The below is an advanced review out of Fantastic Fest. Hunt will release in North American theaters and VOD on Dec. 2, 2022.
Hunt is the South Korean directorial debut of Squid Game actor Lee Jung-jae, who also stars in the double-crossing espionage thriller. Jung-jae is an experienced actor with credits dating back to the mid ‘90s, translating into a steady hand behind the camera. Expect an ‘80s conspiracy blend between dramatic investigations and explosive action that sometimes becomes lost in its scripted web of lies but still somehow fluidly navigates even its murkier transitions. Give Jung-jae credit for proficiently pulling double-duty here in two departments since Hunt rarely presents itself as a first-timer’s crack.
Set around the 1980s National Security Planning, Hunt follows two high-ranking agents in the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) — Pyong-ho (Lee Jung-jae) and Jung-do (Jung Woo-sung) — who are sniffing out a North Korean mole. Pyong-ho runs foreign intelligence and Jung-do heads a domestic agency, which comes with an inherent rivalry. As both officials chase their traitor codenamed “Donglim,” Pyong-ho and Jung-do begin to suspect one another. Evergreen lawlessness has everyone walking on glass as North and South Korean tensions bring about political assassination plots that thrust the KCIA into turmoil. Donglim must be stopped, even if it means Pyong-ho and Jung-do burn the entire KCIA down in the process.
There’s more to Hunt than recorded statements, evidence analysis, and field agents chasing clues — Jung-jae lays down heavy action interludes. High-impact car crashes and grand spectacle kabooms are worth more than a few offhanded shootouts or some thrown punches. Jung-jae uses punchier elements to amplify the volume of torturous interrogations that turn into assault rifle sieges, which go above and beyond to send electric jolts through Hunt. As a director, Jung-jae understands the importance of momentum and intensity — this is hardly a film solely about classified documents and paper trails.
That said, Jung-do and screenwriter Jo Seung-Hee lose control of their film’s tangled combinations of deception. For my compliments about how Hunt throttles forward as Pyong-ho confidently ousts his crooked commanders or Jung-do kidnaps innocents in an attempt to bend suspects to his will, the overall mission never catches its breath. Hunt succeeds at having the momentum of a jackrabbit with a hyena nipping at its tail, but consistently struggles with pacing in this regard as plot pivots pile atop one another like a crushing touchdown celebration dogpile. Jung-jae ensures Hunt keeps blazing forward with a wake of bodies, rubble, and collateral damage. Still, it’s responsible for an imbalance between blockbuster excitement and equally captivating storytelling filled with objective swerves, planted diversions, and shocking reveals.
The ensemble involved in Hunt layers attitude on thick, starting with Jung-jae and Woo-sung. Their rivalry drips with endless competition on both sides of accusations and coverups, nor does either performer slack when altercations become physical. There’s so much at stake as the political landscapes of North and South Korea teeter on the brink of cataclysmically senseless bloodshed, and both men bring the weight of national catastrophes to their portrayals. It’s a chess match with high-octane boosters, as performers do their very best to stop us from fingering culprits too early. That helps patch some of the pacing issues mentioned above, as Hunt zips and zags with an off-tempo jazziness that might not relent but looks damn fine in the process.
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