Hunt: Squid Game star’s high-octane, madcap and explosive spy thriller

REVIEW: Fans of South Korean cinema – and in particular this past year’s Escape From Mogadishu – should definitely check out the high-octane, madcap and explosive spy thriller Hunt (which will be available for rent from various streaming services from December 7).

Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae directs and stars in this 1980s-set thriller about a foreign intelligence chief who uncovers a plot to assassinate the South Korean president, while also hunting for a North Korean mole within his own agency.

Having narrowly avoided a potential sniper attack in Washington, Lee’s Park Pyong-ho teams up with his domestic counterpart Kim Jung-Do (Jung Woo-sung) to track down and prevent the seemingly elusive “Donglim” from attempting to strike again. However, the deeper they dig, the more each becomes suspicious of the other.

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Reminiscent of the best and twistiest hard-boiled Hong Kong crime dramas, Hunt offers so many red herrings, unexpected turns, wild visions and pyrotechnic-led set-pieces that it will make your head spin.

Closer to Face/Off territory than Infernal Affairs when it comes to making a lick of sense, or being easy to follow (believe me this makes Park Chan-Wook’s Decision to Leave’s beguiling mix of Hitchcock and Verhoeven seem relatively straightforward by comparison), it nonetheless offers plenty of bang for your buck, even if you need a whiteboard to keep up with who’s deceiving and playing who.

This is a movie where you just need to go with flow, trusting that it will all resolve itself in a satisfying way – something which Hunt does with aplomb, a swagger and sometimes truly over-the-top madness.

After all the double-crossing and mind-games, the extended Bangkok-set finale (apparently a reimagining of a real-life 1983 event that took place in what is now known as Myanmar) is a breathtaking, jaw-dropping, all-action set-piece that truly has to be seen to be believed and will most probably leave you exhilarated and exhausted all at once. Just when you think it’s over, it literally explodes back into life for one final burst.

What helps sell the wild premise are two terrific performances from Lee and Jung. That they are equally matched is key, especially as the focus and perspective subtly – and not so subtly – shifts as the story progresses.

Thrown in an urgent, driving soundtrack to match the visuals and keep the viewer fully engaged – and you have one hell of a 131-minute cinematic thrill ride.

Hunt (16+) will be available for rent from various streaming services from December 7.