MOVIE REVIEW: HOPE

 

A police chief, a policewoman and a group of hunters try to track down and kill a mysterious creature that's laying waste to a Korean village.

Director: Na Hong-jin

Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender

Release Date: September 9, 2026

 

Genre: Action, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violent content and language throughout.

Runtime: 2h 36m

Review:

Hope, the latest South Korean sci-fi import, boasts a fun tone along with a series of impressively staged action sequences which propels the majority of the film before the story takes a turn that’s bound to be divisive.  Writer/Director, Na Hong-Jin, displays real confidence and talent behind the camera as he sets up the characters and mystery with impressive restraint as he builds tension before revealing the monsters, almost forty minutes into the film.  There are bits of 90’s Michael Bay smattered throughout as Hong-Jin uses a kinetic pace to establish the setting in town and in the forest that makes for a visually engaging experience that sets with the collections of characters.  The only thing keeping the action sequences from really hitting is some incredibly shoddy early 2000’s level CGI that’s rather distracting throughout.  The script doesn’t offer up a ton of backstory on the motley crew collection of locals, but it does give the whole thing a fun, almost goofy tone amidst all the carnage that recalls other genre bending movies like Shaun of the Dead or Return of the Living Dead.  There are some truly hilarious moments spread throughout the film with the cast showing off some strong comedic timing, a story from a survivor recounting his bathroom trip in the woods is a gut buster.  Hwang Jung-min bumbling police chief serves as the main character for the film, with him delivering solid work as he tries to be brave in the face of the horror unleashed on his unsuspecting town.  He brings a perfect, everyman quality to the character that serves the film well with him being believably frazzled from start to finish.  Zo In-sung brings more self-assured energy as his second cousin, Ko Sung-ki, who investigates the local woods with a group of his friends.   Jung Ho-Yeon brings a rather chaotic, unhinged energy as a rookie cop, Im Sung-ae, as soon as she appears onscreen about halfway through the film.  The rest of the characters are mostly a collection of types rather than fully realized people which is easier to forgive since the majority of them are little more than cannon fodder.  Issues start to pop up in the back half of the film as the story starts going in some unexpected directions with more than a handful of story threads left unanswered which makes the whole thing feel like set up for a sequel which may or may not come although Na Hong-Jin has stated the script for that sequel is complete.  As a standalone film, it leaves Hope slightly unsatisfying which is a shame since so much of the film works so incredibly well. 

B- 

MOVIE REVIEW: COLONY

 

Trapped inside a sealed building during a deadly bioterrorist attack, a desperate group of survivors must navigate growing panic and betrayal as they fight to stay alive.

Director: Na Hong-jin

Cast:Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Kim Shin-rok, Shin Hyun-been, Go Soo

Release Date: September 9, 2026

 

Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated R for bloody violent content and some language.

Runtime: 2h 3m

Review:

Yeon Sang-ho’s latest zombie horror film, Colony, is a kinetic action-packed zombie fest that packs together a handful of tropes into a bloody, mucus filled goodtime.  Sang-ho film waste little time taking off as his script is decidedly lean on characterization, focusing instead on sleek pulse pounding action set pieces.  Those action sequences are impressive across the board as infected people fling themselves at survivors in a steady succession of increasingly complicated contortions.  It all plays out like the slimiest Cirque du Soleil performance ever to occur in a mall.   The setting will illicit memories of Dawn of the Dead, the original and remake, but there are more than a few whiffs of the 28 Days Later franchise and The Last of Us series thrown in for good measure.  The central concept of an evolving zombie hivemind horde gives the action a dash of freshness as the survivors have to constantly keep on their toes with the infected learning their tactics.  None of the concepts, including the hive mind, is terribly groundbreaking but it’s a testament to Sang-ho’s talent as a director that it’s all so thoroughly entertaining especially if you’re looking for a fun zombie thrill ride.  While there’s plenty of splatter fun to enjoy during the film’s frenetic two-hour runtime, the characters are all little more than thinly scripted types with none of them getting enough time to get properly fleshed out.   Jun Ji-hyun’s biotechnology professor, Kwon Se-jeong, serves as the film’s defacto lead with her bringing strong, confident screen presence to the role.  She exudes self-determination and intelligence throughout which leaves you wishing the script had given the character a tad more depth to fully take advantage of her performance.  Koo Kyo-hwan’s bio terrorist, Seo Young-cheol, who caused the outbreak takes center stage in the second half of the film and is played with enough nefarious glee that you just can’t wait for him to get his comeuppance.  The rest of the supporting cast does its best with their limited screentime with only the brother sister duo, played by Ji Chang-wook and Kim Shin-rok, leaving a noticeable impact.  Once its all said and done, Colony, may not reach the heights of Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan but its still a bloody fun zombie film.  

B