Hopeless

Seventeen-year-old Yeon Gyu (Hong Xa Bin) is at his wits’ end. He is mercilessly bullied at school. And there is no respite at home, where his stepfather physically abuses him. He dreams of making enough money to escape abroad. But life changes on a dime for Yeon Gyu when he meets the underworld mid-level crime boss Chi Geon (Song Joong Ki). Chi Geon offers Yeon Gyu the chance to join his organization and make the money he needs to leave town for good. But entering Chi Geon’s murky world plays on Yeon Gyu’s conscience, and strains his relationship with his stepsister Hayan (BIBI). Will Yeon Gyu’s journey into the criminal underworld bring him redemption – or inescapable despair? This 2023 South Korean movie was directed by Kim Chang Hoon.