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Real

Play trailer Poster for Real 2013 2h 7m Drama Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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57% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 38% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
A man uses an advanced neurological device to enter the mind of his comatose lover.

Critics Reviews

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Calum Marsh Film.com 09/13/2013
5.0/10
Revelations stack and topple. By the third act, the film has so thoroughly exhausted your goodwill that any interest in plot must be jettisoned to even enjoy the aesthetics. Go to Full Review
Ben Kenigsberg AV Club 09/12/2013
c
An unsatisfying, shamelessly derivative mix of elements from Inception, Flatliners, and Shutter Island. Go to Full Review
Boyd van Hoeij The Hollywood Reporter 09/12/2013
Tonally problematic psychological drama with a dollop of monster-movie madness. Go to Full Review
Ethan Vestby The Film Stage 06/27/2016
B+
REAL is more a studio assignment than personal project for Kurosawa, yet it still displays the talents and obsessions that have made his name. Go to Full Review
Sarah Boslaugh Playback:stl 08/08/2014
6/10
Real is an absorbing film but becomes overcomplicated (with a disappointing Twilight Zone-style twist that is both unnecessary and jarring) and goes on about 20 minutes too long. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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07/19/2014 Kiyoshi Kurosawa, director of Cure and Pulse and other mysterious J-horror-like films, may have lost his touch. I haven't seen Tokyo Sonata (2008) which was well received but Retribution (2006) was a boring rehash of his earlier themes and now Real (2013) is another attempt to capture a mood while also linking into the zeitgeist themes about virtual reality, entering people's dreams, blurring of reality and psychological interpretation (see Inception...or Freud). Real starts well, with a high concept set-up (the protagonist is going to link up with his girlfriend in a coma in virtual reality) and some creepy moments. But it goes on too long and is too ponderously slow to sustain viewers until the very wacky conclusion. Did I say "very wacky" - I meant "so wacky that I started talking to the screen" - and in fact the script takes a distinct nose dive into silliness and predictability (despite the silliness) that is just embarrassing - for Kurosawa (who shows he can't keep control of the tone) and for viewers (who would like their two hours back). See more 03/29/2014 Kurosawa multiplie les twist au gre des niveaux de conscience de son melo technologique sans parvenir a rendre aucun univers convaincant. C'est plus par la maladresse de son traitement et la mievrerie de ses personnages que le realisateur nous egare finalement. Terriblement brouillon... See more 10/06/2013 Points for having a dinosaur in your movie. Loss of points for everything being stupid. See more Read all reviews
Real

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Movie Info

Synopsis A man uses an advanced neurological device to enter the mind of his comatose lover.
Director
Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Producer
Takashi Hirano
Screenwriter
Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Sachiko Tanaka
Genre
Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language
Japanese
Runtime
2h 7m