Review | Cannes 2023: Hopeless movie review – Song Joong-ki, Hong Xa-bin star in brutal Korean crime thriller by first-time filmmaker Kim Chang-hoon
- An electric crime yarn set in the violent fictional South Korean city of Myeongan, Hopeless is a story of two ‘brothers’ who recognise something in the other
- While too ambitious at times, Kim Chang-hoon’s impressive debut feature simmers with tension – and is certainly not for the squeamish
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4/5 stars
Hopeless is the impressive debut feature from South Korean writer-director Kim Chang-hoon. His may be a name we’re drawn to in the future, judging by this electric crime yarn set in the fictional South Korean city of Myeongan, which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.
In Myeongan, violence is everywhere: on the streets, in the workplace, and worst of all, in the home.
The story follows 17-year-old Yeon-gyu (Hong Xa-bin), who lives with his mother, her husband and his daughter.
While his stepfather is an alcoholic brute whose failing business sees him take out his frustrations on Yeon-gyu, the kindly youngster has a soft spot for his stepsister Hayan (Kim Hyoung-seo).
Dreaming of a better existence, he’s trying to save money to move with his mother to the Netherlands. “They say everyone lives a good life there,” he says. But soon enough, he’s become embroiled with a local gang that steals mopeds and operates as ruthless loan sharks.
Part of this gang is Chi-geon (Song Joong-ki), who takes pity on Yeon-gyu, helping him out of a tight financial spot. “This is your home,” he tells the 17-year-old. “It’s the perfect place for you.”
Perhaps, although Yeon-gyu is not violent by nature. He flinches around his awful stepfather, who hits him so badly, he gains a terrible scar on his eye. Later, he stops one of the gang from kicking a dog and shows sympathy to a father-of-one who is up to his eyes in debt.
Gradually, the more he gets sucked into this universe, though, the more his conscience is erased. Violence becomes a way of life, as beatings are commonplace and ritualistic maiming becomes a way of showing strength. With fingernails ripped out and one man scarred with a bag of nails, this is certainly not one for the squeamish.
Being a first-timer, Kim is also too ambitious at times, with a narrative that could’ve used some trimming; a political subplot, for example, doesn’t quite come off.
Yet Hopeless is a competently made and acted drama that is moodily shot. It simmers with tension, from the scene where Yeon-gyu is planted in the boot of a car to spy on the passenger to the moment when Chi-geon finally meets Yeon-gyu’s stepfather.
At its core, it’s a story of two kindred spirits, “brothers” who recognise something in the other. Their lives have been defined by violence, but as Kim asks, is it possible to ever escape from that shadow?
