Project Silence (FANTASTIC) Has Way More Bark Than Bite But is Still Fun
Title: Project Silence
First Non-Festival Release: TBD
Director: Tae-gon Kim
Writer: Tae-gon Kim, Yong-hwa Kim, Joo-Suk Park
Runtime: 101 Minutes
Starring: Lee Sun-kyun, Kim Su-an, Ju Ji-hoon
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2023.
There is always some mystery behind big government projects within the military. When long forgotten experiments and operations exposing horrific details of cruelty or a dumbfounding waste of resources come to light decades later, it is understandable that citizens of any country would be upset at learning what they paid for. Which is why government officials would want to keep anything of the sort quiet.
Cue: Project Silence, an operation that combines both ethical violations in science and a eye-popping price tag. When Jeong won (Lee Sun-kyun) takes his daughter Keyong min (Kim Su-an) to the airport on a miles-long suspension bridge to send her off to college, a terrible pile up halts their journey. Unfortunately for them and the other motorists, a military truck carrying the failed test subjects of a top-secret government project are among the vehicles affected. Now, surrounded by fire and crumbling concrete, the survivors are attacked by a vicious pack of genetically modified militarized dogs.
Silly disaster horror flick Project Silence delights with fun action sequences and surprisingly emotional storytelling.
Dumb, brainless fun, Project Silence plays to its strengths by focusing on action over story and making maximum use of its wild concept. A unique choice for an antagonist, the dogs in Project Silence are bred through vicious experiments to act on kill commands given by humans at a safe distance. This is meant to serve as an efficient way to kill insurgents. It’s inspired to say the least, but it works. As soon as the voice activated command is initiated, the action kicks off with a bang. Confused passerby are no match for the snarling military dogs, with most of the pileup drivers and passengers succumbing to their genetically engineered attackers. After the bloodbath, the remaining survivors must maneuver themselves off the sectioned-off bridge and outsmart their canine pursuers.
This is where Project Silence slows the pace down to build up tension. While the first act relies on the dizzying carnage to throw the audience off, the rest of Project Silence leans on the uncomfortable dynamics of the survivors pitted against each other and the dogs. Jeong won and Keyong min’s relationship is front and center as both grieve the loss of their wife/mother respectively. This strain on their relationship parallels that of the ringleader of the dogs, who is the source of all the clones. Beyond this, Jeong won also must contend with Jobak (Ju Ji-hoo), a gas station attendant infuriated at him for running without paying just before the accident, and Dr. Yang (Kim Hie-won), the man who created the pack of military trained monstrosities attacking them.
While the story may be simple, Project Silence does interweave some typical commentary on corruption in politics and the military industrial complex. The interruption of a huge, already failed military operation, puts ordinary citizens in jeopardy. This is a common theme in any horror movie that includes the military in any meaningful way, and Project Silence is no different. Jeong won must grapple with his own involvement in the disaster, and ensure that as many of his fellow survivors get out to make up for his ignorance. Unfortunately, the wishy-washy communication with his boss and team back on land reveals that he may be more on his own than he imagined, as their desire to bury their embarrassment supersedes civilian lives.
As far as Korean blockbusters go, Project Silence wavers in its production values amplifying its silliness, making it a less effective film. While the cgi enhanced dogs don’t look awful, they certainly don’t look real. Due to the extreme nature of the stunts required of them, it is an understandable approach to capture the necessary stunts and emotions of the beasts that would otherwise be difficult to emulate with real animal actors. Still, the uncanny effects work brings the film down a notch considering the technology of today.
Project Silence is a silly action sci-fi horror hybrid that mixes in typical Korean blockbuster cliches together with its oddball premise. Its commitment to bigger, bolder, and over-the-top set pieces allows for its quieter moments to pack a subtle punch. Conventions and iffy cgi aside, Project Silence delivers serviceable thrills and plenty of sly humor in its canine revenge fueled adventure.
Overall Score? 7/10
