Hunt

Wow, this was a surprise. I knew about Lee Jung-jae's directorial debut but I thought this was an average and messy effort. At least, that was what American critics made me believe. I should know better by this time.

In fact, I didn't find the story hard to follow at all. There is a dictatorship in place. Some people are fighting and want the President and the regime down. Some in the streets, some in covert operations. At the same time, North Korea wants him down for totally different reasons. On the N. Korean side, some people believe in reunification and other people only want to erase S. Korea. Americans, as usual, try to interfere and want the President down, even if at the same time they keep the diplomatic relations. This is basically what is happening and, of course, our guys have many secrets and we are always trying to find out who they really are.

I'm a big fan of political movies that work like chess games, especially when they have a big espionage component, and loved how Lee filmed some of these scenes, reminding films like Munich when this is about spies, reminding films like V. I. P or New World when this is a full action movie.

The editing is great and it's impossible to keep quiet during that incredibly final act. The acting was outstanding as expected and I'm really curious about what Lee does next. Great debut.

No pun intended - and of course this is not about hunting animals. Also it does not just have one hidden truth - there will be multiple reveals here. And the whole thing is based on history, on real events (as a friend of mine told me). Which makes it almost necessary to dig in and find out more about actual events (because as happens often, this surely has done some heightened reality, which the beginning suggest too).

The characters are well drawn, but also quite complicated. Also for people who may not watch too many Korean or Asian movies in general and have to concentrate on the subtitles, they may have some issues to distinguish the two main characters from time to time - no pun intended here either. Being confused about them may help elevate the suspense even further actually. Guessing game and all that.

Action scenes are more than well shot and the twists will keep you guessing from start to finish. Just do not expect this to ... resolve things the way you want it too. South Koread has a dark history too - they were apparently not always as free as they are now. And the movie is not shy about that fact. As it is not shy about blood and violence (good effects) ... not for the faint hearted, but really well done.

Tensions simmer on the Korean Peninsula in 1980 as a couple of lead government agents from different divisions attempt to smoke out a mole within their ranks. With infiltrators from the North, double agents, temporary alliances, repression of dissent, controlled leaks, and brutal interrogations, nothing is what it seems. Beneath the surface of all the bloodshed, payoffs, and lies, the two men nourish hope that - deep down - their goals are the same. Neither one wishes for the gruesome violence against the Korean people to continue, but the other does not know.

This is the directorial debut for Lee Jung-jae, of Squid Game fame. He was present at this Toronto International Film Festival screening and was asked why he thinks Korean culture is so popular now. "It is our mix of sorrow and joy," he said "we do emotions well." In 1980 there was a military coup in Korea and thousands of innocent people were killed in the crossfire. Like the times, the film is tense and taut with conviction and emotion. It was hard for me to follow all the changes in tone, but I was enthralled by the action. The film first appeared at Cannes and opens to wider audiences in December.

By the halfway point of this Korean spy thriller, I had completely lost track of who was the "good guy" and who was the "bad guy," though it seems this confusion might be intentional. The film is filled with men in suits, constantly second-guessing whether the armed person beside them is an ally or a potential enemy. This uncertainty is at the core of the story, but for non-Korean viewers, the exposition is muddled and poorly handled right from the start.

The film barely provides any background on the sociopolitical context of the country, especially regarding the fraught history between North and South Korea during the 1970s and 1980s. This lack of explanation adds further narrative incoherence for viewers unfamiliar with Korea's political landscape. What could have been an opportunity to explore the long and complex relationship between the two Koreas instead becomes a missed chance due to the film's confusing structure.

Its main weakness lies in its diffuse storytelling. The poorly defined time jumps make it hard to follow the timeline, and the constant betrayals and plot twists quickly become overwhelming, leaving the audience struggling to keep up. Without a clear narrative or context, the story falls flat, making it difficult to stay invested in the film's many twists and turns.

Hunt is a gritty action packed movie. It hits the ground rolling from the very start and doesn't stop for a breather at any moment. The action scenes are all very well done and feel realistic with a lot of human emotion. The acting is very convincing as well.

Unfortunately, the story is a bit difficult to follow. Sure, it is easy to follow the over arching story but there will be moments where you are scratching your head over the intricate details.

Perhaps Hunt relied too much on action and drama, and therefore forgot to slow things down and explain to the viewers what is happening, who this character is, or what their deal is exactly.