Hope

Hope

High-octane horror and hard-hitting action cinema in one

The South Korean town of Hope lies near the border with North Korea, surrounded by minefields and barbed-wire fences. Keeping law and order is the weary police chief Beom Seok, who has not dealt with a serious crime in years. His life, worn down by routine, changes when the townspeople discover the carcass of a cow on a country road, savaged by the claws of something enormous. Soon, Beom Seok joins the sluggish townspeople in a fight against a force the people of Earth have never had to face before. Dusty rifles will be brought back into action, arsenals of weapons retrieved from basements, and it will quickly become clear that this small-town community is home to people with extraordinary talents, including a talent for killing. But will they be enough to defeat their opponent?

“Hope” is a spectacular blend of horror and action cinema, combining everything audiences love about South Korean genre filmmaking: dark humor, convincingly drawn human characters and a fearless approach to genre clichés. It is a film that leaves viewers breathless, only to make them laugh and move them moments later. “Hope” is terrifying in its dark atmosphere and gruesome violence, yet at the same time deeply touching in its warm portrayal of a small community left to fend for itself against a monstrous invader. In this film, virtually anything can become a weapon, while heroism is portrayed as something accidental, born of circumstance. “Hope” surprises with its bold juggling of genre conventions while delivering top-tier entertainment and, in terms of sheer execution, putting many Hollywood productions to shame.

Director Na Hong-jin returns to filmmaking with “Hope” after a ten-year hiatus. He is the filmmaker behind internationally acclaimed genre films including “The Wailing”, “The Yellow Sea” and “The Chaser”. His latest film features some of the biggest stars of South Korean cinema: Hwang Jung-min, known for “Veteran”, “New World” and “A Bittersweet Life”, here playing the frightened but heroic police chief; Jung Ho-yeon, whose role in the series “Squid Game” brought her worldwide recognition, as the deputy police chief; and Zo In-sung, in a terrific performance as Sung-ki, an indestructible small-town hero, who also appears this year in the festival hit “Possible Love”, inspired by the work of Krzysztof Kieślowski. Alongside his South Korean cast, Na Hong-jin has also invited international stars to join his new project. Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander appear in “Hope” in roles unlike anything we have seen from them before. “Hope” was one of the films selected for the Competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.