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.

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.

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.

Hopeless is a debut feature that works like a flawless thriller with moments of extreme violence and a few bloodbaths. [Full review in Spanish]