Film Review: ‘Hope’ Has Big Highs and Frustrating Lows But Offers Up a Decidedly Unique Korean Blockbuster

There are about three different movies going on within Hope, and about two and a half of them are good ones. I say that up top to explain that, while this is the type of film where the highs are high and the lows are deeply frustrating, there’s largely a good time to be had here. The movie is a decidedly unique Korean blockbuster that gives us a science fiction creature feature unlike almost anything we’ve seen before. It’s far from perfect, but even when parts of the flick don’t work, it’s hard not to respect the big swing being taken.

Hope is admittedly way too long, has some really rough CGI, and very abruptly ends on a cliffhanger/sequel setup, all of which can frustrated. At the same time, a lot of scenes are very fun and there’s a genuine sense of excitement at play within the film. So, even when the movie is showing its flaws, there’s clearly something here to admire as well.

Taking place in the small town of Hope Harbor, we begin with police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) arriving at the scene of what appears to be an animal slaughter. A bull has been mutilated, with massive claw marks on its hide, discovered by a group of five hunters, led by Sung-ki (Zo In-sung). As Bum-seok listens to the men claim it must be a roving tiger who did it, he finds that unlikely. Poking around a bit, he sees more evidence of something running amok in town. While Sung-ki and his fellow hunters go looking for the tiger in the woods, Bum-seok is informed by his female colleague Sung-ae (Hoyeon) that Hope is already panicking. Then, he arrives in the commercial district of town and sees what looks like a war zone.

Before long, it’s revealed that a monster is on the loose, absolutely laying waste to everything and everyone in its path, leading the residents of the town to either hide or band together to fight back. As Bum-seok tries and fails to get control of the situation, Sung-ae finds out that there may well be multiples of these creatures, who are not as they initially appear, while the men in the woods make a discovery that changes everything. The longer things go on, the more sci-fi things get, until the third act takes a hard turn that changes everything that we’ve seen before it.

The performances are fine, though no one blows you away, somewhat due to the absolute lack of any character development. Hwang Jung-min does a solid job of showcasing authority for as long as possible, while Hoyeon feels a bit like an audience surrogate as she finds out more and more information. As for Zo In-sung, he has the least to work with, though he’s involved in some of the wildest moments. Supporting players here include Eum Moon-suk in a fairly off-putting role, alongside cameos I won’t spoil from Cameron Britton, Michael Fassbender, Taylor Russell, and Alicia Vikander.

Filmmaker Na Hong-jin is going for spectacle here and certainly succeeds in that regard. When Hope is just a wild creature feature, it’s a lot of fun. Early on, before the creature is revealed, Na spends about 45 minutes building up the tension, with some help from composer Michael Abels. Then, we get a look and some of that is abandoned, due to the fairly terrible CGI. You get used to it eventually, at least somewhat, though some of the overt focusing in on the creature does remind you how bad it looks. The design is very fun, the effects work is just very dodgy. Then, there’s the ending, which is out of nowhere and suggests a sequel that I’m not completely sure is warranted. Still, even at an excessive 160 minutes, you’re never bored. Puzzled? Sometimes, but never bored.

Hope overcomes its hurdles due to a novelty factor and genuine sense that anything could happen next. There’s plenty to enjoy and plenty to critique, but that can come with the territory of ambition like this. Na is certainly trying something different, and even with the flaws, I commend the attempt. While I wish it was a tighter film and a little more satisfying, I can’t deny the fun factor when it’s firing on all cylinders. So, the movie gets a mild recommendation in the end. If there is a sequel, hopefully he takes some notes, as it could really lead to something wild.

SCORE: ★★★