Michael Fassbender's New R-Rated Sci-Fi Epic Is A Reminder To Watch This Horror With 99% On RT

Published Sep 21, 2026, 4:30 PM EDT ​​August is a freelance film writer. She studied journalism and cinema at American University. She is a member of the journalism honor society, Kappa Tau Alpha. August has written for various networks and publications, including PBS, Gargoyle Magazine, TheThings, and Identity Theory Magazine. Before returning to entertainment writing, August worked in the Automotive section of U.S. News & World Report. In her free time, August enjoys watching movies in theaters, watching movies at home, listening to podcasts about movies, reading books about movies, watching video essays on movies, talking about movies, thinking about movies, and doing crosswords. Following Disclosure Day and The End of Oak Street, another killer sci-fi thriller has hit U.S. theaters. Hope is the latest film from lauded South Korean director Na Hong-jin. Following its debut at the Cannes Film Festival, the high-octane thriller earned sweeping praise from critics and audiences alike. In an unlikely turn of events, the blockbuster sci-fi became a true contender for the festival’s highest prize, the Palme d'Or. The events of Hope unfold in a remote South Korean harbor town. When a cow is found brutally mangled, Hope Harbor police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) launches an investigation to discover the beast behind this gruesome killing. Patroller Sung-ki (Zo In-Sung) leads a group into the forest to hunt the dangerous animal, but uncovers a far greater threat. The cast is rounded out by Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Taylor Thompson. The three talented actors make entertaining and unexpected appearances as entirely CG characters. Hope is built on a gripping narrative and sold by its actors’ committed performances. The 2026 hit is a reminder of its leading auteur’s directorial mastery. Na has an impressive filmography of terror hits. He has a knack for melding horror with other genres to create a thrilling, entertaining, and unexpected feature. Among his various hits, Na’s 2016 horror is perhaps his best of all time. The Wailing is a near-perfect horror movie and a must-see for Hope fans. Michael Fassbender's Hope Is One Of 2026's Wildest Sci-Fi Movies Image via Plus M Entertainment It is up for debate whether Hope is among the best movies of the year—with strong competition. However, it is certainly one of the wildest sci-fi flicks of 2026. The genre-hybrid melds horror, sci-fi, action, and comedy to create an unexpected hit. Hope opens as a microscopic exploration into a remote town’s reaction to a mysterious threat. The town appears to be plagued by a monster. However, Na conceals the mythic monster for the film's first 40 to 45 minutes. Once the destructive entity haunting Hope Harbor is revealed, the film splits at its seams. The genre rules of a traditional monster movie go out the window, and it becomes a larger-than-life sci-fi action blockbuster. Once the sci-fi element is introduced, the expected character dynamics are confused. No longer do we have a hero fighting a villain or protagonists fighting antagonists. Rather, Na delivers two opposing communities grappling with the existence and actions of one another. With razor sharp world building, the universe of Hope is clear and expansive by the film’s open-ended conclusion. The hit feature has earned a strong 8/10 from Screen Rant and a solid 78% on Rotten Tomatoes. While Hope is entertaining and crowd-pleasing, it does not touch the mastery of Na's 2016 horror. Hope Director Na Hong-jin's The Wailing Is Even Better (& An Essential Watch) Na Hong-jin directed what may be his magnum opus in 2016, The Wailing. This feature lends itself more to traditional horror than Hope. However, it also features the director’s signature blend of genres, unexpected twists, and perfect pacing. Much like Hope, The Wailing opens on a remote community grappling with a mysterious tragedy. Instead of twisting into sci-fi, the 2016 film plays out a blend of East Asian religious beliefs and haunting legends. In The Wailing, hysteria breaks out when a village is struck by a string of brutal murders. The killings are eventually linked to the arrival of a mysterious man, referred to as “The Japanese Stranger” (Jun Kunimara). A father (Kwak Do-won) then becomes convinced that the stranger has possessed his daughter. Na employs suspense and empathy to keep audiences invested throughout the film's runtime. The director keeps viewers on the edge of their seats until the film's ending, when the true horror bubbling under the surface is revealed. The film's terrifying and brilliant conclusion introduces one of the greatest horror movie monsters of all time. The Wailing is a truly horrific and gut-wrenching masterpiece, elevated by strong character building and gripping central performances. It is an essential watch for fans of Hope and Na’s directorial style. Following its 2016 release, it became an instant classic and foundational horror movie. With a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Wailing is a quietly bone-chilling feat of brilliance in horror filmmaking.