Director: Lance Oppenheim Starring: Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Matthew Maher, Phoebe Bridgers Certificate: 15 Run Time: 109 mins
Primetime is a dramatisation of the production of reality TV show To Catch A Predator, which saw NBC journalist Chris Hansen expose child predators in sting operations, assisted by the vigilante group Perverted-Justice. Once publicly exposed, the police would be waiting to arrest the predator before being prosecuted. Robert Pattinson plays Hansen and this is documentary filmmaker Lance Oppenheim’s first narrative feature film, who also co-directed the upcoming You Can See Everything with Nathan Fielder.
This is an entertaining feature debut from Oppenheim that’s brilliantly directed with its neon-lit striking visuals and sharp pacing. While Robert Pattinson is excellent as the smarmy Hansen and deftly conveys the moral crusader who’ll do anything for high ratings, he felt a little young – Hansen was in his mid-40s when To Catch A Predator began in 2004 and Pattinson has only turned 40 this year. It’s still a fun performance though and one that’s clearly demanded a lot from the actor. Just as impressive are Merritt Wever as Andie Becker, Hansen’s ratings-obsessed producer who’s always chewing gum, and the underrated Matthew Maher as the founder of Perverted-Justice. Bokeem Woodbine is another highlight as a thoroughly Texan police chief. There’s a solid score by Ari Balouzian, with an especially effective string-based theme that’s repeatedly used in several intense moments and the film’s luridly shot by David Bolen.
I just don’t think there’s enough substance here. While the film moves at a brisk pace in its sub two-hour runtime, it never really digs as deep as it should into the characters’ psyches and hints at some interesting themes without ever gets its nails dirty. Oppenheim’s dealing with fascinating subject matter here, but the themes he hones in on are scattershot and underdeveloped. The director certainly gets the tone and visuals right though and it’s a lot of fun, but Primetime doesn’t quite manage to achieve greatness with its shallow delivery.
Director: James Watkins Starring: Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan Certificate: 18 Run Time: 108 mins
Clayface is the latest in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s burgeoning DC Universe, and it’s the film I’ve been most intrigued by. That’s because it was based on an idea pitched by Mike Flanagan, who envisioned a horror-leaning film that would stand out in the ever-overcrowded superhero genre. Unfortunately, Flanagan wasn’t able to ultimately direct due to clashes with his Carrie series and the upcoming The Exorcist: Martyrs, so James Watkins – the excellent director behind The Woman in Black, Eden Lake and Speak No Evil came on board. Although Flanagan receives a credit for the script, Hossein Amini does too and made significant rewrites.
Relative newcomer Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, an actor who’s just been nominated for an Academy Award. When he attends a party at the Vesuvius nightclub with his friend Corey (Joshua James), he’s seduced by Mia Torrez (Joana Ribeiro). After spending the night with her, he wakes up in bed surrounded by crime lord Markos Szabo (David Dencik) and his men, who disfigure Matt’s face as punishment. Being corrupt, Szabo avoids prosecution and Matt’s life is upended. He then learns of Caitlyn Corr (Naomie Ackie), a doctor developing a treatment using nanites to heal damaged tissue and skin, and while the the results seem promising at first, mutations occur that lead him to become the shapeshifting Batman adversary.
I’ve found the DC Universe a mixed bag so far – I somewhat enjoyed Superman, despite its very ramshackle construction, but I didn’t enjoy Supergirl very much. Although James Gunn says Clayface is very much connected to those films, this film is by far the best the cinematic universe has had to offer so far. The decision to make it an 18-rated body horror film was a good one that stands the film apart in the genre. I applaud Gunn and Safran for allowing such a film to be made within a mechanism where films are typically optimised for the strongest possible box office yield – by being 12A / PG-13 which allows for the biggest audience turnout.
Even if it never quite soars, this is an entertaining and tragic story and I really liked how Watkins takes his time with the characters so we can understand their motivations rather than rush to get to the action. Hagen is a well-rounded individual, who we can fully empathise with in his desperation to get his life back on track after his disfigurement. He’s someone who’s always right on the cusp of what he’s wanted, but never quite gets there.
