bus incident nine years earlier returns to his mother, now fully grown. It is Yeon Sang-ho’s second low-budget project, following last year’s ultra-low-budget film ‘The Ugly,’ made for 200 million won, which caused a stir in theaters. Approximately 500 million won was invested in its production.
Yeon Sang-ho, who demonstrated his international standing when ‘Colony,’ released in May this year, was invited to the Midnight Screening section of the Cannes <a href="https://cinemamix360.com/2026/09/18/the-guadalajara-film-festival-is-preparing-to-build-bridges-through-cinematography/" title="The Guadalajara Film Festival is preparing to build bridges through cinematography”>Film Festival, followed that achievement with more good news. His new film ‘Paradise Lost’ was invited to the Special Presentation section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), held this month. ‘Paradise Lost,’ which premiered at TIFF on the 13th local time, received favorable reviews, including “A family thriller harboring dark secrets” from The Film Stage, “Kim Hyun-joo’s intense performance firmly guides the film” from Next Best Picture, and “It avoids easy melodrama and draws out raw emotions without excess” from Synapse.
After premiering at TIFF, we held our send-off ceremony, and now that I am in Korea to properly present the film, I am very excited,” Yeon said. “Before entering the theater at TIFF, there is a place along the main boulevard where we meet fans. I always worried, ‘What if no one shows up?’ But there were so many people. When I went last year for ‘The Ugly,’ I was so surprised that I thought, ‘Are you saying Park Jung-min is this popular?’ This time, I was truly surprised again to see fans flock to ‘Paradise Lost.’ I even wondered whether having so many fans was making me too full of myself,” he joked.
Kim Hyun-joo also said with a smile, “It was my first overseas film festival, so I was very nervous, but I was happy that the fans welcomed me. Still, the reaction of Korean audiences is important too, so I am very nervous even now.”
Bae Hyun-seong added, “It was my first time at TIFF, so I went feeling both nervous and excited. It was also my first time watching a film with an audience, and everyone responded so warmly. Their reaction gave me strength as I returned to Korea.”
Regarding ‘Paradise Lost,’ Kim Hyun-joo said, “Compared with the length of my career, I am somewhat lacking in technical acting skills. I tend to rely heavily on emotion. When I first read the screenplay, the emotion carried through to the end. I tried to keep my emotions in check as I read this project, too. I felt that the emotional register of this role might be the kind of acting I can do relatively well. I agreed to do it, but once filming began, it proved to be a difficult project.” She added, “Director Yeon always trusts his actors and does not give many explanations or demands. The look of trust in his eyes is so powerful that it makes me want to repay that trust even more.”
Regarding her return to the big screen after a long absence, she said, “I am actually extremely nervous inside. Meeting audiences in person makes me hyperaware of even the smallest actions. I had a long hiatus, but I am happy to be doing this with Director Yeon, and I am enjoying the chance to show a new side of myself.”
Bae Hyun-seong said of the role, “It was a dark and immersive story. I chose it because I thought it would allow me to show a side of my acting different from what I have shown so far.”
Yeon Sang-ho lavished praise on the actors, saying, “Kim Hyun-joo demonstrated the full value of the 30 years she has built as an actress. Ryu Soo-young is someone who has to reveal the abyss. It is a difficult character to express, but she portrayed it beautifully. Even when I asked her to take on extremely difficult situations, she expressed them astonishingly well. When I watch her act, she feels like a Super Saiyan. At times, she is also like an F1 driver: once she presses the pedal, she just keeps going. Bae Hyun-seong, meanwhile, showed a side of himself unlike any face I had seen from him before.”
Yeon Sang-ho said, “‘The Ugly’ and ‘Paradise Lost’ are both categorized as low-budget films. ‘Paradise Lost’ had one additional shooting session compared with ‘The Ugly,’ for a total of 14 sessions. I was a child my mother especially doted on. When she watched the making-of footage for ‘Colony,’ she cried and said, ‘I didn’t know you were having such a hard time.’ That’s how much she cares about me. Then, during a holiday, I discovered that my mother had written a story in a notebook. It became the original idea for ‘Paradise Lost.’ I bought the story from my mother. But this time, my wife wrote a story and sent it to me via messenger. My wife’s story was even more difficult. The entire story was dark, so it was difficult, but I feel that our whole family is exploring the depths of humanity,” he said with a smile.
He said, “It was the same with ‘The Ugly,’ but I always feel a sense of responsibility whenever I receive investment. I personally financed ‘The Ugly,’ and that made me feel at ease. I approached it with the mindset of doing whatever I wanted, and I became addicted to that feeling, which brought me all the way to ‘Paradise Lost.’ I started this project, too, with the goal of making the film we wanted in a relaxed atmosphere together with Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyun-seong, as well as the entire crew.”
Yeon Sang-ho, who has continued to work prolifically, said, “Every project I made from last year through this year has been different. Since each was a different kind of project, I enjoyed directing every time. There is stress that comes with making commercial films, and there is also stress that comes with making low-budget films. I work off the stress from commercial films through international series, and the stress from international series through low-budget films. It feels like I deal with work through other work. I think that’s why I keep doing it. It is not because of some special mission; low-budget films are genuinely fun—really, truly fun. These days, I recommend them to other directors. I intend to keep making them.”
‘Paradise Lost’ stars Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyun-seong and is directed by Yeon Sang-ho, who helmed ‘Train to Busan,’ ‘Peninsula,’ and ‘The Ugly.’ It will be released on October 21.
Reporter Jo Ji-young soulhn1220@sportschosun.com
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