Nepal, Aug. 5 -- The first thing 'Hope' destroys is certainty.

A cow lies mutilated on a regular road, its body marked by deep claw wounds. The police think it's a tiger. The hunters insist the animal wandered down from the North. The villagers cling to explanations they already understand because the alternative is far more chilling. Na Hong-jin has always been fascinated by the moment ordinary logic begins to collapse, and 'Hope' spends nearly an hour stretching that moment as far as it can.

For a director whose last feature, 'The Wailing' (2016), became one of Korean cinema's defining horror films, 'Hope' arrives carrying unusual expectations. It is reportedly the most expensive Korean film ever made, features an international cast t...