There’s some excellent use of practical effects in the body horror sequences, with a scene against a bathroom mirror in Hagen’s home and on a plane wince-inducing. That said, although I winced, I thought the film would push the body horror boat a bit further in terms of gore, considering films like The Substance exist. The revenge story the film leads to is very satisfying to watch, especially a climactic sequence in a nightclub.
Tom Rhys Harries makes for an excellent Hagen and much like the character he portrays, he’s surely destined for a successful career after this. While the rest of the cast are all very serviceable (although Eddie Marsan is another highlight as Hagen’s agent), this is very much Harries’ vehicle.
The film’s supported by an excellent Volker Bertelmann score, who establishes some memorable themes, although the use of pop and contemporary tracks is a mis-step and lessens the dark tone Watkins is trying to achieve. This problem plagued Supergirl in particular, but it fortunately doesn’t derail things here.
Visually, Clayface makes the most of its relatively modest $44 million budget, but it’s not particularly distinctive in any way, and you’d be hard-pressed to tell Rob Hardy lenses the film. Watkins also doesn’t make his Gotham City particularly memorable or feel like a character, like the best Batman films achieve. It certainly feels closer to Matt Reeves’ Liverpool-shot The Batman than it does with Gunn’s Metropolis in Superman though.
Clayface is ultimately an above-average superhero film that’s easily the best of the DC Universe so far. However, I wouldn’t quite call it a triumph – it doesn’t have the raw energy or the sadness of Joker, which remains the yardstick for how to construct a tragic supervillain origin story. The film would have really benefitted from a more distinct visual language and possibly a more generous budget, but at least Watkins gets the basics right with the excellent character development. One thing’s for sure – I’m intrigued to see how this character is used and developed in future films.
Director: Taika Waititi Starring: Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, Mia Tharia, Aran Murphy, Steve Buscemi, Natasha Lyonne Certificate: 12A Run Time: 116 mins
Klara and the Sun marks a change for Kiwi director Taika Waititi in that this is the first serious film he’s made. Having made a name for himself with his excellent comedies, such as Hunt For The Wilderpeople, What We Do In The Shadows and Jojo Rabbit, here Waititi adapts Kazuo Ishiguro’s dystopian science fiction 2021 novel about an android called Klara (Jenna Ortega). Klara is an AF (Artificial Friend), companions for children because socialisation is more limited, thanks to on-screen schooling. The film opens with Klara and her fellow AFs at ‘The Friend Store’, who are ignored in favour of B-3 models (they are of the older B-1 variety). But Klara is bought by a young girl named Josie (Mia Tharia), despite her mother Chrissie’s (Amy Adams) reluctance. Josie lives in a rural home near a wheat farm, without many friends except Rick (Aran Murphy), and it’s safe to say that neither Chrissie or Melania (Rachel House), the family’s housekeeper, take to Klara straightaway.
While it’s far from a complete disaster, Klara and the Sun is all over the place. Having not read the book, but being familiar with other Kazuo Ishiguro film adaptations such as Never Let Me Go, Waititi’s humour clashes with Ishiguro’s existential themes and it never quite finds an appropriate tone. To start, Waititi fails to make much of the post-Third World War context and he glosses over the numerous sub-threads that the film introduces. There’s also various quips, befitting of the director’s back catalogue, but few of them land and a lot of the jokes feel unnecessary because of the heavy material. The film constantly feels like it’s pulling in different directions, and while it occasionally takes flight or begins to becomes profound, it’s then undone by a joke that doesn’t deliver or a new sub-plot – Waititi hasn’t worked out how to pace this story.
Still, Jenna Ortega is brilliant as Klara, nailing the innocence and curiosity of the child-like robot with a convincing robotic physicality. Mia Tharia is also excellent as Josie, who we soon learn why she flits between being overly energetic and warm to cold and depressed. Waititi regular Rachel House is also another highlight, and she’s the main reason why some of the jokes land. Amy Adams is fine as the stoic and calculated mother and Steve Buscemi is rather subdued in a brief appearance. The film’s also nicely shot by Mike Berlucchi, who deftly conveys the world as a colourful marvel that we’re seeing unfold from Klara’s perspective, with the idyllic rural home setting with its vast wheat fields akin to The Wizard of Oz‘s Yellow Brick Road.
