When it first debuted at Cannes, the Korean thriller Hope earned instant buzz and plenty of discussion. It came from a popular, successful director in Na Hong-jin, who helmed the mesmerizing horror film The Wailing. It starred some popular Korean actors in Hoyeon and Hwang Jung-min alongside other notable actors in Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. There were talks of monsters and action and horror and drama. What came out was also that if you’re going to watch it, you should know as little as possible.
The movie generated so much excitement that it got a special screening at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Midnight Madness program, showing a day before the festival started in earnest. I saw the film there, and I’m very excited that it’s finally going to be available to rent or buy at home on October 13. You’ll also be able to pre-order the Blu-ray. Here’s what you need to know about Hope, one of the best sci-fi films I’ve seen in years.
Hope is scary, thrilling, funny, and completely engrossing
Captivating action sequences and clever staging will leave you breathless
There are a lot of films that are generously described as genre-bending, a phrase used to imply a story that feels novel and plays with tropes. Sometimes that moniker can be used too liberally. Not for Hope. It is indeed terrifying at times, and bloody, but also hilarious and utterly engaging. You may even shed a tear or two at a few sequences. And there are likely to be moments of confusion if you’re not fully paying attention. And even if you are paying attention, there is a lot going on that makes it worth a rewatch.
I do agree it’s best knowing as little as possible going in, so I will try to keep the summary short and succinct and vague. Basically, something is plaguing a sleepy coastal town. The movie starts with a police officer meeting with a group of locals who happen upon a dead cow in the middle of the street. After a lengthy conversation that involves rumors of a beast wandering the forest, the police officer returns to the station only to hear explosions in the distance and voices asking for help over the radio. The next stretch of the film is unlike anything I can remember experiencing in a theater.
Hope is a long movie, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it. I’d say it falls into two distinct parts that have different tones. It stands out because of the way the director handles the genre and the form. He constantly subverts genre convention, giving the audience what they so often crave in action, sci-fi, or horror films before forcing you to question why you want this kind of movie so badly. It feels like part of a bigger story, with a lengthy prologue and then a whole new world is introduced before the film comes to a sudden, breathtaking, bewildering close.
That’s all that’s worth saying for now. Watch it as soon as you can.
How you can watch Hope at home
Epic feature coming to Digital and Blu-ray
While I certainly loved watching it in a crowded theater, enjoying the communal reactions, I’m excited about watching it at home. Hope will be available to buy or rent on October 13. On that day you will also be able to pre-order the Hope Blu-ray. That comes with a few special features, including conversations between Na Hong-jin and another famed Korean sci-fi horror director in Boon Jong Ho as well as a chat with director Kim Jee-woon. The Blu-ray includes Dolby Atmos, which is a huge plus considering the film’s intense score.
I would strongly recommend opting for the physical disc. You’ll want the optimal video and audio quality, and this is absolutely a movie you will want to revisit.
Other movies to watch if you like Hope
Check out these exciting Korean titles
There are no shortage of thrilling, sci-fi and horror movies from Korea to watch during the scary movie season. Netflix has quite the lineup, including a bunch of monster stories such as Parasyte: The Grey, Gyeongseong Creature, and Sweet Home. All these stories tell of monstrous beings, both good and bad, blending horror with action, humor, and even some romance.
Of course, it’s worth checking out The Wailing, perhaps Na Hong-jin most popular film, which is a clever take on the horror genre. There are monsters, ghosts, paranormal entities, and cults. There is also a lot of blood and plenty of jump scares.
If you like scary, tense story, you can check out just about anything Boon Jong Ho has done. That includes The Host, which took that creature feature to a whole new level and paved the way for stories like Hope. The Host doesn’t hold back; the monster attacks as the film starts and things get wild really fast.
