Brandon Fletcher
Hope, the latest science fiction film from acclaimed director Na Hong-jin, premieres in theaters on September 9th. This highly anticipated movie features a star-studded cast, including Squid Game‘s Hoyeon, Michael Fassbender, and Alicia Vikander. It marks Na’s first venture into the sci-fi genre and his fourth feature film, following the critically acclaimed works The Chaser, The Yellow Sea, and his 2016 horror masterpiece, The Wailing.
Set in a tranquil, isolated village, Hope narrates the story of police officers Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) and Sung-ae (Hoyeon), along with local hunter Sung-ki (Zo In-sung), as they encounter what they suspect is a mysterious creature threatening the local livestock. In a swift turn of events, the hunters find themselves becoming the hunted amidst the bustling city streets and thick forests. The film transforms into an exhilarating alien invasion narrative, infused with Na’s signature dark humor, intense action sequences, and unexpected plot twists in the aptly named South Korean village, Hope Harbor.
Before the theatrical release of Hope, io9 engaged in a conversation with Na about his motivations for exploring the sci-fi genre, the recuts made after its initial mixed reception at Cannes, and his efforts to differentiate this film from the typical sci-fi blockbusters.
Na’s career trajectory—from the Park Chan-wook-inspired films The Chaser and The Yellow Sea to the visceral horror of The Wailing—illustrates a director honing his artistic voice. After establishing a firm grasp on the oppressive tension of gritty neo-noir thrillers, Na ventured into new territory, allowing the dark humor and striking violence of his previous films to flourish with his third project. This was a film that, according to Na, left him “creatively and physically drained,” with rest being his only desire. The opportunity to explore a new genre with the same talented crew that supported his meteoric rise, including cinematographer Hong Kyun-pyo, stunt coordinator Yoo Sang Seob, and actor Hwang, made Hope an enticing challenge, promising audiences a fresh take on alien invasion cinema.
Na expressed to io9 that his interest in the sci-fi genre stemmed from a desire to create a film that explores his recurring theme of how misconceptions and ignorance can escalate human conflict into a catastrophic event of “cosmic proportions.”
“My film ideas typically originate from social or human phenomena. What matters is the perspective from which you view these phenomena,” Na explained. “After The Wailing, I wanted to examine these phenomena from an unfamiliar angle. I chose a cosmic perspective to observe humanity and its behavior. That’s the genesis of the idea.”
In contrast to most filmmakers, who often obscure their formidable CGI creatures in shadows, Hope boldly reveals its array of enigmatic beings in full daylight throughout the film. While the trailer may have hinted at an alien-versus-human narrative, Na aimed to keep audiences guessing whether the strange happenings were the result of local wildlife or some malevolent spirit. Once the first alien invader (played by Cameron Britton) makes its appearance, Na dedicated himself to crafting the designs of the remaining extraterrestrial beings, ensuring they were both otherworldly and terrifying adversaries in the film’s frenetic action scenes.
“In creating their movement, I wanted to break away from traditional conventions. When deciding whether these aliens should appear during the day or at night, or whether to film on location or at a sound stage, I opted for maximizing our shooting locations. This choice added a sense of spatial depth to the characters,” he noted, referring to the film’s use of wide-angle lenses that capture both human and alien characters—some towering over three meters (approximately 10 feet)—in the same frame.
Unlike the slow-moving kaiju of past films, Na envisioned Hope’s aliens as remarkably agile. To bring these creatures to life, he collaborated with the Korean visual effects team from Westworld to motion-capture performances from stars Fassbender, Vikander, Britton, and Taylor Russell. The decision to cast international actors for the alien roles was intentional and strategic.
“Choosing a cast from diverse cultural backgrounds was influenced by the alien language developed for the film,” he explained. “I wanted actors whose pronunciation would align closely with the language we created.”
While the imposing presence of the aliens and the language barrier between them and the bumbling humans of Hope create significant tension throughout the story, it remains quintessentially a Na film. This means audiences can expect a dose of dark humor amidst the tension, showcasing hapless officers confronting alien threats in the close-knit setting of a remote village.
“The narrative unfolds from a cosmic viewpoint. We observe the human characters from above. the perspective is more sympathetic toward the aliens than the humans,” Na clarified. “I aimed to highlight the more primitive and uncivilized aspects of humanity. I didn’t want these elements to feel overly serious, which is why I included humorous scenes to convey that. In a sense, through humor, I sought to make my intentions more ambiguous. I also aimed for these themes to be communicated to the audience in an engaging and enjoyable manner.”
After its mixed reception at Cannes, IndieWire’s Chris O’Falt reported that Na made revisions to Hope for its theatrical release. Before its global debut, Neon arranged for a release in 1,500 theaters across the U.S., marking the largest domestic theatrical release of a Korean film since Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite, as noted by Variety. This reflects a significant level of confidence in the creature feature. Following an early screening of the film, public relations confirmed to io9 that the version I viewed was the recut intended for theaters. I was eager to learn from Na about the motivations behind the recut, the changes made, and the messages he aimed to convey in this final version compared to the original cut.
“I made the decision to re-edit after viewing it at Cannes. The final cut is four minutes shorter,” he shared.
Na clarified that the reduced runtime allowed for more focus on the character of Yang-bae (Eum Moon-suk), the local taxidermist in Hope Harbor. this meant that Hoyeon’s character, the ambitious officer Sung-ae, received less screen time.
Hope prepares to debut in theaters on September 9.
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Daniel Mercer