It’s a shame Klara and the Sun doesn’t fully work, but I’d say it’s just about a serviceable film. I don’t think Waititi was a good match for this material and he fails to explore its themes deeply enough or have the necessary care to certain narrative elements. This is comfortably the director’s weakest effort to date, but it’s not the total trainwreck many are making it out to be.
Director: Brian Duffield Starring: Austin Abrams, Josh Brolin, Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz Certificate: 15 Run Time: 106 mins
Whalefall is an adaptation of Daniel Kraus’s 2023 novel about a teenage scuba diver who gets swallowed by a sperm whale when searching for his father’s remains. Rising star Austin Abrams stars as the teenager in question, Jay, while Josh Brolin appears in flashbacks as his estranged father, Mitt, who we see commit suicide in the film’s opening scene and his body is never found. Jay feels guilt over his strained relationship, having not spoken to his father for some time before his death and he is yet to open a letter left for him (Jay’s two sisters also received letters and have opened theirs). So Jay decides to go diving where his father ended things, despite warnings against swimming due to high currents and when he encounters a giant squid fighting a sperm whale, the squid’s tentacles entangle his diving equipment, forcing him to be swallowed into the whale.
Visually, Whalefall is an interesting work and its concept differs from other survival thrillers out there, even if it’s totally biologically unrealistic. Duffield portrays the ocean as a perilous alien world, and there’s real tension and grandeur in the main set piece of Jay being swallowed. Once Jay’s in the whale’s stomach, there’s a tension in the claustrophobic sequences where he has to endure squid bites and stomach acid burns, among other horrors.
It’s just a shame that the rest of the film is so generic and overly sentimental, making the 106-minute running time feel a real chore. The flashbacks to Jay’s memories of his father are groan-inducing and do nothing to further the plot. Despite being written by director Brian Duffield and Daniel Kraus, the dialogue feels forced in all of the scenes outside of the whale, and even Jay monologues to himself a little too much through his breathing apparatus – less would have been more here.
The performances here are also problematic – Austin Abrams, terrific in Weapons and Resident Evil (of which the latter shares some parallels with here) is simply miscast. I didn’t buy him playing a character that’s younger than he is and he fails to convincingly deliver the shonky dialogue he’s saddled with. Josh Brolin fares better in a more believable role, but even he can’t hide behind the poor script. The rest of the cast are all used for minor performances and none of them are particularly impressionable.
Outside of a handful of promising set pieces, Whalefall bellyflops with its cloying flashbacks, on-the-nose themes and its waste of Austin Abrams. This would have fared far better as a tightly wound 80-minute thriller if it had trimmed all the family fat away – but even then, it’s difficult to get on-board with its unrealistic premise. The main thing to take away from this film are a couple of inventive moments of horror inside the whale and how Duffield uses the space – but Whalefall is definitely no whale of a time at the cinema.
Director: Aaron Sorkin Starring: Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Wunmi Mosaku, Betty Gilpin, Billy Magnussen, Bill Burr, Jeremy Strong Certificate: 15 Run Time: 112 mins
A follow-up to The Social Network, The Social Reckoning is a legal thriller that dramatises the 2021 Facebook leak by whistleblower Frances Haugen. It’s once again written by Aaron Sorkin, who also steps into the director’s chair, replacing David Fincher. While Sorkin’s a fine writer, he’s got a chequered history as a director – Molly’s Game was fine, The Trial of the Chicago 7 was very solid, but Being The Ricardos was terrible. Jeremy Strong replaces Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, and the cast is lead by Anora‘s Mikey Madison as the whistleblower and Jeremy Allen White as Jeff Horwitz, the Wall Street Journal investigative journalist Frances talks to.
My expectations were low for The Social Reckoning and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this follow-up. It’s a completely different film to its predecessor, and the best way to consider this is as a companion piece – this leans far more into being a legal thriller than the original’s biographical drama framing. Sorkin spins a gripping yarn out of the fascinating data leak, and while the film would have been more timely if it had released a couple of years ago, it’s still an important story.
Mikey Madison’s magnetic as the intelligent, but social awkward data scientist. She shares an excellent chemistry with Jeremy Allen White as Horwitz, as the two continually try to break the ice – Horwitz’s tech knowledge is lacking, and Haugen needs to educate him in a way that doesn’t put her career at risk. There’s also a strong turn from Billy Magnussen as a snarly media relations executive for Facebook, who has to navigate Horwitz’s investigation. While Jeremy Strong is fine as the Goliath-like Mark Zuckerberg, he’s no Jesse Eisenberg and doesn’t have anywhere near as much charisma.
