“The Best Entertainment to Fuel the K-Wave” and “Cannes’ Biggest Shock” — Director Na Hong-jin’s ‘Hope’ Receives Raving Reviews!

Director Na Hong-jin’s latest work, ‘Hope’, premiered on the 17th as part of the competition section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, and international media are already pouring in the praise.

Expectations were already sky-high since Director Na has showcased all his previous feature films—’The Chaser’ (2008), ‘The Yellow Sea’ (2011), and ‘The Wailing’ (2016)—at Cannes. However, ‘Hope’ has reportedly exceeded those expectations.

The film’s blend of action, thriller, and comedy, along with its tension-building direction and powerful action sequences, have generally been well-received. However, opinions are split regarding the flow of the ending and the design of the alien characters.

The British daily The Guardian gave ‘Hope’ a high score of 4 out of 5, stating, “The non-stop, frenetic alien battle is top-tier entertainment,” and adding, “This film provides the highest level of entertainment that will further intensify the global K-wave.”

However, they reserved judgment on the film’s conclusion.

The Guardian pointed out that “opinions may differ regarding the Act 3 twist dealing with the mastermind behind the monster invasion” and “the familiar feel of the monsters’ appearance.”

Vogue France named ‘Hope’ as “the biggest shock of this year’s Cannes Film Festival.” The publication noted, “Spanning nearly three hours, this film wakes up the sleeping Cannes Film Festival and already stands far above other works in the competition section.”

They specifically praised the first 50 minutes, where the aliens are never shown, creating a sense of dread through the sights and sounds of devastated victims.

Vogue France added, “Director Na creates a rarely seen level of excellent tension by hiding the monsters for as long as possible,” noting that “audiences can’t help but scream in terror at the sight of severed arms and mutilated corpses left everywhere.”

The US entertainment outlet The Wrap described ‘Hope’ as “one of the best action movies of all time” and a “lean and mean action thrill ride.”

The Hollywood Reporter also shared, “It instantly draws the audience in with dazzling camera work, heart-pounding music, breathless pacing, and clearly defined characters.”

Deadline praised the technical aspects, stating, “The stunning visuals by cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo, the grand orchestral music by Michael Abel, and the impressive stunt coordination by Yoo Sang-sup deliver results that even Hollywood would envy.”

On the other hand, IndieWire offered a harsh critique, claiming that “Na Hong-jin’s blockbuster monster movie falls apart due to a poor script and some of the worst CGI since ‘The Mummy 2’.”

Screen Daily, which provides sequential ratings for competition films, gave ‘Hope’ an average score of 2.8 on the 19th.

This is the third-highest score among the 12 competition films rated so far.

Director Paweł Pawlikowski’s ‘Fatherland’ holds the top spot with 3.3, followed by Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s ‘All of a Sudden’ with 3.1.

While 10 films have yet to be rated, ‘Hope’ is expected to remain near the top of the scoreboard as many other works have scored in the 1-point range.