Michael Fassbender’s new film hailed as ‘one of the greatest action movies of the 21st century’

The Irish Oscar-nominated actor stars in the movie alongside his Oscar-winning wife, Alicia Vikander.

Written and directed by the acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin (The Chaser, The Wailing), the movie sees a mysterious discovery made on the outskirts of Hope Harbour, a remote town near the Korean DMZ, that plunges the area into chaos.

"The residents find themselves in a desperate fight for survival against something they have never encountered before."

Watch the trailer for Hope here:

Hope premiered in the main competition category at the Cannes Film Festival last weekend. This is the event's most prestigious strand, where movies compete for its top prize, the Palme d'Or.

The reviews have been incredibly enthusiastic, with many critics making comparisons between the action sci-fi thriller and Oscar-winner Mad Max: Fury Road.

In particular, its first hour has been singled out for praise, with the BBC calling it "a breathless, non-stop rollercoaster ride" and "nothing but adrenaline-fuelled, tyre-screeching, gun-blasting momentum".

Comparing the movie to Steven Spielberg's work, the British Film Institute (BFI) adds: "The first hour of the film is essentially a chase scene of pure action cinema.

"Unrelenting, pounding and beautifully filmed by Parasite (2019) and Burning (2018) cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo, the light of early morning slanting through car windows as the chase tears through different environments."

Reviewers seem to be a little more divided about the rest of the film's 160-minute runtime, though the movie still holds an 85% Rotten Tomatoes score.

You can read a sample of some of those glowing write-ups for Hope below:

BBC.com: "One of the most expensive Korean films ever made, it races from modern-day western to action thriller to horror film to science-fiction epic – all while retaining the full-throttle energy and sweaty cult-movie atmosphere of a 1970s exploitation flick."

Flick Feast: "Hits the ground running with one of the most breathlessly exhilarating action sequences of recent years… Hong-Jin’s film has an energy and confidence in its execution that is simply infectious. It will sweep you up and carry you along for the ride."

JoBlo's Movie Network: "Cannes hasn't seen action on this level since Fury Road."

Little White Lies: "The jaw-dropping scale of it all puts most blockbusters to shame."

Region Free: "Hope is audacious big-screen filmmaking at its most exhilarating. It must be seen to be believed, and even that might not be enough."

Screen International: "The latest picture from The Wailing director Na is a pedal-to-the-metal slaughterfest that barely lets up on its breathless pace, gallows humour and wall-to-wall guts and gore.

World of Reel: "Watch— a decade from now, this will be known as one of the greatest action movies of the 21st century. Some of the stunts here are flat-out jaw-dropping. I haven’t felt this much thrill watching action sequences since Fury Road screened 10 years ago at Cannes."

TheWrap: "Hope, the all-time great new action film from writer-director Na Hong-jin, is a glorious genre romp that contains more magnificent moments in its opening act than most do in their entire runtime."

Hope is slated for a summer 2026 release in South Korea. The movie has not gotten a UK and Irish release date yet.

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