Na Hong-jin's new film 'Hope' premiered on July 15, generating significant buzz online as audience reviews poured in, many of which were marked as no spoilers.
While film critic Lee Dong-jin and director Lee Chang-dong praised it as the "pinnacle of pure entertainment" and noted the "astonishing quality and quantity of action," initial audience feedback has been sharply divided, with many expressing overwhelming disappointment.
One viewer (A) remarked, "The first half is overwhelming. It's truly insane," adding that while it felt a bit slow at times, it ultimately captivated the audience in a way that was unprecedented for zombie or creature films. However, they noted, "The second half felt a bit anticlimactic, but it wasn't excessively drawn out," and praised the cinematography as "stunning."
Conversely, another viewer criticized the dialogue, stating, "The delivery was the worst," and lamented that during chase and combat scenes, it was nearly impossible to hear what actress Jung Ho-yeon was saying.
A different viewer (B), who identified as a film major, left a lengthy critique, stating, "I tend to be quite lenient with films, but this one exceeded that threshold of inadequacy," highlighting the dialogue as the film's most significant flaw. They expressed confusion throughout, thinking, "Huh? What? What did they just say?" and criticized the disjointed conversations that felt unrealistic.
They further noted, "All characters seem to express only one emotion: anger. There’s hardly any fear, just a repetitive sentiment of 'I’m angry, and you should be too,'" which left them thinking, "So what?"
Regarding the plot, they stated, "The storyline is completely shattered. It’s not even set in a Korean context, and there’s no explanation; it just pushes the idea that 'this is how the world is.'" They felt the film repeated the same patterns throughout its over two-hour runtime.
They concluded, "I thought Na Hong-jin was one of the top directors in Korean cinema, but I never expected such a poor work from him," adding that while many criticized Jung Ho-yeon’s performance, it was unfortunate for an actress to have to deliver such lines.
Another viewer (C) expressed disbelief, asking, "Is this really a Na Hong-jin film? I thought our theater was showing a different movie from the start to the end."
In contrast, viewer (D) offered a mixed review, stating, "It’s the worst film in Na Hong-jin’s filmography, yet it’s the most entertaining Korean film I’ve seen recently." They acknowledged the lack of story and world-building, as well as numerous issues with the CGI and script, but noted, "Despite that, I never once thought, 'How much longer is this?' It was definitely worth watching in theaters."
Viewer (E) suggested that Na Hong-jin realized mid-production, "Oh no, this is a problem," but felt it was too late to salvage the film, resulting in a sense of half-hearted completion.
Viewer (F) echoed similar sentiments, stating, "Aside from the first half, I kept thinking, 'What am I watching?'" They criticized the dialogue quality and suggested that Jung Ho-yeon needs to refine her delivery and breathing before focusing on emotional acting. They also expressed disappointment with the supporting actors' dialogue delivery, which disrupted immersion, stating, "The narrative itself is nearly nonexistent, and the story evaporated. I wished it would end quickly, second only to Marvel's notorious flop 'Eternals.'"
As audience reactions continue to diverge sharply on the film's opening day, many online are commenting that 'Hope' is a film of extreme opinions, with some calling it the most controversial work of Na Hong-jin's career.
'Hope' marks Na Hong-jin's first feature film in nearly a decade, combining elements of action, science fiction, mystery, and thriller. It was anticipated as one of the biggest Korean films of the year, but the starkly contrasting audience reviews have sparked intense discussions.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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