Alienoid

Alienoid is a 2022 South Korean science fiction action film directed by Choi Dong-hoon, starring Ryu Jun-yeol, Kim Woo-bin, and Kim Tae-ri. The film depicts an extraordinary story that unfolds as the gates of time open between late Goryeo and the present in 2022, when aliens appear. It was released on July 20, 2022, in IMAX and 4DX formats. The continuation, Alienoid: Return to the Future, was released on January 10, 2024.

Plot
The plot of the movie takes place in 3 timelines as explained below. The timelines will be explained linearly instead of the interwoven pattern shown in the film.

Timeline 1: 1380 A.D.
In the first timeline set in 1380 A.D., monk warriors attempt to defeat an alien and its human host but fail. Guard and Thunder, two humanoid robots, arrive and successfully extract the alien from its host. Before dying, the woman asks Guard to take care of her baby, but he explains that they cannot interfere in human affairs. Guard and Thunder leave using the Divine Blade, their power source.

Timeline 2: 2012, 2022 A.D.
Guard and Thunder return to their timeline, where they work to track and contain escaped aliens who possess human bodies. They raise the baby girl, Yi-an, without revealing their true identities. Yi-an discovers the truth and learns about the alien prisoners and their plan to awaken their leader, The Controller. Guard, Thunder, and Yi-an work together to stop The Controller, but he awakens and tries to release a substance called Haava to make Earth's atmosphere suitable for the aliens. Guard manages to reverse the release, but The Controller escapes.

Timeline 3: 1391 A.D.
Guard, Thunder, and Yi-an travel back in time due to a confrontation with The Controller. They crash-land, and Guard is severely injured. Yi-an is saved by a servant boy named Mureuk, who later becomes a bounty hunter. Mureuk encounters The Controller and unknowingly becomes his new host. Ten years later, Mureuk, now a magic learner, seeks a mystical knife called the divine blade. He meets Yi-an, who is now grown up and searching for the same blade to revive Thunder. They encounter various individuals, including The Dual Mages, Dogturd, and The Monk Guru, who are all connected to the aliens' plan to return to their home planet. The group battles the aliens and discovers Mureuk is the host of The Controller.

In the final showdown, Mureuk, The Dual Mages, and Yi-an fight against the aliens. Yi-an manages to lure one of the aliens away, while the other is defeated. It is revealed that Mureuk was the host of The Controller all along. The movie ends with Lee Ahn escaping her pursuer.

Cast

 * Ryu Jun-yeol as Mureuk, a clumsy master swordsman and Taoist who tries to acquire the Divine Blade.
 * Kim Woo-bin as Guard, a supernatural being who manages and escorts alien prisoners.
 * Kim Tae-ri as Yi-an, a woman who shoots thunder. She travels all over the country to find the Divine Blade while carrying a pistol.
 * Choi Yu-ri as young Yi-an
 * So Ji-sub as Moon Do-seok, a detective who is chased by aliens.
 * Yum Jung-ah as Heug-seol, a mage from Samgaksan.
 * Jo Woo-jin as Cheong-woon, a mage from Samgaksan.
 * Kim Eui-sung as Ja-jang, a masked man who wants the divine sword.
 * Lee Hanee as Min Gae-in, a woman who is curious about the identity of the Guard
 * Shin Jung-geun as Right King, a follower of Mureuk.
 * Lee Si-hoon as Left King, a follower of Mureuk.
 * Ji Kun-woo as Suiter, a man who appears in a modern suit in the Goryeo Dynasty.
 * Kim Dae-myung as Thunder (voice), a robot managing alien prisoners.
 * Shim Dal-gi as bride who is replaced by Yi-an.
 * Yoon Byung-hee as a shaman who fights against Muruk.
 * Kim Ki-cheon as Gaeddongi, a man who knows the location of the divine sword.
 * Yoon Kyung-ho as a patient at Jisan Hospital
 * Ok Ja-yeon as a doctor at Jisan Hospital
 * Lee Seon-hee as Inn Owner of Water Mist

Special appearance

 * Yoo Jae-myung as Hyun-gam
 * Kim Hae-sook as an old woman in Goryeo.
 * Jeon Yeo-been as Hong Eon-nyeon, a woman with an alien prisoner trapped in her body.

