‘Hope’ is a harrowing film that revolves around the accounts of the infamous 2008 Na-Young case where the 8 year-old Na-Young(a pseudonym) was raped and brutally beaten by a drunk 57 year-old man in a public squat toilet.

The film focused more on the emotional trauma that the victim and people around her went through during the tragedy.

Having gained nominations and awards, ‘Hope’ is a must-see film(though I wouldn’t recommend it to people who are easily offended by these situations). Dark yet uplifting, it is a poignant reminder that such injustice and heinous crimes still occur.

Negative side, if you did some research on the 2008 Na-Young case, you would find that they omitted and changed some minor details. I think it would’ve been slightly better had they added more facts into the film.

All in all the cast did an excellent job in performing their roles no matter how emotionally intense and physically demanding most scenes are. Actress Lee Re, as young as she was, gave an astounding performance on her role as Im So-Won. I hope she would continue and do much better when she grows up. I was heartbroken by the way she portrayed her character upon losing trust and smile during her process of healing and moving on. Also the inclusion of So-Won’s struggles with a colostomy pouch on the film was a great plus.

The film may have reopened old wounds, but it’s a necessity for people to be aware especially now that the case would be approached once more after 2 years.