Popular reviews

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  Review by Invincible Asia ★★★★★ 5

  Hope is a devastating South Korean drama based on a real case of child rape that happened in 2008.

  In stark contrast to many South Korean films with similarly heavy topics Hope focuses on the family of three, mother, father and the 8 year old daughter and them living through the aftermath of the crime and the little one's stay at the hospital.

  Sol Kyung-Gu as the helpless father gives a career-best performance and Lee Re who plays the daughter is stellar too.
  Hope is an intense and heartbreaking drama that still manages to show that there is indeed Hope. But it's certainly a really tough watch for the most part and I wasn't surprised to learn that there was…

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  Review by Rohit Kumar . ★★★★★ 6

  I think this is the best South Korean film ever made. Perhaps, it is now my favorite film of all time overall as well. I cried more than 20 times on the scenes that were not even brutal, the scenes where the director was trying to induce some smile or hope. I don't even want to talk about the sequences that were disturbing. It's very rare that I cry watching movies but this time, I lost it. I can't even explain how many times I broke down watching Hope and that has never happened with me. I felt really connected with the director throughout the film. As if the director was aware when his audience will break down, so he…

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  Review by Cormac 👑 ★★★ 7

  This made me cry real tears but it did not for one second feel like it was natural or even my own tears streaming down my face. It felt more like the tears were being teased out of me, the filmmaking a crutch to have my emotions toyed with as everything is spelled out exactly how badly I was supposed to feel while watching. It felt like manipulation. And I don’t like that.

  I like to feel my own emotions. I like to be able to decide on my emotions by myself and not be force-fed them, actually. Funny that. HOPE, while surely effective in its ambitions and well-put together in every general sense of the word, did not grant…

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  Review by SupremeLemon (김레몬) ★ 8

  Mainstream cinema's enthusiasm for nonfictional stories is often in conflict with a multitude of ethical and legal concerns, especially if they're based on real-life tragedies and traumatic experiences. Many would perceive the mere adaptation of such events as an opportunistic attempt at turning human suffering into box office returns. Just as cinema has proven to be useful in its ability to raise awareness and draw attention to a variety of topics, so too have other valuable sources of information. Documentary footage, news reports, and even social media posts are sufficient in delivering strategic approaches to public interest communications. However, nonfictional narratives aren't exclusive to the cinema, as the moment in which facts begin to circulate, various forms of media have…

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  Review by Michael James ★★★★½ 1

  A devastating heart wrenching drama based on a true story of a 8-year old girl, raped and beaten by a drunk 57-year-old man. The first hour is a tearjerker and makes your heart heavy with pain and shock. The movie doesn’t try to manipulate the emotions or divert into criticizing the failing legal system but instead portrays the pain and suffering of the victim and its family straight. The second hour tenderly showcases about mental healing and the moments of humanity, compassion among each human and fellow community members turning into a spiritually uplifting drama. The screenplay and the performances from the cast were excellent. Love and compassion are the essential tools to overcome the evil in the world. The movie sheds light on the meaningful aspects of life brimming with hope.

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  Review by Sin ✊🏿 ★★★ 4

  Hmmm, this is ok for what it is. 3 ⭐'s for the great performances and the film being generally well-made. Beyond that, I had conflicting feelings while watching this that made the viewing experience a bit "icky" for me personally.

  Rather than me trying to fumble my way through articulating why I was side-eyeing and scrunching up my face here and there throughout, I came across SupremeLemon and IdkyBlue's reviews that incisively teases out and crystalizes the few thoughts and qualms that I have regarding this movie. I strongly recommend checking both reviews out.

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  Review by lilyphilia ★★★★ 2

  Less than 30 minutes in and I was already a sobbing mess.

  Extremely devastating and what makes it more painful is the fact that it actually happened to a young girl publicly known as "Nayoung".

  Now I gotta rest up from all that crying and emotional heaviness I've felt while watching it.

  Also, fuck South Korea's justice system!

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  Review by Prateek Sharma ★★★★★ 5

  I've no words. I know this film isn't an easy watch but if you can go through starting 30 mins (which is very tough) this film is raising very important issue which unfortunately many parts of the world is facing for God knows how many years. It's also very heartwarming, touching too. Many beautiful characters. I don't think I've cried this much in longest times. Probably the best film I've seen this year. I JUST WANNA HUG ALL THE KIDS NOW. EVERY KID IS BEAUTIFUL. And to every parent like this film represent the Hope's family you all are awesome. Korean cinema take a bow. ❤

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  Review by Tallyson ★★★★½

  Pesadíssimo! Esse é o tipo de filme que te faz sentir a dor e o desespero que os personagens transmitem, chorei várias vezes no decorrer do mesmo. O filme mexe muito com nosso emocional, seja nas cenas tristes ou nas bonitinhas. É tudo o que a gente quer num drama. Só de pensar que o filme foi baseado em fatos reais já me deixa muito angustiado.

  Vai pros favoritos!

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  Review by IdlyBlue ★★ 5

  Overall Rating: Below Average (D-)

  One would think that a director who's exploring subject matter as heavy and horrific as this would handle it with care and authenticity, but Lee Joon-ik turns the tragic story of Hope into a manipulative, mainstream, melodrama. It seems that Lee Joon-ik doesn't know how to effectively convey complex themes, evoke genuine emotion, or create interesting shots through his skills as a filmmaker because he exclusively relies on exaggerated acting, in your face dialogue, a dull narrative structure, oversentimental music, soft lighting, and generic shot composition with a shallow depth of field. These typical, lazy traits that are prevalent in so many K-Dramas are uninspiring and serve as nothing more than a crutch for ineptitude. Turning this traumatic story based on real life events into a sensationalized movie felt quite irreverent and exploitative.

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  Review by Daniel Malpica ★½

  Lo que hace a esta película especial es el enfoque en la familia y la superación de un acto como la violación, y aunque peque de ser sensacionalista, el resultado es crudo y realista; logra ponernos en situación, transmitirnos las sensaciones (no se compara a lo vivido por la familia que sufrió el acto) y conectarnos con la historia.

  Personalmente, me parece un tema muy denso y complejo, y Joon-ik lo aborda con respeto y comprensión, plantea el tema toscamente en el instante más sensible y se desarrolla con la mayor cantidad de explotación sensacionalista. El problema recae en que el director, así como sucedió con "Cafarnaúm", prefiere tomar el camino sencillo, el de tornar su película lo más triste y lastimera posible, no sé con qué intención, pero es realmente desagradable que alguien se aproveche de una situación así.

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  Review by Graham ★★★★½ 4

  "The bad man should be caught. I was really hurt. So I just called 112 (911)."
  - Hope

  Holy crap! This one just kicked me right in my emotional centre. It's hard to imagine anything more heinous and devastatingly traumatic than child rape, but when it's based on a true story... well, it's just too much.

  The technical stuff in this movie is beautiful. In many ways it's look reminded me of the wonderful Shoplifters. That's where the similarities end though. Where Shoplifters is full of twists, turns and hopefulness, this movie just looks you straight in the eye and headbutts you. No warning. No foreplay. It just hits you hard, and keeps on punching. As a parent myself, I…