Ten years after The Wailing, director Na Hong-jin returns with HOPE, an ambitious Korean sci-fi creature feature starring Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Hoyeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender.
And I genuinely cannot remember the last time a movie left me this conflicted.
There are stretches of HOPE that feel like a near-masterpiece: incredible tension, visceral filmmaking, phenomenal practical stunt work and two absolutely insane car chase sequences. The first half had me completely locked in as the movie slowly builds its creature mystery without showing us too much too soon.
But once those creatures are fully revealed…things changed for me.
In this episode, I’m breaking down why the CGI became such a major distraction, why some of the comedy and nearly 3-hour runtime started working against the movie, and why the final stretch left me feeling like an entire piece of the story was missing.
And somehow, despite all of those frustrations…I still recommend seeing it on the biggest screen possible.
HOPE is one of the most ambitious, thrilling and frustrating movies I’ve seen in 2026 — and probably the most conflicted 3/5 I’ve ever given.
Spoiler-Free Review
Topics include:Na Hong-jin’s direction • HOPE’s creature design • CGI vs. practical effects • the car chase sequences • performances • comedy • pacing • IMAX experience • the ending • sequel setup • final rating
If you’ve seen HOPE, let me know where you landed on this one — masterpiece, mess…or somewhere in between?
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