Culture Minister Weighs In on Polarizing Film 'Hope,' Urges Audience Judgment

South Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi so-young has weighed in on the polarizing film 'Hope,' urging viewers to "judge the controversial ending for yourselves." The SF blockbuster, which opened on July 15, has sharply divided audiences, with opinions split between strong "likes" and "dislikes."

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You should see it for yourself and judge.

Choi described the film as an "all-time epic Korean SF blockbuster" on social media, stating she was "very satisfied" with the 156-minute runtime that "swept away the summer heat." She detailed the movie's escalating tension, its blend of genres including action, thriller, horror, suspense, monsters, adventure, SF, and even black humor, all presented in a rapidly changing, "face-changing" style that allowed "no room for complacency."

"The controversial ending? You should see it for yourself and judge," Choi added. She congratulated director Na Hong-jin and the cast for delivering a "very fun and wonderful movie" and for surpassing 3 million viewers in just 11 days.

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I was very satisfied just by the fact that it swept away the summer heat.

'Hope,' Na's first film in 10 years since 'The Wailing,' is an SF action thriller set in a fictional demilitarized zone called Hopo Port. Despite its box office success, the film's audience ratings are mixed. The CGV Egg index stands at 83%, while Naver's real-viewer reviews average 7.3 out of 10. Notably, 56% of viewers gave it 9-10 points, but a significant 21% gave it 1-2 points.

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This isn't directed by Na Hong-jin. It must be Hong Myung-bo.

This division is exemplified by a Naver review giving 'Hope' 1 point, stating, "This isn't directed by Na Hong-jin. It must be Hong Myung-bo," which garnered over 20,000 "likes" and nearly 6,000 "dislikes." Film critic Lee Dong-jin also defended his 4-star rating, addressing accusations on his blog that his positive review was due to a personal relationship with Na. "My positive review of 'Hope' is unrelated to who the director is," Lee stated, asserting he likes Na as a creator because he consistently makes good films, not the other way around. He described 'Hope' as "charming, original, and fun, with very strong merits that offset its flaws," adding, "'Hope' is excellent, that's my opinion. And it's your opinion that it's a terrible movie. The fact that more people lean towards a certain opinion doesn't make it true. More people's opinions aren't always better opinions."

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My positive review of 'Hope' is unrelated to who the director is.