Fans of South Korean director Na Hong-jin have waited a very long time for his next project. His last movie was the eerie horror masterpiece The Wailing back in 2016. Since then, movie lovers have eagerly watched the horizon for his next project. The director finally returned with a new movie titled Hope. It has a massive international cast and holds the record for the largest budget in Korean film history. Producers kept the details of this movie completely secret until the very last second.
Now, the film is finally playing for audiences. The final product is funny, messy, and far too long. However, it also features some of the most beautiful action scenes you will see all year. Moviegoers must now ask if the film can truly live up to ten years of intense hype.
A Chaotic and Wild First Hour
The director seems to enjoy playing tricks on his audience. For instance, he keeps the central monster hidden for almost the entire first hour of the movie. Instead of showing the beast, he focuses on the chaotic panic spreading through a small town. The story takes place in a quiet coastal village called Hope Harbor.
This town sits very close to the North Korean border. Because of this location, local billboards constantly warn residents about dangerous landmines. Signs also tell people to watch out for enemy spies and border infiltrators.
The story takes place in the late 1980s before anyone had mobile phones. A local police chief named Bum-seok has to travel to a large field outside of town. Actor Hwang Jung-min plays the chief beautifully, reuniting with the director after their work on The Wailing. The chief needs to look into the bloody and mysterious death of a large cow.
A group of local hunters found the dead animal first. This group is led by a man named Sung-ki, who is actually the police chief’s second cousin. In this small village, almost everyone is related or knows each other. Therefore, the chief later recognizes almost every dead body he passes when he runs down the destroyed streets.
The Monster Infiltrates the Town
Initially, the characters do not realize they are dealing with an alien. The hunters joke around with the police chief at the scene of the dead cow. They suggest that a wild tiger crossed the border from the North to find food. After that conversation, the hunters head into the deep woods to track the animal.
Meanwhile, the police chief heads back into the center of town. He quickly discovers that a normal wild animal did not cause this mess. Instead, something far more dangerous has entered Hope Harbor. This creature can easily smash through solid brick walls and throw heavy cars at terrified citizens.
To make matters worse, the local police department has absolutely no backup available. All the extra emergency workers are away fighting dangerous forest fires. Furthermore, the group of hunters cannot be reached because they are deep in the woods.
Suddenly, a young officer named Sung-ae arrives in a police car to help. Squid Game star Hoyeon plays this role in her fantastic first big-screen movie appearance. She does not show any fear when facing the danger. Instead, she is completely furious. She spins her car around and screams that killing so many people is simply wrong, whether the attacker is a monster or not.
Beautiful Action Mimics Classic B-Movies
The first hour of this movie provides incredible entertainment for the audience. The director mixes elements of classic American Westerns with 1950s science fiction films. Consequently, the movie feels like a massive, expensive version of the beloved cult film Tremors.
Cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo captures the madness with incredible skill. He previously shot famous movies like Parasite and Burning. His camera glides smoothly through the town, making the violent chaos look artistic. Every single side character feels unique and full of life.
For example, Chief Bum-seok meets a grumpy old man hiding under a local bridge. The two men decide to hunt the monster together. They hear a noise and fire a shotgun through a closed door. However, they quickly realize they accidentally shot the local butcher who was just trying to make a phone call.
The injured butcher tells his wife on the phone that he will call her back. Then, he looks at his wounds and falls to the floor. This mistake leaves the police chief with a hilarious practical problem. He must convince a tiny old man to help him carry a heavy, bleeding butcher to the nearest hospital.
Brilliant Stunts and Practical Filmmaking
Watching such high-quality filmmaking applied to a simple monster story is an absolute joy. The action tricks remain exciting even when you see them repeated. For instance, the camera work during car chases is incredibly thrilling.
A car will spin around at high speeds, and the camera swings dynamically to follow the movement. This technique makes the audience feel the true speed and weight of the vehicles. It feels as if the camera itself needs a long runway just to slow down and turn around.
The movie gallops along like a wild horse during these early sequences. Eventually, the director finally reveals the actual alien creature to the audience. Actor Cameron Britton plays the main monster using motion-capture technology.
The Visual Effects and Pacing Realities
Unfortunately, the big creature reveal brings some disappointment. The alien design looks like a weightless character from an old video game. This digital look stands out in a bad way against the realistic world that the director captured on real film.
These visual problems become more noticeable during the slow middle section of the 160-minute movie. The story slows down when the focus shifts to the hunters in the forest. The script introduces too many unnecessary side stories and extra aliens.
Additionally, the movie spends too much time trying to explain the background of these creatures. None of these alien origin stories are as funny as the local gossip. For example, one old man explains that he first saw the aliens while using the bushes as a restroom because of some bad pork he ate the night before.
Hollywood Stars and Festival Context
The most interesting part of the alien story involves the casting choices. Major international stars Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Taylor Russell play the alien creatures. They wear heavy digital disguises and act very serious throughout the film.
Viewers could view this casting choice as a clever joke by the director. He reverses the classic Hollywood habit of hiding Asian actors under heavy makeup in big blockbusters. However, that deeper meaning might be a bit of a stretch for a simple popcorn movie.
Hope does not carry heavy political messages or deep philosophical themes. Because of this lack of subtext, the movie feels a bit out of place at the serious Cannes Film Festival. The director’s earlier, more intense films like The Chaser and The Yellow Sea fit much better in that environment.
Fortunately, the final third of the movie regains its incredibly fast pace. The director throws everything onto the screen for a wild finale. The climax features a massive highway chase sequence that ranks among the best action scenes ever filmed.
A Thrilling and Bananas Climax
Interestingly, the characters spot a rocket launcher earlier in the movie, but nobody ever actually fires it. This completely breaks the famous storytelling rule known as Chekhov’s Gun. By this point in the film, you will easily ignore the weak digital effects anyway.
It is best to sit back and simply enjoy the excellent human drama and wild practical stunts. In fact, this movie could be a strong contender if the Oscars ever create an award for stunt design. The regular people of Hope Harbor might be slower and weaker than the alien invaders, but they are definitely much more fun to watch.