This Wednesday, Hopeless opens in theaters, the first South Korean feature film to follow in the tradition of thrillers that have largely attracted French audiences since the early 2000s.
Presented in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and the 2024 Reims Polar Festival, this film stands out for its uncompromising violence and darkness the likes of which have not been seen in a long time.
The first scene opens with an inexplicable act of violence that immediately sets the tone for what is to come. We follow a young man who decides to escape from a hard and hopeless life. With this, he will get close to quite shady and dangerous people and will find himself in a criminal spiral, from which it will be difficult to escape.
The hero is played by Song Joong-ki, the star of several Korean dramas that can be seen on Netflix, such as Nice Guy or Descendants of the Sun, as well as the TV series Vincenzo, in which he plays an Italian-Korean lawyer with questionable methods.
This is the actor himself who asked director Kim Chang Hoon to play the lead role in the film.
“Scorkesian” influence
By his own admission, heavily influenced by Martin Scorsese’s mafia movies, Kim Chang Hoon explores the same themes: a bad city, gangs, sometimes complicated or disturbing family relationships.
Even in terms of violence, the director leans more towards Goodfellas than Pulp Fiction. There is no place for humor in Umedo, and dry violence is not laughed at. On the contrary, it is taken seriously and shown in all its horrors.
If you liked Tony, know that the director has already written his next film and it will once again be a thriller. In the meantime, head to theaters to discover Hopeless!
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
