All four official screenings — roughly 2,300 seats — sold out in advance, while international outlets singled out the performances of Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyun-sung.

Actress Kim Hyun-joo (from left), director Yeon Sang-ho and actor Bae Hyun-sung on the red carpet for the world premiere of Paradise Lost. <CJ ENM>

Yeon Sang-ho's Paradise Lost held its world premiere in the Special Presentations section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival. The first official screening took place on Sept. 13 local time. Yeon and lead actors Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyun-sung walked the red carpet ahead of the screening, where the three signed autographs and posed for photographs with fans who had gathered at the venue.

Paradise Lost was allotted four official screenings over the course of the festival, across roughly 2,300 seats. Every one of those seats sold out as soon as tickets went on sale ahead of the world premiere. The first screening was followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

A Son Long Missing Returns After Nine Years — International Outlets Focus on Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyun-sung

Paradise Lost is a psychological thriller that begins with Ryu So-young, who lost her son Ryu Sun-woo in the disappearance of a camping school bus nine years earlier. The story unfolds as Ryu Sun-woo, believed to have died, reappears before her. Kim Hyun-joo plays Ryu So-young and Bae Hyun-sung plays Ryu Sun-woo, with CJ ENM handling distribution.

Speaking on stage before the screening, Yeon said he was delighted to be presenting the film to the world for the first time. During the Q&A, he said that only after finishing the first screening did it feel as though Paradise Lost had been born. Kim Hyun-joo said that she and Bae Hyun-sung had watched the film in full alongside the audience for the first time that day, while Bae reflected on the significance of having his first leading role unveiled in Toronto.

International coverage converged on the two leads' performances. One outlet characterized Paradise Lost as a family thriller harboring dark secrets. Others wrote that Kim Hyun-joo's performance holds the film firmly together without leaning on easy melodrama, and noted that Bae Hyun-sung's performance pushes his character into darker territory.

Second Consecutive Special Presentations Selection for Yeon Sang-ho, Following The Ugly

With Paradise Lost, Yeon Sang-ho has placed a film in the Toronto International Film Festival's Special Presentations section for the second year running. Last year he was invited to the same section with The Ugly. Colony, another of his directorial works released this year, was an official selection in the Midnight Screenings section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival.

Paradise Lost has also been named an official selection in the Gala Presentation section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival. Its domestic release date is Oct. 21. Attention now turns to how Paradise Lost, first unveiled in Toronto, will be received by audiences at home.

Sources

•  Newspim, "Yeon Sang-ho's New Film Paradise Lost Sells Out All Four Toronto Film Festival Screenings," 2026.09.04

• Dailian, "Paradise Lost Unveiled in Toronto — Yeon Sang-ho: 'It Feels Like the   Film Has Finally Been Born,'" 2026.09.15

• The Korea Economic Daily, "Yeon Sang-ho's Paradise Lost Revealed in Toronto —   'Kim Hyun-joo's Solid Performance,'" 2026.09.15

• Newsis, "Yeon Sang-ho's Paradise Lost Sets Toronto Alight — Praise for Kim   Hyun-joo's Performance," 2026.09.15