The film "HOPE" is receiving mixed reviews from audiences right from the start of its release.
Released on the 15th, "HOPE" drew 330,000 viewers on its first day, marking the highest opening audience count for a film released in 2026. However, opinions among those who have seen the film are sharply divided.
Immediately after its first public screening at the Cannes Film Festival last May, "HOPE" received reactions from foreign media such as "a crazy movie" and "I don't know what I just watched." The reactions from domestic audiences are not much different. This sense of bewilderment encompasses both pleasure and discomfort.
Audiences who gave positive reviews were enthusiastic about the scale of the SF blockbuster, which is rare in Korean cinema, and the action that provided the speed and thrill of riding a roller coaster. Those who gave negative reviews commonly pointed out the lack of narrative probability and density, as well as the unfriendly ending. Criticism regarding the CG quality, which had been mentioned since the Cannes Film Festival, was also a common point of contention.
Most of director Na Hong-jin's films have seen divided opinions early in their release. While they are now remembered as successes, "The Chaser," "The Yellow Sea," and "The Wailing" all coexisted with both "fans" (enthusiasts) and "haters" (critics) at the time of their release.
Of course, the temperature difference for "HOPE" is greater than that of the previous three films. As director Na Hong-jin has ventured into a genre he has never attempted before, and given the high expectations for a blockbuster nearing 70 billion KRW, the satisfaction and dissatisfaction are clearly split.
Nevertheless, the box office outlook for "HOPE" remains bright. The pre-sale rate is 61.4%, and it has surpassed 550,000 tickets sold. The reason this trend is expected to continue for the time being is due to the audience's expectations for the "Na Hong-jin" brand. Furthermore, now that it has been unveiled, "HOPE" has become the center of attention, for better or for worse.
Korean audiences have a characteristic of not ignoring a "talked-about event." The new film, released by director Na Hong-jin for the first time in 10 years, is being evaluated as a problematic work and a bizarre film from its first day. The audience's psychology of wanting to see it with their own eyes is expected to be the driving force that maintains the pre-sale rate for "HOPE."
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)
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