Why Na Hong-Jin Ditched Slow-Burn Horror for a Breakneck Monster Movie

Why Na Hong-jin Ditched Slow-Burn Horror for a Breakneck Monster Movie

Na Hong-jin discusses the breakneck pacing, bizarre creatures, and human nature at the heart of his ambitious sci-fi action thriller Hope.

Inside the Sheer Bravado of ‘Hope’

The mind-bending Korean horror movie invites viewers to sit with discomfort. That’s a good thing.

Review: The Korean thriller ‘Hope’ is a creature feature to the tilt

Na Hong-jin makes chase movies and it can be incredible where they go. His latest, Hope, is his biggest and wildest movie yet. But despite its heft in ...

When does Hope take place? Why it’s set near the DMZ

It’s easy to miss while watching but Hope actually takes place sometime before the 00s. In interviews, Na Hong-jin and his production designer have cited aesthetics from the 70s, 80s, and 90s influencing the film.  Why Hope takes place in the past Why set the story in the past? To start, Na wanted to avoid […]

‘Hope’ explained: Director Na Hong-Jin on casting A-list ETs, the twist ending, and what’s next

The South Korean filmmaker breaks down his unhinged creature feature starring Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender.

‘Hope’ Movie Review: Cinema at Its Purest

There isn’t a better way to open the 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival than with a special screening of Na Hong-jin’s Hope. This is the South Korean genre artist’s first feature in ten years, following the masterful The Wailing in 2016. It’s been a while, which made the prospect of a Cannes premiere all the more special for