“Hope” is the tale of an unexplainable event happening to an unsuspecting town. Directed by Na Hong-jin (“The Wailing”), returning after a ten-year hiatus, the film excels in fast-paced filmmaking and maintaining high-energy storytelling. However, this movie has some issues and falls apart before reaching the finish line.
The goal here was to take a larger-than-life incident and see how these events would unfold in rural South Korea, and for the first half of the film, it succeeds. After a brief introduction to our characters, we’re off to the races and everything hits you full speed ahead. The physical performances from the cast and the phenomenal direction—capturing every bewildered expression and sign of distress—makes anxiety skyrocket. A lot of the camerawork consists of chase shots. There is no real time to stop and process the events that had just occurred; the film just keeps you moving. Every day on set must have been a workout. Each scene runs hand-in-hand with a rhythmic score that constantly screams danger in progress. It works well, considering there’s no visual confirmation of what the threat is well into the movie. All we know is the carnage, and that it’s big.Â
Some Comic Relief is Offered
The film is quick to try to immerse the audience in this reality, but somehow this world doesn’t really feel lived-in. Crucial plot elements are glossed over with a “don’t worry about it” (seriously, this was said on more than one occasion), and there’s no attachment to the fallen victims of this small community. It’s very easy to determine who is going to survive and who is simply a human meat shield. Ultimately, this approach made me feel like a witness to the events rather than truly experiencing them.
However, there is comic relief to offer a welcome break from the exhausting rollercoaster. The comedic timing is on point, and the running jokes give you a big laugh when they pay off. Some of the humor is as silly as you’d expect, and then there’s one joke that is purely toilet humor—which they milked for all it’s worth.
But one of the biggest disappointments of this feature was the use of CGI. The South Korean film is reported to have a budget of $46 million—making it the most expensive Korean film to date—but you wouldn’t be able to tell at first glance. When hidden in the shadows or the dense forest bushes, the creature benefits from a sense of mystique, but in broad daylight, most of the CGI looks like a really well-made student film on a modest budget. If it wasn’t the motion capture slipping and falling into the uncanny valley, it was the derivative nature of the design. Either way, it wasn’t a good look and was often distracting.
The Film Overstays its Welcome
All the steam and momentum that this sci-fi thriller built up in the first half dies down tremendously heading into the climax. The once pulse-pounding town full of terror and screams slows to a point where a yawn is inevitable. Between narrative inconsistencies and characters protected by heavy plot armor, you’re pulled out of the moment and left wondering how this South Korean epic is actually going to wrap up. Honestly, I’m not sure the filmmakers even knew how to do so.
The final bout is dragged out for miles—literally. While that might be understandable in a film of this scale, given the 2-hour-and-40-minute runtime—and especially if you aren’t completely invested—you start wishing for an abridged version. New elements enter the arena alongside a reveal that only creates more questions. It’s clear something else is on the horizon, but the setup feels neither natural nor necessary. Ultimately, the ending feels like a film having a mid-shoot identity crisis—getting juiced up on its own ambition and deciding to squeeze out a sequel rather than offering a proper conclusion.
