Dream (2023) Movie Review – A killer sports comedy with the right amount of melodrama

A killer sports comedy with the right amount of melodrama

Back in 2021, when it was announced that Park Seo-joon was going to star in a movie based on football, fans could not be happier. Dream gained a lot more attention when it was announced that the movie will also feature IU (Lee Ji-eun) in the lead role opposite as fans got excited to see what the two actors had in store in terms of romance.

While it may dishearten some fans that Dream does not meet the expectations of viewers in terms of Seo-joon and IU’s romantic chemistry. However, it does give you something better – comedy, a genre Park Seo-joon has time and again proved his capability at.

Dream follows the story of a footballer – Yoon Hong-dae who suffers embarrassment due to his actions during a game. After his PR agency hires a director named Lee So-min (played by IU) to rectify Hong-dae’s image, total chaos ensues. In order to change Hong-dae’s public image, So-min gets Hong-dae to coach a special national soccer team.

The team consists of homeless people who have never played soccer before and it is Hong-dae’s goal to coach them to be able to compete in the Homeless World Cup. In its 130-minute runtime, the film is a quick watch and does not drag anything out.

From the get-go, Dream sets the tone straight and gives viewers amazing comedic sequences. The movie opens with a great cameo that many fans of Park Seo-joon will enjoy while cringing at everything he does to ruin his public image. While the first half of the movie is hilarious with perfectly timed jokes and chaotic interactions between characters, mostly at the expense of Hong-dae’s character, the second half takes a patriotic and emotional turn which is very endearing.

One could say that Dream is an inspiring watch as it promotes the idea of team spirit over wins and losses. Considering the plot of the movie revolves around homeless people, Dream gets emotional from time to time because of the unfair living conditions of these poor people. The movie has done a good job of keeping the ostracization that homeless people usually face at bay.

Instead, Dream uses traits of characters without mocking them to generate laughs, making the movie very enjoyable to watch. Park Seo-joon does an amazing job at playing Hong-dae, a man who is full of pride and rage but is dealt a bad hand in life. While the idea that his mother was a con artist and had stolen money from people does not necessarily look like a comedy, the way in which the movie has executed this plot point is hilarious.

Hong-dae’s unresolved anger about events beyond his control and his overall nonchalance about the things around him make the movie a further enjoyable watch. Dream made viewers hope for a romance between Park Seo-joon and IU’s characters but despite the lack of this, both actors do a pretty great job in their roles. Together, they channel the enemies-to-lovers trope and in a universe where a sequel of Dream exists, I am sure Hong-dae and So-min are together.

The footballers have interesting backstories and the makers execute them in a great way. Characters Son Beom-soo (played by Jung Seung-gil), Jeon Hyo-bong (played by Ko Chang-seok), and Jeon Moo-soo (played by Yang Hyun-min) are hilarious in their roles which make the games interesting and comedic at the same time.

Dream is a light watch and does not involve any complicated plot twists. IU and Park Seo-joon have amazing chemistry and I would love for them to star in a K-drama together, but with all things considered, Dream certainly achieves its goal.

Read More: Dream (2023) Ending Explained

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