Inside Hope: Na Hong-jin’s Wild, Extraterrestrial Blockbuster and the Most Expensive Film in South Korean History

Hope reportedly stands as the most expensive South Korean film of all time, yet it might just be the wildest as well. Spanning nearly three hours of relentless sci-fi mayhem, acclaimed filmmaker Na Hong-jin’s exhilaratingly bonkers blockbuster largely foregoes traditional backstory to deliver what audiences crave: an onslaught of kinetic action set-pieces, hilarious star performances from a cast thoroughly leaning into the narrative’s absurdity, and blue, lanky, spindly aliens brought to life via motion capture by Hollywood heavyweights Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Taylor Russell.

Na, a 52-year-old South Korean writer and director, has long established himself as a master of genre cinema. His three previous feature films all premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival: The Chaser, The Yellow Sea, and, most famously, the supernatural thriller The Wailing. Hope pushed boundaries even further a few months ago by competing for the Palme d’Or, effectively positioning itself as an arthouse answer to Avatar, but injected with a far wilder sense of fun. During its festival run, Variety lauded the picture for featuring “some of the most breathtakingly elegant action moviemaking” of all time, though it also pointed out its initially “janky VFX.”

The CGI has since been extensively rejigged, and the filmmakers recommend viewing the project on the biggest screen possible. This large-scale presentation allows audiences to fully appreciate the intricate anatomical designs of extraterrestrials that resemble a fascinating cross between a spiky oak tree and a Xenomorph with an intensive gym membership.

Crucially, these otherworldly visitors possess identifiably human facial expressions, complete with gasping jaws and wide-open eyes that evoke the silent era of cinema. The performances and creature design are so compelling that the human characters in the film occasionally question whether they should point deadly weapons at an organism with visible tears streaming down its cheeks.

“There’s a backstory that’s not really in the film, because I’m saving it for a later stage,” Na explains through an interpreter in late September. “These aliens — or otherworldly beings — have fear in meeting homo sapiens, and then also disappointment.”

When humans encounter the creatures, they are startled to recognize themselves in the extraterrestrial faces. This raises a deeper thematic question: do the aliens see a mirror image of themselves in humanity as well?

“That’s an underlying factor. They view things from a different position. The problem is that they have a different language and can’t communicate,” Na notes.

When questioned on the terminology, Na gently corrects the use of the word “aliens.” Is that because, from the perspective of the visiting creatures, it is the humans who are the actual aliens, rendering the term irrelevant?

“That’s right,” he confirms.

Chaos in Hope Harbour and Daylight Cinematic Terror

Set in Hope Harbour, an isolated town situated dangerously close to the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the narrative kicks off as concerned locals begin inspecting a grim series of dead animals, torn-up fences, and a human arm hanging menacingly from a tree branch. Once the shapeshifting creatures from outer space leap into the frame—utilizing heavy trucks to swat at humans as though they were pesky flies—the film unabashedly morphs into an ultra-violent shoot-’em-up. It treats viewers to speeding car chases, horse-riding heroes, and a climactic, breathless sequence on an empty motorway that expertly combines both vehicular and equestrian action.

If parts of the CGI appear imperfect upon close inspection, it is largely because the surrounding environments are staggeringly real, anchored by practical stunts that repeatedly prompt viewers to wonder how the camera operators managed to avoid crashing into trees or wayward vehicles.

Beyond the relentless action and violence, the film leans heavily into comedy. In one standout moment, when policewoman Sung-ae—played by Jung Ho-yeon of Squid Game fame—witnesses an amateur gunman named Sung-ki, portrayed by Zo In-sung of Possible Love, brutally slaughter an alien, she yells out, “Are you a movie star? So damn hot!” However, the ultimate scene-stealer of the production is 80-year-old veteran actor Im Hyun-sik, who portrays an elderly local resident delivering an unforgettable monologue concerning spicy food, diarrhea, and how a middle finger ultimately saved his life.

Lensed by Hong Kyung-pyo, the acclaimed cinematographer behind modern masterpieces like Parasite and Burning, Hope unfolds entirely in broad daylight—imagine the iconic, sun-drenched atmosphere of Burning, but traded for a towering monster sprinting through the scenery. This choice represents a stark visual contrast to Na’s previous filmography. The Chaser and The Yellow Sea were primarily dark, cat-and-mouse pursuits that played out entirely under the cover of night, while the dread of The Wailing relied heavily on pitch-black shadows, with its most iconic image featuring glowing red eyes peering from the gloom.

“It was easier not doing night-time scenes, because there’s no lighting needed, only the daylight,” Na reflects. “However, I used the forest to give the feel of night-time. The next half of the story will go into actual night-time.”

When asked if the forest was deliberately styled to evoke fear, Na clarifies, “It’s more to add different colours and density. The village is the area for humans, and the forest is for aliens. However, they go beyond their boundaries and attack each other. I wanted to show those boundaries being torn.”

A Political Subtext and a Tragic Sequel on the Horizon

Just as Na’s second feature film, The Yellow Sea, intentionally reversed the actors who portrayed the protagonist and the villain in his debut, The Chaser, his planned sequel to Hope will pivot to focus primarily on the perspective of the aliens. In fact, Hope represents only the first half of the massive script Na originally penned, meaning a comprehensive draft for a follow-up feature already exists.

“The sequel is a tragedy that goes into more theories, twists, and aggressions,” Na reveals. “I’m writing it at the moment, and trying to organise my thoughts. It might turn into something very different. I don’t find it fun to do the same thing again and again.”

Despite functioning as an unbridled splatter-fest, Hope maintains a sharp intellectual core, bolstered by a distinct political subtext stemming from its DMZ setting and the cultural divide between humans and the visiting beings, who are portrayed by Western actors speaking an unfamiliar tongue. Furthermore, in the film’s final moments, Alicia Vikander’s character, J’aur, reveals that an emperor passed on a crucial message in a dream: “Faith is evidence of what we do not see.” The line is a direct quote from the biblical Book of Hebrews.

As a practicing Christian, Na has frequently woven religious motifs into his past work, most notably by opening The Wailing with a scriptural line from the Gospel of Luke.

“I wanted to subtly have this religious philosophy in Hope,” Na says. “I will talk about having faith in a god in the next chapter.”

Asked whether this serves as a commentary on whether even extraterrestrials require a religion, Na elaborates: “It’s more about maybe believing things exist. We couldn’t see the aliens before, but now we can actually physically see them. I want to subtly imply that there might be these beings.”

If J’aur is familiar with the Bible, it raises the intriguing possibility that humans and aliens might unknowingly share a religion, even if they do not share a literal god.

“That’s right. At the end, you see a spaceship falling. If you look closely in the sequel, the design of the spaceship is very ancient. Within it, there is an emperor. From our human point of view, it could be a god that’s fallen in that spaceship. To the aliens, it might be their king, who they consider a god, whose duty is not continuing. I wanted to ask a question: when that disappears, how will the cosmic world go on?”

Hope is scheduled to be released in UK cinemas on September 25.