While The Social Reckoning is gripping, it could have really been something special with a more energetic director, such as Fincher. It’s competently shot by returning cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, but it’s lacking in visual style and despite the large-scope story, it feels smaller in scale. The film unfolds in a non-linear narrative, but things like a timeline being portrayed on-screen when we’re shifting years, feel rather static.
One of the crucial ingredients that made The Social Network really sing was Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ pulsating electronic score. Here, they’re replaced by Alexandre Desplat – an excellent composer, but one faced with an impossible act to follow. He wisely doesn’t try to emulate them and some of the themes he’s concocted are excellent. However, the way in which the score is mixed into the film can sometimes be on the nose, and the score feels manipulative into how we’re supposed to feel in certain scenes.
While The Social Reckoning doesn’t quite reach the masterful heights of the original, it’s still a very reasonable legal thriller with an engaging script and some excellent performances. It’s a very solid follow-up that’s best viewed as a companion piece to The Social Network – there’s plenty to admire here.
Director: Paul Greengrass Starring: Andrew Garfield, Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Cosmo Jarvis, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman, Katherine Waterston Certificate: 15 Run Time: 128 mins
The Uprising is the new film by Paul Greengrass, the former journalist turned film director known for his documentary style realism and shaky-cam technique. It stars Andrew Garfield as an unnamed ploughman in 1381, where Britain is ruled by the council of the 14-year-old Richard II (Woody Norman). The kingdom needs more money, and the council decide to up the taxes on the peasantry. When the ploughman comes to pay and sees the atrocious way the soldiers are treating people in the village, he accosts the tax collector and kills a soldier who tries to arrest him, sparking the Peasants’ Revolt.
A period historical drama is certainly a different genre for Green grass, most famous for his JasonBourne entries and action thrillers, such as Captain Phillips and 22 July, to explore. While it makes some missteps, The Uprising is a visceral piece of work when it’s firing on full cylinders with some interesting themes. Greengrass’s shaky-cam technique is present and correct and while it might seem odd to use this in a period piece, I thought it made the action feel urgent and convey the chaos of this historical event. The recreations of the riots and some establishing shots of a period London are beautifully realised, and Greengrass knows how to drop you right in the middle of it. The film’s also bolstered by an excellent Volker Bertelmann’s score with some memorable themes.
There’s also some great performances – Andrew Garfield is reliably excellent as the ploughman and Cosmo Jarvis never puts a foot wrong as Wat Tyler. Woody Norman’s excellent as the monarch in a surprisingly multi-layered performance, who we first meet as an incompetent young 14-year-old. There’s also some suitably slimy performances from Tom Hollander, Stephen Dillane and Stanley Townsend as scheming members of the council.
There are two performances that don’t fully work though – Jamie Bell’s John Ball is thinly written and Thomasin McKenzie is simply miscast as Alyce, as a follower of John Ball. On a technical level, the sound mix with the dialogue is rather odd, with the dialogue sometimes muted and this is a film that I think would be better on a rewatch with subtitles.
The film’s main problem is it never quite settles on a theme to tie everything together. Greengrass says he wanted to make a film that mirrors the rage and disempowerment British people have recently felt with a historical event. And while he achieves this to a degree, the messaging is muddled. There’s also a bizarre coda at the end of the film that reframes Garfield’s ploughman that detracts from the rest of the film and it’s unnecessary.
While undeniably flawed, The Uprising captures the chaos of a change being campaigned for and the unintended consequences that can have. The visceral actions sequences have also stuck with me, and I suspect my opinion of the film may improve with a rewatch. But the unclear throughline message, a bizarre coda and the film being overlong are weak points – although I applaud Greengrass’s ambition for trying something new in an unfamiliar genre to him.
