Overview
- The film led the Jul. 17–19 weekend with about 1.5 million admissions and a $11.3 million three-day haul, giving it roughly 66.6% of Korea's box-office for the frame, KOBIS data show.
- Hope crossed the 2 million admissions mark on its fifth day of release, the fastest pace so far this year, registering a cumulative total near 2.13 million by Sunday.
- Audience reaction is sharply split, with ticket-verified Naver scores concentrated at very high and very low ratings and Watcha averaging a middling score, driving heated online debate.
- Industry figures and critics including prominent filmmakers have publicly praised the film even as some viewers fault its sparse exposition, heavy profanity and an unresolved ending after a long runtime.
- The film's roughly 50 billion won production cost makes domestic breakeven unusually high—near 20 million tickets—though extensive overseas presales in about 200 territories reduce some theatrical pressure.