Hunt Review: A Confusing, But Engaging Spy Thriller
"Lee Jung Jae emerges as an important director with Hunt, a harrowing spy thriller that suffers from a grossly over-complicated and convoluted plot."
professionals
- Lee Jong Jae's brilliant and attractive visual style
- Elegant performances by Lee Jong Jae and Jung Woo Sung
- A surprisingly difficult and thrilling final three
vs.
- The second repetitive action
- Very confusing plot
- Opening hours may be shorter
The Hunt is an ambitious film, to say the least. The new South Korean drama is a spy thriller that follows the perspectives of two security guards in the 1980s trying to figure out each other's motives. In terms of structure and story, the film shares many similarities with similar double-agent thrillers like The Departed and Infernal Affairs . Visually and in scope , however, Hunt is more like a blockbuster thriller in the vein of The Bourne Ultimatum or Argo .
It's a tough balance for any film, especially for a new director like Hunt . It's amazing that Hunt is so good. Directed by Squid Game star Lee Jong-jae, who also stars as one of the film's two main characters, Hunt is a dizzying and unpredictable spy thriller. At 131 minutes, the film's plot often wobbles and wobbles under the weight of its twisted ambitions, but never falls apart.
This Hunt Never Completely Collapses is a testament not only to the film's immersive visual style, which credits Paul Greengrass and Park Chan-wook, but also to its relentless pacing and well-chosen settings. . Number. Those who can get over the film's many absurd twists and turns will likely be blown away by the power of Hunt 's surprisingly satisfying third ending.
Chaos (and style) reigns.
Based on a script by Lee and Cho Seung Hee, Hunt begins with absolute chaos. In the first part of the film, Park Pyong-ho (Lee), the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency's foreign branch, and Kim Jung-do (Jung Woo-sung), the head of the KCIA's domestic branch, play as them and their team members compete against each other. Stop the assassination attempt on the president of South Korea. Throughout the episode, they run through the streets and buildings of protest-filled 1980s Washington.
As for the opening sections, Hunt is quick to note the rapid, relentless pace it maintains throughout its run, as well as its fast-paced and largely portable visual style. Unlike many Paul Greengrass imitators, however, Lee never neglects his audience's sense of geography or continuity to emphasize the film's chaotic aesthetic.
Hunt's action sequences, including DC's first assassination, consist of quick shots and handheld shots, but thanks to Kim Sang-bum's precise editing , they never feel disjointed or confusing.
A complicated story
The same cannot be said for the plot of Hunt , which has so many layers and distractions that even in a movie that doesn't move fast, it would be difficult to follow them. However, Hunt moves with incredible speed from start to finish, often delivering crucial information so quickly and clearly that it's easy to get lost in the film's web of mysteries and lies. Those who pay attention are also likely to stick with the film during the moments when the film's story gets very messy and takes a turn for the better, most of which occur in Hunt 's bloated second act.
Hunt's climactic sequence also revolves around multiple twists to be as explosive and action-packed as possible. In particular, the scale of the film's final set is overwhelming for the director and editor, and features shoddy computer effects not seen in the rest of Hunt 's film. While Hunt seems dangerously close to collapsing, the film manages to come to terms with the final 10 minutes, which are not only shocking but also surprisingly sweet and sour.
A promising start
Hunt is also based on the lead roles of Lee and Yung. As the film's rival security chiefs, both actors bear the unfortunate responsibility of having to cover up their characters' many motives and concerns while playing roles that feel realistic and multifaceted. Fortunately, Lee and Jung approach this difficult task by creating characters that feel well-drawn and contradictory, which helps ground Hunt 's complex story firmly in their characters' opposing perspectives.
Ultimately, Hunt 's success shows what a powerful movie Lee could have made had he got his hands on a slightly more concise and clear script. In its current form, Hunt is an impressive debut, establishing itself as a remarkably confident and technically competent director. It's an adrenaline-pumping slice of genre cinema that never achieves greatness, but offers a fun and intriguing journey.
Hunt is now playing in theaters and on demand.
