Hunt

Saw this in the cinema today. The movie is entertaining throughout, never short of action but both me and my friends are confused about the plot and what really happened. I think complicated story telling is not a good thing, it means the director has failed to explain something to the viewer. We were all not entirely sure what actually happened.

Acting was good. Action as well. You can stop reading here. And now I just have to fill up this text so that this site accepts my review which is annoying because I don't want to say so much more and you already read the important parts so that's it.

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.

Initially I find it a bit confusing and scattered as there is a huge espionage and political plot here crammed up in 2 hours. Very confusing for someone who has not much history of South Korea situation in the 1980s. I had to pause to read up before I continue with the movie. I understand the movie is fictional but based on real events. It is entertaining and full of surprises, twists, double agents, secrets but it doesn't gel properly. The acting is believable and good. Thankfully the subtitles are good too but one must read rather fast as there's lots of fast speech and action and noise. Would have scored higher if the story flow wasn't so messy.

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.