Why is Jung Ho-yeon's acting in the movie 'Hope' divisive?

I will analyze why Jung Ho-yeon’s performance in Director Na Hong-jin’s new film 'Hope' is divisive, comparing her acting from Saebyeok in 'Squid Game' to her character Seong-ae.

Director Na Hong-jin's *Hope*, released on the 15th, recorded the highest opening score of the year by attracting 333,899 viewers in just its first day; however, Jung Ho-yeon's performance is generating just as much buzz as the box office success. Some say they were "completely captivated by the action," while others say it "felt like she was reading from a textbook, breaking the immersion"... The reactions are truly polar opposites, so I was curious too and looked up all the relevant data. 🔍

1. What kind of movie is 'Hope'?

The story unfolds as Beom-seok (Hwang Jung-min), the head of the Hopo Port outpost in the DMZ, hears from local youths that a tiger has appeared, putting the entire village on high alert. It is. I heard that since it is a genre mixed with mystery, thriller, creature, sci-fi, and action, the plot keeps the audience on the edge of their seats for the entire two and a half hours.

In addition to Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon, a large number of Hollywood actors also appeared, including Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell, and Cameron Britton. Director Na Hong-jin's new film, released after a whopping 10 years I heard that expectations were incredibly high even before the release.

The running time is 156 minutes, and it is rated 15+.

2. Why Did Jung Ho-yeon's Acting Become Controversial?

Jeong Ho-yeon in <Hope> Hopo Port Police Officer 'Seong-ae' I took on the role, A character in whom the kindness of caring for the injured coexists with anger toward the monster that devastated the village. It is.

The problem is the tone of the dialogue, among some audience members "It feels like he's in a different movie," "The tone stands out," "The vocal delivery is awkward" That was the reaction 😥

In a community post The visuals and shooting scenes were good, but the dialogue and acting felt like reading from a textbook; they were too jarring and childish, which was off-putting. There were also honest reviews.

Conversely, this Reactions that view it as Director Na Hong-jin's intentional direction and actually consider it a charm. There are many too.

Sexual love preserves human goodwill even on the brink of extinction, rather than reality A character close to a symbol That is why I interpret it as being intentionally designed with a different tone from the other characters.

In the community "Isn't it intentionally directed to be unnatural so that Jung Ho-yeon acts as a medium for direct interaction with the audience?" ...opinions were also raised, A unique charm that fits perfectly with the character traits of a simple country youth yet a passionate police officer. There were also positive reviews saying that.

3. How does it compare to Squid Game's 'Saebyeok-i'?

Jeong Ho-yeon's acting career is The role of North Korean defector 'Saebyeok' in the 2021 Netflix series *Squid Game* It started with that. Even back then, there was some talk about the North Korean accent sounding awkward, but There wasn't much reaction criticizing the acting skills themselves. . A community user "Since Ogame had few lines relative to his screen time and almost no emotional scenes, his acting skills might not have been noticeable." Some even offered an analysis. So, there were many opinions suggesting that since the amount of dialogue and emotional expression increased significantly in <Hope>, opinions on Jung Ho-yeon's acting finally began to diverge clearly.

4. The action acting received unanimous acclaim

There is almost no disagreement regarding his action acting! 🔥

It is said that Jung Ho-yeon gained 4kg and underwent firearms training to handle a real gun (about 5kg), and obtained a Class 1 manual driver's license immediately after casting to perform the car chase scenes himself, even practicing drifting and J-turns. During the screening at the Cannes International Film Festival, applause erupted at the opening scene where he appears driving a patrol car. Hearing that this one scene was filmed over 20 times, it is a detail typical of Director Na Hong-jin, who is famous for his perfectionism.

The reaction from overseas media is also enthusiastic; The Playlist is An entrance scene worthy of an immediate Hall of Fame in action movies This was the assessment, and The Hollywood Reporter "He perfectly handles everything from intense action to comedic timing, breathing vitality into the show." They highly praised her. All three directors—Hwang Dong-hyuk, Na Hong-jin, and even Kim Ji-woon, the director of the upcoming film *The Hole*—likely praised Jung Ho-yeon. "Like a wild horse" The fact that it was expressed that way is also an interesting point.

5. How Should We Ultimately View Jung Ho-yeon's Acting?

To summarize, the controversy surrounding Jung Ho-yeon's acting falls into two main branches. One is It is the limitation of the acting ability itself. , the other one is It is intentional directing for a symbolic character. That is the perspective.

Even in the community "Isn't it intentionally directed to be unnatural so that Jung Ho-yeon acts as a medium for dialogue with the audience?" Starting with the interpretation "Since the tone is similar in other works as well, I didn't feel it was intentional." Is Various opinions, including rebuttals, are being exchanged.

In an interview, Jung Ho-yeon calmly shared her thoughts, stating, "If I try to force a calculated approach now, it will inevitably be obvious," and adding, "I have no choice but to keep doing it consistently and a lot." He revealed this, and while acknowledging the growing pains of a rookie actor, he showed a definite presence in the action scenes, so I think his future filmography is worth looking forward to ✨

💡 Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)

Q. Why is Jung Ho-yeon's acting in Hope being described as awkward?

A. There have been reactions saying that she "feels like she is in a different movie" because her tone of dialogue differs from that of the other characters; however, there is also an analysis that suggests a different tone was intentionally given because Seong-ae was designed as a symbolic and idealized character rather than a realistic one.

Q. Did Jung Ho-yeon actually perform the action scenes herself?

A. Yes, I filmed holding a real-weight gun and gained 4kg, and for the car chase, I obtained a Class 1 manual driver's license and even underwent drift and J-turn training, so I performed most of it myself.

Q. Is 'Hope' Jung Ho-yeon's first film appearance?

A. That's right. Following Squid Game (Drama) and Disclaimer (Drama), Hope is Jung Ho-yeon's screen (film) debut.

Q. When was the movie Hope released and how successful was it at the box office?

A. It was released on July 15, 2026, and drew 333,899 viewers nationwide on its opening day, recording the highest opening score of the year.