After 2016’s The Wailing, I was surprised to see writer/director Na Hong-jin shift his focus towards a sci-fi action film. But given his more grounded action roots, it’s more in line with his work than at first glance. Hope is filled with intense action set pieces and moves forward with such momentum that you can hardly catch your breath. Chris Bumbray reviewed the film at Cannes, and I can’t help but agree that this features some of the best action since Mad Max: Fury Road. Which is certainly no easy feat. And with the likes of Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Taylor Russell joining the Korean cast of Hoyeon, Hwang Jung-min, and Zo In-sung, this is quite the unique ensemble.
As a massive fan of Squid Game, it was an absolute pleasure to speak with Hoyeon about her role in Hope. If you’ve seen the movie, you know she has one of the greatest character introductions ever, so we get into her reaction to getting a round of applause at Cannes. She discusses how much training she had for the film, whether it was for driving, gunplay, or even conditioning. She also tells a funny story about how she accidentally broke one of the cameras during one of the stunts. Hoyeon is very charming, and you can check out the full conversation in the embedded video above!
Hope plot:
In the remote South Korean village of Hope Harbor, police outpost chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) and officer Sung-ae (Hoyeon) are called to find a mysterious creature that has wreaked havoc on the village. In the nearby forest, a coterie of local hunters, including Sung-ki (Zo In-sung) set out to track the beast and find themselves hunted instead. But all is not as it seems, and perceptions can be misleading. What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions.
Hope is now playing in theaters.