Cutting through the Cannes Film Festival’s large selection of quiet dramas, “Hope” brings the action and the laughs to the Palais. When a town’s reinforcements have been sent off to fight wildfires and all communication is cut off, the police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) and officer Sung-ae (Hoyeon) must defend the town from a deadly beast. In the forest, local hunters led by Sung-ki (Zo In-sung) attempt to hunt down the predator, unaware of how much danger lurks in the woods.

“Hope” opens with an air of mystery, but is immediately and unexpectedly funny. Bum-seok is called in to investigate a cow, ripped apart by a mysterious animal. Once he makes it to the town, it’s clear that a larger, more deadly beast has preyed on the small, mountainous village. As Bum-seok, Hwang is naturally hilarious, embodying the idea that bravery is not the absence of fear. Running through the town in his noisy police boots, Hwang’s body language and delivery throughout the film is incredibly entertaining.

Each cast member carries their weight in being convincingly frightened, but thoroughly captivating. Hoyeon’s eagerness and determination as Sung-ae and Zo’s irrational fearlessness as Sung-ki make their characters loveable from the start.

“Hope” is particularly successful in building an emotional connection to its heroes early on. The Armageddon-style film is set in a small rural town instead of a metropolitan area like Seoul, which not only subverts conventions for such end-of-the-world films but also raises the stakes. The people Bum-seok and the team are trying to save are people they actually know and love. “Hope” is unafraid to pull at heartstrings in its scenes, heartbreakingly — and at times humorously — reminding audiences how tight the community is.

The town’s collaboration is also integral in the film’s exquisitely-crafted action scenes. Written and directed by Na Hong Jin, the tension in the action sequences is palpable, full of realistic close calls and visceral fear radiating off of each character. As the team navigates through the forest, narrow streets, and rubble from the beast, cinematographer Kyung-Pyo Hong immerses the audience in the action, switching perspectives between the beast and the humans running from it. Through it all, Sunmin Kim’s editing sprinkles in moments of humor, during which the audience can recuperate before the next run. From quiet lurking to last-minute saves and jump scares, “Hope” keeps viewers on their toes.

Despite these impressive action sequences, “Hope” certainly had its flaws. While the film is almost always engaging, it lulls around the 90-minute mark with forest exploration scenes that could have been considerably condensed or cut altogether. Also, for such a dangerous beast, the village’s antagonist — which appeared an interesting mix between animalistic and humanistic — looked funny rather than frightening. The other anthropomorphic beasts, played by Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell, and Cameron Britton have a similarly weird look, tall lanky bodies and humanistic faces that are slightly too obviously CGI. Moreover, the origins of the beasts at times felt confusing and as though the film was hoping to set itself up for a sequel.

Beyond being unexpectedly funny, “Hope” carries a beautiful message about empathy, finding humanity, and valuing life in all things. The film juxtaposes Bum-seok — who struggles to shoot the beast after seeing it cry — with the town fool Yang Bae (Eum Moon-suk), who is careless about taking the life of creatures around him. “Hope” refrains from painting its beasts as villains, creating a shared empathy for the humans who hope to protect their homes as well as the beasts who hope to protect theirs. The catastrophe that ensues is a reminder of the violence of misunderstanding.

—Staff writer Dzifa A. Ackuayi can be reached at [email protected].