'Unhinged' Sci-Fi Creature Feature Debuts to High Praise from Both Critics and Audiences

One of the year’s wildest new releases has arrived in U.S. theaters, and it has the critics and audiences in agreement. While some viewers just aren’t sure what to make of it, the reception has been more positive, with some reviews giving the movie particularly high praise.

A sci-fi action thriller, Hope is now playing in the U.S. after a previous release in South Korea. It has a Certified Fresh rating of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, almost perfectly matched with its 80% audience score. Some critics say that it should be watched on the big screen for maximum enjoyment, especially with its “visceral” and “unrelenting” chase sequences involving the movie’s unique monster. Despite being “utterly bonkers,” as one review noted, Nick Johnston of Vanyaland called it “one of the strongest action releases of the year.”

Hope Has to Be Seen to Be Believed

Jung Ho-yeon as Sung-ae looking shocked in a police car in Hope

“Hope brought back a very specific kind of childhood movie magic, and that alone makes it difficult not to adore,” critic Codie Allen said in a review, giving the movie 5 out of 5 stars.

Appreciating how the film took some risks with excellent results, Dan Tabor of Cinapse added, “Hope is a masterfully executed, audacious swing, and I’d much rather watch a filmmaker take a few big, messy chances than play it safe.”

“Endlessly ambitious and so fully committed to being whatever the hell it is that you genuinely have to see it to believe it,” Movie Brief’s Michael Nordine also said.

Sight & Sound’s John Bleasdale stressed, “There is nary a moment of boredom and its numerous peaks of exhilarating action are often undercut by a laugh-out-loud payoff. Brilliantly crafted and beautifully shot, we can only hope this wild film gets the follow up it so richly deserves.”

Hope Has Sci-Fi, Action, Horror, and Mystery All in One Wild Story

Hope is directed by Na Hong-jin (The Chaser, The Yellow Sea), serving as the filmmaker’s first movie in 10 years. It is set in the coastal village of Hope Harbor, near the Korean DMZ. It starts with police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) investigating the bizarre death of a cow, which leads to the realization that the town is being attacked by a massive, mysterious creature. Hope then essentially turns into a wild survival movie, as everyone in town tries to figure out what the creature is and how to stop it before it’s too late.

Along with Hwan Jung-min, Hope also stars Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell, and Cameron Britton. Fassbender and Vikander, in particular, portray alien characters using motion capture. The production cost around $74 million, making it one of South Korea’s most expensive movies ever made. Fans may also want to order the large popcorn if seeing this one in theaters, as it’s on the long side, clocking in at nearly 160 minutes.

Hope is now playing in movie theaters.