Certification. 15
Running Time. 2 hours 11 mins
Director. Lee Jung-jae
Cast. Hye-jin Jeon, Go Yoon Jung, Lee Jung-jae, Jung Woo-Sung.
Rating. 67%
Probably best known to an international audience for his performance in the Emmy-winning Netflix series Squid Game, Lee Jung-jae is far from a breakout star from South Korea. Jung-jae is one of the country's most respected actors, a star of films such as Il Mare, New World and Deliver Us From Evil.
In Hunt, Lee Jung-jae showcases his prodigious talent. He writes, produces, directs and stars in the film - his directorial debut - a Cold War thriller set in the political turmoil of South Korea in the 1980s.
The plot centres on two senior agents in the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, Park Pyong-ho (Lee Jung-jae) and Kim Jung-do (Jung Woo-sung). Both are tasked with identifying a North Korean mole embedded deep within the agency. A previous encounter and a bitter rivalry mean both naturally suspect each other. Seemingly, both Park Pyong-ho and Kim Jung-do's motivations are clouded by years of political tension between North Korea and South Korea.
In some ways, the script fails to stand alone - it is convoluted and confusing - but the relentless action maintains momentum. I was hooked after an attention-grabbing prologue which sees an attempt to assassinate the South Korean President on an overseas trip to Washington. In addition, Lee Jung-jae crafts a compelling narrative, primarily through the performance of the two lead actors. The more experienced Lee Jung-jae impresses with a committed performance that demands your attention, but his intensity is matched by his equally dynamic co-star, Jung Woo-sung. Both play off each other well and produce a believable rivalry. Their mesmerising performances grounds Hunt when the espionage storyline becomes muddled and confusing.
The creative action choreography is every bit as impressive as Hard Boiled, The Raid or John Wick, including a highly stylish, prolonged and frenetic gun battle through the streets of Tokyo that draws inevitable comparisons with the iconic shootout scene through the streets of Los Angeles in Heat. Safe to say, it wouldn't look out of place in Michael Mann's film.
Flawed it may be, but Lee Jung-jae ensures Hunt excites, if nothing else through ambition and audacity.
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