Hopeless 2023

Overview

Hopeless is a 2023 South Korean neo-noir thriller film written and directed by Kim Chang-hoon. The film stars Hong Xa-bin in his film debut, alongside Song Joong-ki and Kim Hyeong-seo. The story follows Yeon-gyu, a teenage boy living in a hometown where violence is commonly enacted among neighbors. He yearns to escape his hellish reality and simply hopes to have a peaceful life with his mother. In need of money, Yeon-gyu encounters the local crime world when he receives a favor from Chi-geon, a town thug and loan shark who leads his own gang within a larger organization. This simple favor leads Yeon-gyu to explore the world of Chi-geon, which ironically results in the teenager gradually falling into Chi-geon's life. Grasping for hope to run away from where he is, Yeon-gyu struggles between the border as he attempts to navigate his harsh circumstances and find a way to escape from the town at the end.