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu Starring: Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons Certificate: 15 Run Time: 129 mins
Digger is the intriguing new big-budget Alejandro González Iñárritu film that sees the multiple Oscar-winning Mexican director pair with Tom Cruise and a star-studded cast for a satirical black comedy shot on VistaVision. Wearing rather a lot of prosthetics, Cruise plays an aging oil tycoon, who colludes with U.S. President Compson (John Goodman) to extract oil in Alaska and Greenland. Despite repeated warnings, Digger learns that one of his rigs has malfunctioned, and a sizeable ice shelf is hurtling its way towards Europe which will trigger environmental catastrophe, prompting him to very quickly meet with Compson and his staff to find a resolution.
The reception to Digger has been rather divisive, and this is a hard film to review because of several twists that have a fundamental effect on the story. I find myself mixed, erring towards being more negative than positive. This is a film that’s deliberately provocative, and while it has some admirable aspects, I found large portions of it a trudge. It reminded me of Dr Strangelove with elements of Don’t Look Up, the latter of which deals with similar themes with more profundity.
I’m generally not a fan of Tom Cruise, and his filmography is rather varied in quality – while I love Eyes Wide Shut, Collateral and Rain Man, he’s made than his fair share of films where I find him a smug screen presence. Cruise’s performance works here, and he conveys the absurdity of the wily oil tycoon with a real energy. It’s a shame he’s saddled with some rather indulgent dialogue, and a scene in which he delivers a monologue that some are touting as the film’s high point dragged in my view.
The always reliable John Goodman is the star of the show here though, with a very multi-layered character that demonstrates a lot of comedic chops. Jesse Plemons and Riz Ahmed are the other highlights, although I found Ahmed’s character often exhausting, and it’s a shame that Sandra Hüller and Michael Stuhlbarg get seriously short-changed with underdeveloped characters.
Outside of the performances, the film’s handsomely shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, who won an Oscar for his work on both Birdman and TheRevenant. While Digger looks like an expensive film, there’s nothing here to rival the camera work of those films, be it Birdman‘s illusion of a single continuous shot or the tremendous opening battle of The Revenant. The production design is very admirable though, with the minutiae reminding me of a Wes Anderson film, and there’s an exceptional debut score by Cosmo Sheldrake, which does a lot of the heavy lifting.
Digger‘s biggest problem is ultimately its script and ideas – it often felt like an indulgence and it’s a film that’s very pleased with itself. The more I think about it, the more surface-level its ideas are. And it’s not a film that’s had much staying power, which is why I’m leaning more negative – I don’t see myself rushing to rewatch it. Iñárritu is a brilliant director and he really shines with his drama works. I’ve liked his satirical black comedies (Birdman, Bardo and now Digger) less, although this is a stronger film than Bardo, which I found a particular patience-testing exercise.
Director: Padraic McKinley Starring: Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, George Burgess, Sam Hazeldine Certificate: 15 Run Time: 113 mins
The Weight is a historical drama and long-time editor Padraic McKinley’s directorial debut. Set during the Great Depression, Ethan Hawke plays Samuel Murphy, a World War I veteran and widower who’s struggling to provide for his young daughter Penny (Avy Berry). He loses his home early into the film and while attending a viewing, gets provoked into a fight by plainclothes policemen and is then sent to prison. A distraught Penny is sent to a children’s home. After four months, Murphy is transferred to the Deschutes County Convict Laboratory Camp, where prisoners can reduce their sentences by clearing roads and he quickly impresses Warden Clancy (Russell Crowe) with his skills, prompting the Warden to offer him a dangerous job for an early release.
While The Weight has a rather straightforward plot and doesn’t really pack any surprises, this is a largely entertaining romp that’s clearly indebted to gritty 1970s New Hollywood cinema, such as Sorcerer and Deliverance. Although its familiarity means the film never really reaches greatness, it’s bolstered by an excellent Ethan Hawke performance – he conveys a man who can fix pretty much anything brilliantly and I really bought his relationship with his daughter and the stakes he faces. There’s fun supporting turns from Russell Crowe and Julia Jones too, with Crowe clearly enjoying himself. The score by Shelby and Latham Gaines does what you’d expect it to and never really elevates the film, and it’s dimly shot by Matteo Cocco with a graininess that evokes the time period.
