At The Movie Sleuth, the Gutter’s own Michelle Kisner watches Hope (South Korea, 2026). “A fun fact about raccoons is that they have super-sensitive paws, and they get over half of their sensory input from their sense of touch. Because of this, when they find food in the wild, they dunk it in water, which softens the skin on their paws and lets them examine it more thoroughly. A viral internet video shows a raccoon that finds a piece of cotton candy and promptly dips it into a puddle, where it disappears instantly. The raccoon is visibly confused and upset. 

Why do I bring up this raccoon, you ask? I felt like that damn raccoon while watching Na Hong-jin’s newest film, Hope (2026). Every time I thought I had a handle on the plot, a new twist would dissolve my understanding, and it would melt away like cotton candy in a dirty puddle. This doesn’t mean Hope is a bad film, but it’s unfocused, with peaks and valleys.”

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