Name: Dream
Director: Byeong-heon Lee
Released: 2023-07-25T15:46:45

In Dream, a ragtag team of homeless Koreans gears up to compete in the upcoming Homeless World Cup. The Korean sports comedy film is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Hong-dae Yoon is a professional football player who was become the scapegoat of the media as his mother is on the run from the police.

To help correct his public image, his PR agency suggests coaching the homeless team for the homeless world cup.

He reluctantly accepts and starts training a group of misfits, but very quickly realises that they possess no talent for the game.

However, So-min Lee, the documentary director on the team, motivates him as both of their reputations depend on the team’s performance.

Hong-dae coaches the team and, in the process, understands where each of them comes from. Will the team perform well at the tournament?

Performances

Owing to the film’s over-the-top tonality, all the actors fit their character but none get the scope to impress exceedingly.

Positives

The premise is intriguing. Building a team of homeless, each with their own sorrowful backstory, has a lot of potential in terms of narrative.

The stories of the homeless are also decently constructed. None are too similar and each character has a distinct personality as well.

Dream also gives enough attention to the arcs of almost all the homeless, although some get more attention than others.

Although nothing special, their stories conclude in a satisfactory manner, too.

Negatives

While the first half provides a decent buildup, filled with character backgrounds and conflicts, the second half ultimately lets the movie down.

The whole world cup is reduced to a trivial caricature which barely makes sense. The entire gravity of their backstory and efforts is let down by what is supposed to be the most important part of the film. The film could have been executed in a much better way while keeping the humour intact.