Wild “Hope” revives the sleepy city of Cannes

He hopesIt is the first feature film by South Korean director Na Hong-jin since the 2016 horror film Wailingwoke up this sleepy Cannes Film Festival with its world premiere late Sunday night.

The big-budget, symbolic sci-fi thriller in which aliens land in a rural village called Port Hope near the Demilitarized Zone (or DMZ) separating North and South Korea received what may be the most enthusiastic and longest-lasting applause of any film screened in competition at this festival. The audience inside the Grand Théâtre Lumière cheered for 6 minutes straight, a good sign that the crowd-pleaser, which was acquired by Neon for US distribution in early April, and Mubi for international distribution, could be a commercial success. The audience also cheered and clapped during the film’s three spectacular scenes, perhaps stifling some of its reactions at the end of the two-hour and 40-minute epic. “Thank you for staying so long in the movie,” Na said as he handed over a microphone, after thanking the cast and crew in Korean.

Saying too much would ruin the fun of a movie you’d never see coming. But those of us who saw Wailing Premiering out of competition at Cannes 10 years ago, as I did, I became an instant Na Hong-jin convert, one who would recognize its beats. The director has a passion for mysteries and seemingly racist cinematography, and this shamanic horror film made viewers feel like they were chasing possessed family members around dirt-floored huts themselves. He hopes It looks and feels like it has a much bigger budget. Korean star Hwang Jung Min (Wailing), Zhou In Song (Moving) and Hoyun (Squid game) competes with an international cast that includes Mindhunter‘s Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell and Cameron Brittona, none of whom are unrecognizable when they first appear on screen.

In his review of the film, he said: Hollywood Reporter Critic David Rooney called He hopes “A highly entertaining assault of turbo-charged excitement.”

“It’s a wonderful feeling to know from the first frames of the film that you are in the hands of such a reliable author,” Rooney wrote. “The rare thriller that takes place almost entirely in broad daylight. He hopes It instantly draws you in with its talented photography, vibrant score, adrenaline-packed pace, and sharply drawn characters.

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