i'd just like to say that this is SO not a movie for just anyone. i've had this on my queue for quite some time, but was so afraid to tackle it because of the eloquent summary discussing some graphic events. it took me seven full days to come to terms with the things i've watched. least to say, i was crying like a little baby completely traumatized that this was based off the nayoung case in '08. with this in mind, i'll continue this review as i see fit.

dong hoon and mi hee are hitting a rough patch in their marriage. currently in the early trimester of her second child, mi hee has no idea how to tell her husband this brand of news, especially since the two are emotionally strained. dong hoon on the other hand is used to focusing more on his work while hiding away from his daughter, so won, whom he doesn't know how to connect with. so used to the ritualistic happenings of life, this family finds themselves being brought together by the horrifying news of their daughter's assault, struggling to heal when an outside force rips away so won's innocence.

i was sitting in my room last saturday with my word document flashing words of a crap essay that was supposed to be due wednesday. upon getting a notice that said i didn't have to exert myself because the deadline was moved to turnitin.com for tomorrow at midnight (bless the life of my professor), i thought to take a crack at something on netflix.

i was in a mood, okay? an instigating emotion that made me want to watch something that'd inevitably pull at my heartstrings. when i read the netflix summary for "hope", i thought: why not? i'd watched other movies just like this, but none executed the emotional delinquency as greatly as this had.

i couldn't breathe. i literally COULD NOT BREATHE. i found myself sitting there on my bed thinking the whole time "how the hell can this be true?" because it just can't! there are some really sick, twisted, and insidiously evil people to exist in this world. "hope" proves this to the fullest degree. the controversy's that surrounded this case regarded - first and foremost - the defendant's "state of mind", or so it was put forth as an argument. the fact that he committed these acts when drunk was actually something that the jury and judge took into consideration. it's completely outrageous and makes you want to reach out and punch someone in the face. because this is a child whose innocence was ripped away, who almost didn't make it, and can never lead a normal life again.

this movie is packed with some serious triggers for all of you sensitive hearts out there. be warned that though nothing is shown, they speak very graphically of the details that went on. what so won went through made it hard for me (someone who can handle literally anything) to keep watching in some instances. don't be fooled. though this is movie has been rated and reviewed highly on mydramalist, netflix, and more, it still packs a punch. be warned before you sit down and try watching this on your own accord.

now i'll speak a little on the way i've rated this. this story itself is based off - as i've said - the nayoung sase in '08, thus why i gave it an outstanding percentage. it's a story that we should all be talking about and looking at. it opens your eyes to the court system's rulings in korea along with the struggles of this family trying to get back to their lives while adjusting to what happened to their innocent daughter.

lee re, who portrayed hope, is really the star of the show. she's outstanding and mature in such an extraordinary story. sol kyung gu, who plays dong hoon, shows so much power in this movie as a father, it was just phenomenal. there's shock, sadness, betrayal, rage. no emotion is truly left untouched in this piece. the father/daughter dynamic between hope and dong hoon is worth it over all else. the only reason why i won't ever dare to watch this again is because of how traumatic the events were. i'm not saying this is a bad movie! my ratings and review in itself proves otherwise, but the sensitive topic is too much for me.

this is a masterpiece. anything else i say can't even compare to what i've seen. and if you have a care to see the beauty in something so hideous, then you should try it out with a lot of tissues.

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i'm a bit shocked to see the high ratings on here. i will say i was very interested in this when i realized the main character was actually transgender. thing is, you can't really portray something so serious such as gender identity when the whole story basis itself in a "cop vs. gangster" setting along with a past love interest dealing with a boy and the current love interest being the deceased boy's sister.

i'm actually very disappointed in this film. there were so many sub-plots, i think my brain swirled itself around for the duration of the movie. it's not like cha seung-won is a bad actor. he takes on the role of a cold-blooded detective like it's something he was born to do. the problem is, i didn't know what to pay attention to. is it the actual enemy that's plotting to destroy him inside out or is it ji wook's inner battle with his demons?

and the ending! ugh, there was no silver lining in this movie! i'd like to see growth and development. instead, i got a character who ran around in circles and came back to the starting point: miserable in his own skin. just not worth my time with that bad portrayal of a trans-character. i think the only reason why i even gave it a rating itself was because it redeemed itself with the action scenes. romance/plot? pure waste.

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