There’s some skills that McKinley could sharpen – there’s some set pieces in this film that aren’t as exciting as they should be because they’re over too quickly and are poorly edited, which is ironic given his background. The film’s also oddly paced and after an excellent set-up, occasionally sags in its second and third acts. It’s been announced that McKinley will be directing the long-awaited Sicario 3 and what made both Sicario and Sicario 2: Soldado so strong were their heart-raising action sequences. I’m worried McKinley isn’t the right choice on the basis of this film. The Weight is ultimately a competent historical drama that’s anchored by Ethan Hawke’s committed performance and some suitably bleak cinematography, but not much more.
Director: David Ayer Starring: Brad Pitt, J. K. Simmons, Anna Lambe Certificate: 12A Run Time: 101 mins
Heart of the Beast is the new film directed by David Ayer, who’s credits include the excellent End of Watch and Fury, through to the guilty pleasure of The Beekeeper to the very flawed Suicide Squad and Bright. Here, he reunites with Fury lead Brad Pitt who plays James Belmont – a retired Special Forces veteran, trekking through the Alaskan wilderness with his German Shepherd, haunted by visions of when the two of them were in combat. When James crashes his plane after a mid-flight heart attack, he’s forced on a 58-mile trek to safety with his dog, facing all kinds of obstacles along the way.
Although it’s largely conventional, this is an excellent survival thriller that I found gripping from start to finish. Brad Pitt gives a terrific performance in what’s a very physical role and I really bought the bond between man and best friend, and how they both have PTSD from their wartime experiences. Apart from a fun turn by J. K. Simmons at the beginning and an appearance by Anna Lambe, this is mostly Pitt’s film and he really carries it.
Ayer knows how to stage an action sequence and there are some terrific set pieces here, especially the central plane crash, one involving a log crossing and an encounter with wolves. The film’s vividly shot by Mauro Fiore, and some of the aerial shots of the wilderness are stunning, showcasing the natural beauty juxtaposed with nature’s ferocity.
Although you could easily criticise Heart of the Beast for being conventional, it just does everything really well and it’s got a real emotional wallop in its final act. I felt for James and his dog throughout and my heart was racing through some of the set pieces. You could very easily call this film a lite version of The Revenant, but Heart of the Beast really works and it’s Ayer’s best film in a while.
Director: Na Hong-jin Starring: Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender Certificate: 15 Run Time: 156 mins
Hope is South Korean director Na Hong-jin’s first film in a decade, who last made the excellent supernatural horror, The Wailing, in 2016. His latest is a creature feature (and that’s not a spoiler because the trailer gives the game away) and reportedly the biggest budget South Korean film ever. The film opens as police chief Ko Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) inspects a dead cow with some villagers, with the cow having some unusual wounds. Shortly after, more cattle and the farm’s owner are found slain with similar injuries, and he teams up with retired colonel Ahn Nak-yeon (Lee Sang-hee) to track it down.
The first 45 minutes of Hope are excellent – Na Hong-jin crafts a simmering tension with the mystery of what could possibly be going on with some grim imagery. Mid-way through a gonzo chase sequence, the director then chooses to reveal the horror that’s been causing these deaths, and you’ll either get on board with the film or you won’t. While it shifts down a gear from that tension-fuelled opening, I still found plenty to like and I could overlook the dreadful CGI because the film is so ambitious. Hope melds all kinds of tones, from the horror to some truly comic sequences, such as a graphic autopsy and an extended story from an eyewitness that involves diarrhoea. There’s also a very solid score by Michael Abels, Jordan Peele’s preferred composer and it’s beautifully shot by Parasite cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo.
Unfortunately, the film falls apart in the third act, where it reveals more about the entities behind these horrific acts and becomes less about the characters that we’ve followed for the past two hours. It also teases a possible franchise continuation, which I found quite wearing. On top of that, what starts as a thrilling action sequence in the forest that then turns into a car chase becomes quite wearing at its climax because it’s overlong.
Hope is an odd film – it starts off brilliantly, then decides to reveal its hand which takes away some of the mystery, although that’s offset by some high-octane action sequences, arresting cinematography and moments of comedy, only to then completely fall apart in the final act. And that misguided final act really is a chore to sit through and the idea of having to sit through that again really puts me off rewatching Hope. It’s a shame because there’s so much good work here and Na Hong-jin continues to prove why he’s one of South Korea’s most exciting directors. While Hope has a lot of outstanding elements, it’s ultimately a deeply flawed misfire.
