Hope earns – Na Hong-jin’s first feature since The Wailing, Hope, jolted a sleepy Cannes Film Festival with an unusually long standing ovation after its late Sunday world premiere, drawing cheers for six minutes and applause throughout the film’s standout set pieces.
Hope arrived late Sunday night and found a Cannes Film Festival that had otherwise felt calm and unhurried.. When Na Hong-jin’s new film. the first feature from the South Korean director since 2016’s horror smash The Wailing. hit the world premiere slot. the Grand Théâtre Lumière turned its attention immediately.
The big-budget sci-fi action allegory sends aliens to land in a rural village called Hope Harbor near the demilitarized zone. or DMZ. separating North and South Korea.. It also sparked what may be the most enthusiastic and prolonged standing ovation in the competition lineup: the audience cheered for 6 minutes straight.. The response arrived at a moment when the movie’s commercial path has already been drawn in broad strokes—Neon acquired the film for U.S.. distribution in early April, while Mubi holds international distribution.
The cheers didn’t stop at the end.. Audience members also applauded during three outstanding set pieces. though the length of the experience—an epic running time of 2 hours and 40 minutes—may have softened reactions near the final stretch.. When the director was handed a microphone. Na delivered a brief message after thanking the cast and crew in Korean: “Thank you for staying for so long a film.”
For viewers who caught The Wailing premiere out of competition at Cannes 10 years ago, Hope lands with familiar rhythms.. Na’s style—mysteries. and cinematography that feels elemental—was already part of the reason that earlier film converted audiences into devoted followers.. The Wailing. as those memories go. left people feeling as if they were chasing possessed family members across huts with dirt floors.. Hope. by comparison. is described as having a considerably bigger budget. and its opening moments reportedly keep even Korean stars Hwang Jung-min (The Wailing). Zo In-sung (Moving). and Hoyeon (Squid Game) from standing out immediately on screen.
The cast is an international mix that includes Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell and Cameron Brittona, known from Mindhunter.. In the early onscreen appearances. none of the featured performers are described as recognizable right away. adding to the surprise element built around Na’s genre approach.. The film’s twists and turns are framed as the kind you won’t see coming. shaping the experience from the first frames.
In a review. The Hollywood Reporter critic David Rooney called Hope “a wildly entertaining assault of turbo-charged thrills.” Rooney wrote that the film is “a rare action thriller that takes place almost entirely in broad daylight. ” and that Hope pulls viewers in immediately with “virtuoso camerwork. pulse-pounding score. adrenalized pacing and sharply drawn characters.”
The pattern of reaction at the premiere follows the film’s built structure: cheers begin with a 6-minute standing ovation. continue during three outstanding set pieces. and then give way near the end of a 2 hour and 40 minute runtime—suggesting energy tracked the film’s major moments rather than the final minutes alone.
Cannes Film Festival Hope Na Hong-jin standing ovation Hope Harbor DMZ Neon Mubi sci-fi action Hwang Jung-min Zo In-sung Hoyeon Michael Fassbender Alicia Vikander Taylor Russell Cameron Brittona