Hope

Just when most critics had written off the competition at the 79^th edition of Cannes as samey and self-replicating, the festival throws a late-night curveball at the end of its first week. Not only does Hope break the steady cycle of historical dramas and social realism, its waywardness makes one truly appreciate the unique privilege of being able to encounter a film as a blank slate. No matter how carefully most reviews may tread, someone will undoubtedly seize the opportunity for a clickbait headline and spoil casting details that had its first audience audibly gasp upon realisation.

The beginning of Na Hong-jin’s (The Wailing) latest gambit feels like the grand finale of another movie: no sooner do its protagonists make a bizarre discovery in Hope Harbor, than the feature launches into a vigorous chase scene through the entire village. Its spatial clarity is remarkable, as the camera emphasises the path of destruction, while keeping the source of danger obscured for considerable time. The acute direction of controlled chaos produces the most thrilling action sequence in years. All the while, humour uproariously threads through the carnage without undercutting the stakes.

As if exhausting itself by this high-intensity sprint of the first hour, the Korean production then shifts gears, letting viewers absorb the aftermath of mayhem before uncovering more of what launched the attack on this community. While the picture never regains the breathtaking momentum it drew one in with, and the digitally composed imagery that is introduced frankly underwhelms, surprise remains a constant.

Bamboozling unsuspecting spectators with a giddy mix of terror and joy, Hope is a jack-in-the-box type of cinematic experience increasingly hard to come by. That a Kaijū movie found its way into the competition for the Palme d’Or speaks to the singular artistry and craftsmanship behind it. True to its title, the bold endeavour restores a sense of hope in the big-screen spectacle, and belongs in a room full of people willing to take a plunge into the unknown.