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Hopeless

Play trailer 1:54 Poster for Hopeless Released Oct 20, 2023 2h 13m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 65% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Yeon-gyu (HONG Xa-bin) is a teenage boy who wants to escape his hometown where violence is commonly enacted among neighbors. He only hopes to have a peaceful life with his mother. However, the world never allows him to have a dream nor hope for life. When Yeon-gyu needs a hand from grown-ups, Chi-geon (SONG Joong-ki), a thug of the town, offers a favor. The simple favor leads Yeon-gyu to explore the world of Chi-geon. It ironically results in Yeon-gyu gradually falling into Chi-geon's life. Grasping a hope to run away from where he is, he struggles between the border. Can he escape from the town at the end?
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Hopeless

Critics Reviews

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Valerie Complex Deadline Hollywood Daily While the premise had potential, the execution doesn’t work in tandem with the story, it draws the audience into 120 minutes of character misery without offering much else. May 26, 2023 Full Review Nicolás Medina FIPRESCI Serves as proof of the great achievement of Korean cinema in recent decades as it denounces the underworld life in South Korea, and how many innocent people are forced to enter a life guided by the illegal to survive. Rated: 10/10 Jan 7, 2024 Full Review John Lui The Straits Times (Singapore) This tale of loan sharks, alcohol abuse and domestic violence set in a poor neighbourhood is nearly derailed by how Song’s character is handled, but Hong’s effortless realism saves it. Rated: 3/5 Oct 25, 2023 Full Review Àngel Quintana Caimán Cuadernos de Cine Hopeless is a debut feature that works like a flawless thriller with moments of extreme violence and a few bloodbaths. [Full review in Spanish] Jun 6, 2023 Full Review James Mottram South China Morning Post Hopeless is a competently made and acted drama that is moodily shot. It simmers with tension. Rated: 4/5 May 26, 2023 Full Review Lee Marshall Screen International There’s a clarity of vision and a control of mood that sets Hopeless above the run of hard-boiled genre titles. May 24, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Hala N As a fan of the genre I really loved this dark movie. I do agree that the pacing of the plot was quite unfortunate, but I still enjoyed this story. It's a great debut work and I hope the director will get better and better. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/17/24 Full Review Marc Z Hopeless, is a visceral, gritty, and thoughtful crime drama hitting digital this week.  This well acted, and well directed film is more drama than crime-drama in many respects, and it is those elements that will have you thinking long after you are done watching Hopeless. The basic story is that of poor, troubled boy that gets involved with the wrong crowd in order better his life, and that of his Mom's.   However, this movie does not take the easy way out in unfolding the story.   It is painful and disturbing at times.   There are also times when the emotions of the characters are confusing; by that I don't attribute it to poor filmmaking.   Just the opposite.   The story makes us understand that these characters are complex. Hopeless is not rated, but it is not for the faint of heart, or for children.  It is very good, and I do recommend it. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/22/24 Full Review Markus T Great acting, very nice atmosphere, but probably 10min too long and some un-justified violence Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/20/24 Full Review JUN P A tragic yet beautiful story of a boy who has fallen into the water before and another boy who has just drowned. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/18/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Hopeless

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Hopeless

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Movie Info

Synopsis Yeon-gyu (HONG Xa-bin) is a teenage boy who wants to escape his hometown where violence is commonly enacted among neighbors. He only hopes to have a peaceful life with his mother. However, the world never allows him to have a dream nor hope for life. When Yeon-gyu needs a hand from grown-ups, Chi-geon (SONG Joong-ki), a thug of the town, offers a favor. The simple favor leads Yeon-gyu to explore the world of Chi-geon. It ironically results in Yeon-gyu gradually falling into Chi-geon's life. Grasping a hope to run away from where he is, he struggles between the border. Can he escape from the town at the end?
Director
Kim Chang-hoon
Producer
Han Jae-deok, Song Joong-ki
Screenwriter
Kim Chang-hoon
Distributor
Well Go USA Entertainment
Production Co
Sanai Pictures, Hi-Story Production
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
Korean
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 20, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 25, 2024
Runtime
2h 13m
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