Fantastic Fest XVII Review: HUNT, A propulsive, explosive action-packed directorial debut from SQUID GAME star Lee Jung-jae!
Published September 27, 2022: Set in the ‘80s, Hunt takes place during the disruption of an assassination attempt on the president. Two South Korean agents (Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung) from different departments are tasked to uncover a North Korean spy within their agency; who threatens to reveal top secret intel. But things escalate when the intel is revealed; leading the two agents to investigate each other.
An action-packed directorial debut from renowned actor Lee Jung-jae; Lee takes on multiple duties (director, co-writer, producer and lead actor) to deliver a professionally mounted (many of the crew have worked on numerous Park Chan-wook productions) political thriller that leaves no room for subtlety, nuance or even levity.
Entertainment is the name of the game and Lee delivers with tons of frenetic shoot-outs (with striking sound design that makes the gunfire stand out), numerous plot twists and many dramatic mano-a-mano stare-offs between lead actors Lee and Jung Woo-sung that is reminiscent of action thrillers from the ‘90s.
The film makes grand gestures with its execution, as Lee’s direction shows signs of a filmmaker who is eager to please. The action and drama are so heightened that you can laugh at the absurdities of them (particularly in the case of the overstated climax where all the pyrotechnics, gunplay and true motivations collide together) or you can choose to be swept up by them (the stellar acting and presence of the supporting cast help immensely).
That is not to say that the story is superfluous after all the gestures. There is a potential thread of commentary in the relations between the North and the South and how governments are run. However, the storytelling is needlessly convoluted that it almost renders it mute. Fortunately, Lee relies on strong pacing and sharp editing (from editor Kim Sang-bum) to propel through the labyrinth plot; making the film breathlessly watchable.
There are many characters — including an amusing cameo from Hwang Jung-min — to be kept track of and even more double-crossings that it is hard to keep track of the allegiances. To be fair, that is kind of the point of the film as all sides are striving for the same idea of peace but through drastically different means. Inevitably, those actions have dangerous consequences.
Overall, Hunt is a strong directorial debut from Lee that succeeds with its commercial aspirations in providing a propulsive action-packed thriller. Although the ambitious dramatic aspirations may not be reached to their potential, the film itself is professionally made and acted that it becomes a worthwhile viewing.