Hope review: Riotous South Korean creature feature stars Michael Fassbender like you’ve never seen him before

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Na Hong-jin’s latest film, Hope, is a wild and energetic creature feature that recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. While it might seem like an unusual choice for such a prestigious event, this flawed but thrilling movie delivers non-stop action and is delightfully over-the-top, easily compensating for its imperfections.

Na’s last film, the critically acclaimed horror epic The Wailing, came out a decade ago. However, don’t expect his new film to be similar. It’s a completely different type of genre movie.

The story opens on a rural road with a gruesome discovery: a cow brutally killed by an unknown and dangerous animal. Police Chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) arrives to investigate, and while questioning the wary locals, someone suggests a tiger might be to blame. However, the injuries on the cow don’t quite match a tiger attack.

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Bum-seok quickly realized this couldn’t be a tiger. The creature was still causing widespread destruction – throwing cars around and seriously injuring many people – and it was clearly much larger than any normal tiger.

It’s thrilling to watch as Bum-seok, who clearly isn’t equipped to handle even a normal danger, stumbles into a desperate hunt for this creature. He’s chasing after it, firing his weapon, and along the way, he keeps running into people who are just living their lives – and honestly, they don’t seem to think much of him or his efforts!

The film begins with a lengthy opening sequence that lasts almost an hour, and while the movie has many exciting moments afterward, this opening is arguably its strongest. Director Na masterfully builds tension throughout the elaborate hunt, and actor Hwang perfectly balances the role of the police chief, providing humorous reactions as the situation spirals out of control without diminishing the suspense.

The movie seems to be building towards a classic reveal – saving the big monster for the very end. However, this plan backfires spectacularly, and it becomes clear that’s not what’s happening. This is where the film’s biggest problem becomes obvious: the computer-generated creature effects aren’t very convincing. At times, its movements look more like something from a video game than a realistic animal.

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How much the film’s flaws bother you will probably depend on your personal preferences, but it’s clear that better special effects and more creative monsters could have made it even more impressive. Luckily, the exciting action sequences are strong enough that many viewers won’t even notice these shortcomings.

During the second and third parts of the movie, which is quite long at two hours and forty minutes, it occasionally feels like it could be trimmed. Some of the side stories work better than others, but the film maintains a good pace and consistent tension. There are also some funny moments, like a surprisingly specific account from a man who was hurt.

The film features a primarily Korean cast, with Zo In-sung and Jung Ho-yeon (from Squid Game) starring alongside Hwang. Several well-known Hollywood actors also have important roles, including married couple Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, who are virtually unrecognizable in their performances.

“Hope” is a movie that people will likely either love or hate, and it definitely has some confusing parts, especially regarding its backstory. However, it’s a wildly fun action film, and the excitement is undeniable, particularly when watching with a crowd.

Authors

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona writes about movies for TopMob, covering new releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. He’s been with the site since October 2019, and during that time, he’s interviewed many famous actors and reviewed all kinds of films.

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2026-05-18 13:06