Project Wolf Hunting (FANTASTIC) Targets Mindless High Octane Splatter Action
Originally published October 1, 2022
Title: Project Wolf Hunting
First Non-Festival Release: September 21, 2022 (Theatrical Release)
Director: Hong-seon Kim
Writer: Hong-sun Kim
Runtime: 122 Minutes
Starring: Seo In-Guk, Dong-il Sung, Jung So-Min
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 2022.
After an unsuccessful suicide bomb attempt threatens to kill them before they are imprisoned, a group of 57 prisoners are taken to a cargo ship for transport from the Philippines to South Korea, their home country. Onboard is the ship’s crew and over 20 police officers. All seems to be going well until they hit international waters. Due to his own ingenuity, one of the prisoners manages to escape, and, with the help of some friends in on the job, starts a riot onboard. The prisoners begin slaughtering everyone that stands in their way of freedom. Their excitement fades when they realize they are not alone on the vessel.
Shocking and gory, Project Wolf Hunting puts together the best elements of siege horror in the name of over-the-top genre filmmaking.
Unexpectedly, there are quite a few turns in Project Wolf Hunting that change the course of the story and the overall genre of the film. What starts as a siege film quickly morphs into something more sci-horror before ending in a revenge tale. Beyond this general scope, Project Wolf Hunting does not do much with creating anything meaningful, deep, or thought provoking with its material. Thankfully, that’s the point. The genre switches are more as a vehicle for Project Wolf Hunting to transport its vicious ideas of bodily destruction.
Hong-seon Kim sets out to direct a vicious and fun bloodbath of an action horror thriller and Project Wolf Hunting fits that bill exactly. Admittedly thin on plot, it is packed with gore and mayhem that is guaranteed to make you flinch and gasp in both fear and shock. Gleefully violent and gory with a breakneck pace that never relents, Project Wolf Hunting is the perfect film for any gore hounds seeking out mindlessly voracious splatter horror.
Since Project Wolf Hunting focuses more on body count than story, there isn’t much to gain from paying too close attention to the characters. Each are varying shades of dutiful police officers, hardened criminals, and sleazy business owners. Besides, with all the carnage on screen, is there any time to devote to authentic character growth? The cast play their roles well enough to be convincing and that is about as much as one can hope for in a movie featuring so many ways to kill people on a stranded cargo ship. It can stretch believability at times, but thankfully the constantly moving pace of the film makes it difficult for the audience to ruminate too long.
With the sheer amount of viscera and fake blood splattered across this film, the special effects team clearly had their work cut out for them. The realism of each kill varies but the marvel of it remains consistent throughout the film. For a two-hour film, it is incredible that not only Project Wolf Hunting kept pace for so long, but that it avoided repetition, keeping the fight sequences fresh and engaging. After its second genre turn, however, even more opportunities for visual effects come through in new ways. This is where the film verges into the more silly nature of its ideas but the special effects crew comes through to make it enjoyable nonetheless.
All the ingredients of an incredibly successful genre film go into making Project Wolf Hunting, which has the sheer audacity to go for the jugular within the first twenty minutes and never stop. Favoring action thrills and oddball kills to more serious kinds of storytelling, this film understands its purpose and brilliantly executes it. Consistently delivering on its insane premise and working to please the crowds it deserves to be in front of, Project Wolf Hunting is a successfully realized prison riot horror film that never forgets to give the audience a good time. Do yourself a favor and see this one with a bunch of friends and settle down a great evening of fun, mayhem, and viscera.
Overall Score? 7/10
