Honestly, I’m not sure I could fully explain what I watched, but I can tell you one thing: I had an absolute blast with Hope.
Directed by Na Hong-jin, Hope is a sci-fi monster thriller that throws a remote South Korean village into chaos when an unexplained threat emerges. The film stars Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung and Jung Ho-yeon, with Na bringing together action, horror and comedy to create one of the most unpredictable cinematic experiences I’ve had in a while.
This is a wild and unpredictable sci-fi monster thriller that also happens to be pretty damn funny. It’s arguably one of the strangest experiences I’ve had at the cinema in a while, and I think that’s part of what makes it so difficult to pin down.
This is the kind of film where the less you know going in, the better. There’s a real sense of anticipation in the first half, particularly because the film holds back on showing exactly what is terrorising the town. Instead, we experience the destruction and chaos through the reactions of those caught in the middle of it. That approach works incredibly well, creating a constant feeling that something much bigger is just around the corner.
“But I can’t help feeling that much of that absurdity is intentional.”
When it comes to what I enjoyed most, the action is a major highlight. There are some genuinely thrilling sequences here, with the direction keeping things energetic and engaging. Some of them do go on a little too long, but there’s no denying how much fun they are to watch.
The cinematography also looks fantastic. There’s a real visual confidence to the film, and it manages to make even its more chaotic moments look striking.
Then there’s the comedy, which genuinely caught me off guard. There’s a scene involving someone talking about poo that had the entire audience laughing. It’s that kind of film. Hope can go from intense action to complete absurdity without much warning, and somehow, a lot of it works.
The CGI is probably the weakest part of the experience. Some of it looks questionable, although it did seem to improve as the film went on. Maybe I just got used to it, but honestly, I didn’t care that much. There’s so much else happening that the effects never completely took me out of the experience.
I’ve seen many of the same criticisms and praise surrounding Hope, and I can understand pretty much all of them. This is a film that will either click with you or completely miss the mark. The first half feels like the more cohesive section, while the second half becomes increasingly absurd and unpredictable.
But I can’t help feeling that much of that absurdity is intentional.
That doesn’t automatically make every creative decision work, nor does it suddenly make Hope a masterpiece. However, I think you have to recognise that the film clearly wants to take some pretty big swings. There’s a strange meta commentary running underneath everything, and by the end, it almost feels like you’re watching two different films stitched together.
And then there’s that ending.
It’s ridiculous. It feels abrupt. I can already imagine it being one of the most divisive parts of the film. Yet part of me thinks it’s stupidly brilliant. It fits the increasingly bizarre direction Hope takes and feels completely in line with the film’s willingness to throw something unexpected at you.
My biggest issue is the runtime. At two and a half hours, Hope simply doesn’t need to be this long. You can feel it in some of the action sequences and quieter moments, where a little trimming could have made the film considerably tighter.
Even with those issues, though, I couldn’t help but love the experience.
The performances are strong across the board, with Ho-yeon in particular showing that she can absolutely hold her own as an action star. The action is fantastic, the direction stands out, the cinematography looks beautiful and, surprisingly, the comedy lands more often than it doesn’t.
I still don’t completely know what the hell was going on by the time the credits rolled. Somehow, that didn’t stop me from having a great time.
Hope is messy, absurd, occasionally baffling and far too long. But it’s also incredibly entertaining. You really just need to experience this one for yourself.
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