The Grossest Joke In 'Hope' Hides Something Important

For the most part, Hope (2026) is rooted in a blockbuster mindscape. The film tells the story of a conflict that brews between the human citizens of the South Korean town Hope Harbor and a group of aliens who find themselves stranded in the nearby forest. The nearly three-hour epic is about a lot of things, chief among them the importance of understanding to avoid conflict.

Along the way, though, Hope dramatically delivers one of 2026’s strangest movie jokes. The scene in question focuses on an older man telling a story that contains subtle thematic touches and reveals crucial information about the plot, all wrapped up in a long-winded poop joke. It’s a strange and gross sequence that’s also quietly one of the movie’s most important beats.

Uncle Haesul's Story Is Hope's Grossest (and Silliest) Scene 

After the initial chaos in Hope’s first half, the film takes a moment to slow things down and focus on the survivors before ratcheting the action and tension back up. This includes a scene where we meet Uncle Haesul, a local older man many characters referenced earlier in the movie. Haesul tells Sung-ae about his experience with the aliens, in a long-winded and bluntly crass story. Haesul reveals that while hunting, he had tried to find a place to relieve himself and wound up falling down a hill. 

Once he stopped, he noticed the aliens moving through the trees, clearly looking for something. Fearing for his life, he did his best to hold back his bowels but ultimately failed. It’s a story where the joke is just how explicit and long-winded Haesul is about it all, even specifically recounting the moment when he tried (and failed) to keep from having diarrhea right near the aliens and alerting them to his presence. However, they were eventually drawn away, and he made his escape. It’s more something out of South Park (1997) than the more tonally dramatic Hope, but it serves a couple of key purposes in the movie.

'Hope's Poop Story Reveals a Lot About the Aliens (and Humanity) 

In terms of narrative purpose, the scene is an important moment that reveals to Sung-ae (and the audience) that there are several aliens in the forest and that just killing the first rampaging monster doesn’t mean they’re out of the woods yet. Beyond that, though, the scene has a much more important thematic purpose in Hope. Uncle Haesul’s story reflects the ignobility of humanity in the film. In stark contrast to the more deliberate and regal choices of the aliens, people like Haesul are much more animalistic and undignified. 

It speaks to the chaotic humanity at the core of the characters, especially when compared to the aliens. It also reinforces the idea that the aliens aren’t necessarily monstrous in their actions, as they don’t rush after Haesul or slaughter him. They may have even spared him because he didn’t pose a threat, which is consistent with how the aliens interact with other people.

What 'Hope's Director Has to Say About Uncle Haesul's Tale

Hope director Na Hong-jin has spoken about this scene in particular, with Daum reporting, “As I’ve lived longer, I’ve found it difficult to grasp the true intentions of an old man. He may seem to speak in a distracting manner, but if you listen closely, important hints are scattered throughout. I wanted to convey the feeling that keeping one’s wits about oneself and recognizing those clues is a worthwhile endeavor. “

“Another reason is that I wanted to capture the wretchedness of humanity viewed from a cosmic perspective. That is not to say that humanity itself is wretched. As I said, it is a matter of perspective.” In that sense, the scene is vital to understanding the dynamic that develops between the humans and the aliens. It shows how the aliens perceive humanity and how people compare to those more fearsome figures from beyond the stars.

The humans are impulsive animals, whose fear prompts them to kill the alien prince, lash out with everything they’ve got, and not even try to find common ground. The fact that the aliens can witness someone like Uncle Hauseul soiling himself and not see it as a threat speaks to their perspective and dismissive disdain for humanity, especially in contrast ot the galactic scope that Hope teases out for them.