Development and pre-production
The film was shot as one but will be released in two sequential parts. Ryu Jun-yeol and Kim Tae-ri stars in both parts while So Ji-sub appears only in the first part. Due to the complexity and the length of the narrative, Choi Dong-hoon spent two and half years writing the script, pre-production took a year and 13 months went to filming. Choi revealed that while writing the script, he had specific actors in mind, and to his surprise, all of his envisioned stars accepted their roles.

While Choi Dong-hoon was in charge of screenplay and direction, Jang Young-gyu and 	Kim Tae-kyung were in charge of music and cinematography respectively. Yoo Sang-seop and Ryu Seong-cheol served as martial arts directors. Two art directors, Ryu Seong-hee and Lee Ha-jun, participated in the project; Ryu in charge of Goryeo setting and Lee in charge of the present day. Dexter Studio was in charge of the CG.

Filming
Filming began in March 2020. Both first and second part were filmed simultaneously for 13 months. Filming concluded in April 2021. Filming reportedly took place in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province. Production cost of making the two parts was estimated to be 40 billion won.

Release


Alienoid was released on July 20, 2022, in IMAX and 4DX formats in South Korea by CJ E&M. Well Go USA acquired North American rights to distribute the film.

The film was selected as the closing film at the 21st New York Asian Film Festival, where it was screened at Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium, Asia Society on July 31 for its North American premiere. It is also invited to the 26th Fantasia International Film Festival and will be screened for its Canadian Premiere on August 1, 2022.

The film was made available for streaming on Netflix from December 28, 2022.

Critical response
The film received a mixed reception from South Korean film critics; some praising the unique worldview Alienoid presented, while others pointing out the potential for confusion in terms of its characters and lore and the distraction caused by mixing too many different elements. However, many audiences seemed to appreciate the director's attempt to create something new. Alienoid was frequently compared with director Choi Dong-hoon's previous film Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard (2009) which deals with similar concepts of Taoists and time travel.

Kim Soo-young in her review for Korea Economic Daily stated that despite it feels bit burdensome and awkward at the beginning to accept the vast worldview of two completely different times and spaces, each busy following the narrative within it, the story flows smoothly in the latter part, creating a strong sense of immersion. Jo Hyun-na of Cine21 wrote that the characters, settings and production designs such as space ships lacked novelty, but praised the performance of actors. Choi Young-joo writing for No Cut News praised the director for his ability to combine different genres calling it "a challenge that should be taken at least once" though it seems excessive at times. My Daily's Kim Nara wrote that despite having powerful cast, the film did not meet expectations of the audience, and the director Choi Dong-hoon's own distinct color which was shown in his previous works is rarely seen in Alienoid. Won Jong-bin of Oh My News called the film "disappointing" in terms of film's rhythm, characters, narrative, and setting, but praised the performance of actors, especially those who played characters in Goryeo Dynasty. Kim Boram writing for Yonhap News praised the performance of Ryu Jun-yeol, Kim Woo-bin and Kim Tae-ri, but stated that the story seems "cut and dried."

Box office
The film was released on 1959 screens on July 20, 2022. The opening recorded 158,162 admissions and topped the South Korean box office. The film surpassed 1 million admissions in 7 days of release. , it is the 9th highest-grossing Korean film of 2022 with gross of US$11.2 million and 1.5 million admissions according to the Korean Film Council.

The film became a box-office failure, due to high production cost which required about 7 million (South Korean) admissions to cross the break-even point.

Sequel
In June 2022, while promoting Alienoid Choi Dong-hoon hinted "While Part 1 follows characters in the present-day era who go back in time to the Goryeo Kingdom, Alienoid: Return to the Future will center on ancient Taoists traveling through time and space in an effort to obtain the divine sword." The second installment is scheduled for release in January 2024.