Hunt

Lee Jung-jae's directorial debut is a fast-paced, high-stakes thriller that proves the man is a capable director as well as being a charismatic actor. He is paired with Jung Woo-sung for an intense and increasingly crazy cat'n'mouse chase for an elusive spy.

So this film begins rather chaotically, featuring two shootouts in the first half hour already, letting you know this isn't gonna be a slow-burn spy thriller. In fact, it keeps moving forward at such high speeds that you just can't catch your breath unless you take a break. It's essentially a series of confrontations (verbal and armed) that keep escalating until the rather exciting finale. Jung and Lee try to outsmart and outmaneuver each other while putting many innocent people in harm's way, which is one of the more intriguing themes in the film. They're both amoral to a certain degree, but also understanding of each other, and that lends the film a gritty Heat/Raging Fire vibe.

The plot here is concerned with a potential invasion by North Korea via a team of spies who are waiting for the right chance to strike. Lee and Jung's characters are chiefs of Domestic and Foreign Units in the KCIA, tasked with finding out the identity of one of those spies who's infiltrated in the organization. What ensues is a series of dynamic shifts in the organization and revelations that will result in a fierce battle for survival. The Jung/Lee relationship is a highlight in more dramatic scenes, with the viewer unsure who to trust as both act suspiciously throughout the film. When it comes to action (and there's a lot of it), hats off to Lee for staging some pretty intense shootouts in mostly open areas. These sequences are not terribly long, but they're expertly crafted and common throughout.

To summarize, Hunt is a very entertaining, action-packed political thriller similar to the likes of Steel Rain, but more morally ambiguous than usual in the genre. It's also convoluted and sometimes hard to follow, but never less than compelling.