In the underworld of a fictional city, Jang Tae-yeong (Kim Soo-hyun) is a successful gang boss and owner of a large casino. Disturbed by an entirely different personality that lies within himself, Jang decides to seek the help of Dr. Choi Jin-ki (Lee Sung-min). To help Jang be rid of the other personality, Dr. Choi comes up with an elaborate plan which Jang follows through with, but it yields unexpected consequences. What then ensues is a battle between the real and fake Jang Tae-Yeong.
Cast
Sulli, Sung Dong-il and Kim Soo-hyun at the press conference
Director Lee Jung-sub dropped out of the film and was replaced by Lee Sa-rang, first-time filmmaker, owner of the production company of Real.[16]
Filming began on January 3, 2016, and ended on June 30, 2016, in Paradise City, Yeongjongdo, Incheon.[17][18]
Release
The film was released cinematically on 28 June 2017, and later digitally in mid-July in South Korea.
Taiwan became the first region outside of South Korea to have a cinematic release of the film, on 4 August 2017.[19] It was released in Hong Kong on 16 November 2017 and in Japan on 14 April 2018.
Reception
Real received mostly negative reviews during its initial release.[20]MaxMovie's review stated that despite Kim Soo-hyun giving justice to his dual roles, the film's plot is non-existent, the editing and special effects are amateurish, in addition to its action scenes being boring.[21] One critic felt the story was confusing and named the film "one of the most distastrous films ever made".[22]
One critic proclaims Real to be a "future camp cult classic" that "is the 'real' deal".[23]Sitges Film Festival, one of the world's foremost international festivals specialising in fantasy and horror films, has included Real in its 2017 catalogue. The experimental adventure that is Real is in Kim Soo Hyun's words, not an endearing film that is easy for moviegoers to fall in love with.[24] Yet, in the end, love it or hate it, there is no denying that Real is "one of the most singular Korean films to emerge in years".[23]
When Real was released for Digital Cable TV VOD and IPTV subscription in South Korea, it topped the charts at its initial release. In contrast to its box office response, the movie fared reasonably well on the VOD chart. While it is released via VOD platform only in mid July, the movie ranked quite high on the overall chart of July 2017.[25][26][27]
Real received positive reviews upon its opening in Taiwan in early August. Critics praised Kim Soo Hyun's acting, proclaiming that both main characters, despite looking identical, were easily distinguished through his use of body language, mannerisms, and voice acting.[19]
Expat Korean movie critic/blogger Pierce Conran included Real in his list of top 15 Korean movies of 2017 for its uniqueness and originality.[28]
Box office
Real grossed over $1M NTD (New Taiwan Dollar) in its first weekend of release in Taiwan. It was the highest initial week box office take for a Korean film at the time.[19] The film grossed over $4.7M NTD in Taiwan.[29]
^"全國電影票房截至2017年九月前資訊". Taiwan Film Institute (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 5 October 2017. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
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