Movie Digest
Dreamfall / Ant Hell / 개미지옥 is a South Korean short film that was released on the 13th of July last year. The film combines thriller, action, and crime in the most articulated manner. With a running time of twelve minutes, the film was presented at 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.
The Feel-Good Part
Many films shed light on the lives of characters of upper-class backgrounds. But Dreamfall focuses on the story of people who work part-time at a convenience store and one who has a lot of regrets. The randomness of the plot keeps the audience engaged throughout the video. It feels satisfying to discover the use of a talent where a character can skim through others’ thoughts.
The Disappointing Factor
Fans have expressed their disappointment with Dreamfall, saying it lacks a fulfilling plot and narrative structure. In only twelve minutes, it leaves them with zero consistency.
In-Depth Analysis
Dreamfall or Ant Hell stood as a nomination at the 13th Seoul International Ultra-Short Film Festival for Short domestic competition (Woojin Kang). The plot opens up at a convenience store and focuses on the station clerk, the prime character. He can read a person’s last dream and interpret its meaning without the other person knowing. As Kim Hyun-Mok enters the store to buy a 1000 won lottery ticket, Kim Tae-Yul reads his mind. It is a dream where he regrets not being able to win the 5000 won lottery prize. The station registrar hands him over the required money to see his reaction.
Star Power
With intricate caution, the casting director chose people to work with for a short film like Dreamfall. Its starring cast includes Kim Hyun-Mok. We have seen him work in Short Bus to Creepy (2021). It also stars Kim Tae-Yul as the station clerk, who appeared in Reading Club (2020).
Overall Opinion
It is a befitting watch for when you find yourself stuck in the brain fog period, considering the short length of Dreamfall. The film positively fills our life with twelve minutes of action and suspense.
