Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
REVIEW Na Hong-jin reinvents sci-fi thriller in 'Hope' with fierce pace, raw style
Actor Jung Ho-yeon in a scene from "Hope" / Courtesy of Plus M Entertainment
By Baek Byung-yeul
Na Hong-jin has returned to the director's chair for the first time in a decade with his highly anticipated sci-fi thriller "Hope," a film that undeniably breaks new ground in the history of Korean cinema.
Following its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the blockbuster underwent careful editing and visual enhancements to shave four minutes off its runtime, resulting in a tighter 156-minute theatrical cut that delivers a relentless and high-octane cinematic experience.
Set in the 1980s in Hopo Port, a fictional small coastal town near the Demilitarized Zone, the movie begins with a scary discovery. A remote outpost chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) responds to a report of a mutilated cow lying on a rural road. Believing a wild tiger is around, the village people grab their weapons to search for the threat.
While tough young men including Seong-gi (Zo In-sung) head straight into the mountains, Bum-seok gets caught in a dangerous encounter with the creature, while staying in touch with a local police officer Seong-ae (Jung Ho-yeon).
However, they soon realize that the mysterious entity terrorizing their community is something far beyond their imagination.
Actor Hwang Jung-min in a scene from "Hope" / Courtesy of Plus M Entertainment
The best part of "Hope" is how it makes the audience feel completely part of its world. The first half of the movie is highly exciting as it shows the villagers' scary journey to find out what the mysterious creature really is.
Na cleverly builds deep suspense by keeping the creature hidden for nearly the first 50 minutes. This slow-growing fear, combined with realistic sound effects and the panic of the villagers, completely pulls the audience into the screen, making them feel as if they are trapped right inside Hopo Port with the characters.
Once the mystery is unveiled, the movie shifts gears into an insanely speedy, high-stakes action spectacle. The suspense transforms into pure adrenaline because of the creature's terrifying velocity, moving at high speeds that can easily match a racing car. As seen from the director’s previous works, the action sequences are bold, raw and brutal.
The physical stakes are incredibly high as the characters literally sprint for their lives across the screen. From Hwang running desperately through the village to Jung navigating dangerous car chases and Zo executing gripping, high-intensity firearm action while riding a horse, the movie shows a powerful energy that is best experienced on a large theater screen.
Actor Hwang Jung-min, right, in a scene from "Hope" / Courtesy of Plus M Entertainment
The core trio of actors anchors the film's deeper themes.
Hwang grounds the story with his emotional depiction of human survival; Zo delivers an unforgettable and fiercely athletic performance; and Jung showcases a fierce intensity that completely redefines her acting spectrum. In particular, Jung stands out with a performance that cements her place among Korea's top action stars. When she appears like a savior during the darkest moment, her character delivers a thrilling release of tension for the viewers.
By putting different characters into this dangerous situation, the director keeps the audience guessing on what will happen next. Good supporting actors also bring local humor to the story, giving viewers a short break from the heavy tension.
Actor Zo In-sung in a scene from "Hope" / Courtesy of Plus M Entertainment
While the film's experimental visual effects faced criticism during its initial screening at Cannes, the finalized theatrical version handles its computer-generated imagery remarkably well.
Rather than attempting a fully digital 3D environment, the movie successfully blends its physical sets with digital graphics, allowing the creatures to integrate naturally into the real-world footage without distracting the viewers.
Showing large sci-fi creatures under broad daylight is an incredibly expensive undertaking that usually requires Hollywood-sized capital. Considering that the film's budget is tailored to international standards rather than the massive scale of a major American studio, the achieved quality at this price point is commendable.
Furthermore, the dedication of the Hollywood cast, including Michael Fassbender, who brought the creatures to life through intricate motion-capture performances, shines through vividly on screen.
Whether it divides audiences or not, "Hope" is an entirely unprecedented milestone that Korean cinema has never witnessed before. It is a deeply refreshing piece of filmmaking that fiercely reminds us why we still go to movie theaters.
"Hope" hits local theaters on July 15.