TL;DR – This is honestly one of the most bonkers films I have ever watched, both good [the action] and bad [the animation], and everything in between [the tonal whiplash].

And/Or

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

Hope Review Introduction

Today we are looking at a profoundly odd film, a film that bamboozles and weirds you out in equal measures. I will be honest: I spent the entire time I was watching this film on the edge of my seat, not knowing what would come next, good or bad. It constantly keeps you off balance, not knowing what will happen next.  

So, to set the scene, Ko Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) is the police chief of Hope Harbour, a town in South Korea near the border with the North. Early one morning, he is called out of town by his cousin Ko Sung-ki (Zo In-sung), where they find a large bull that has been eviscerated by something larger than a bear. Concerned that a wild animal is this close to the town, Ko Bum-seok makes his way back into town to try and organise patrols to keep people safe, which is when explosions and screams cry out into the early morning.

Production

Without a doubt, this might be one of the best-produced monster films I have watched in a very long time. The sheer amount of thought that has gone into the production design of this film is clear to see. I don’t think I have ever seen the aftermath of destruction done as well as they have produced it here. Honestly, I hope every member of the art and production design team is celebrated because they brought me completely into this world. Add to this exquisite cinematography that understands when to hold a scene and let you live within it. Also, some of the best foley work I have ever heard. The sound, especially when you are following behind Ko Bum-seok, makes you feel like you are there with him. Every step lands, every squeak of his leather vest feels right.

The location work has found some of the most beautiful places to film, grounding this film in a way it desperately needs. With the film being set in the late seventies or eighties, you had to find a location that fit that bill, and they succeeded. You also get to hear the blasting soundtrack, and then fear the silence that follows. Now, if I am to be nitpicky, and I must here, there is a reason why they delay the monster reveal, and it becomes clear that the animation simply is not convincing enough during some of the creature’s more active movements. I think you can handwave away most of the oddness, but there are a couple of moments where it sticks out like a sore thumb.

A Tale of Two Films: Part One: The Attack

One of the unusual aspects of Hope is that it is almost like there were two separate films crashed together. The first half of the film is without a doubt one of the wildest movie experiences I have seen in a while. It perfectly understands how to build and craft tension, even when most of what is happening is occurring off-screen. To add to this, you also feel like this is how people would act when put into this situation that they are completely unprepared for. Collateral damage and all. Okay, well, some of the residents feel more prepared than others. We get some of the best action sequences I have seen this year, one of the best ‘badass’ character introductions, and probably the best car chase I have seen in an age. It is relentless but also ebbs and flows with some surprisingly amusing moments in the middle of the chaos.  

A Tale of Two Films: Part Two: The Aftermath

This section will be harder to talk about, because I don’t want to spoil the film for you, but then I can’t talk about the film without discussing the wild tonal shift that happens in the second half of the movie. It is here that they really dive into some of the wildest choices for a narrative that I have seen. Some, such as a witness statement, completely captivate you with their weirdness. However, not all of those choices pay off. The more you work through this section, the more you realise that Hope is not going to have a satisfactory conclusion, because it wants to spend its time setting up the next film. It still has these fascinating moments, and at least one surreal moment that you need to experience in a cinema full of people to appreciate truly. However, the pacing evaporates, the action sequences don’t hit as hard, and there is a large focus on the animation, which is the weakest part of the film. The credits start with an eye roll, and not a triumph.            

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend Hope? Well, that is actually a difficult question to answer. I don’t think I have watched anything quite like this film before. The way it brought you into the action, as if you were standing there, without needing VR glasses or whatever cinema experiment they are making you pay extra for these days. However, it might also be one of the most frustrating films I have ever watched. I don’t know where you will land on this film, but I know it won’t be neutral.    

Have you watched Hope? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked Hope, we would recommend End of Oak Street to you because it also puts you in that perspective of the world crashing around you as danger can appear from any side.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Feel free to share this review on social media and check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 


Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Hope
Directed by – Na Hong-jin
Written by – Na Hong-jin
Music by – Michael Abels
Cinematography by – Hong Kyung-pyo
Edited by – Kim Sun-min
Production/Distribution Companies – Forged Films, Plus M Entertainment, Neon, & Madman Films
Starring – Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Eum Moon-suk, Lee Sang-hee, & Im Hyun-sik,
With – Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell, & Cameron Britton
Rating – Australia: MA15+; Canada: 14A; United Kingdom: 15; United States: R