Kaleidoscope UK Blu-ray Synopsis: Buckle up for this brutal, bloody and no-holds-barred South Korean action-horror from Kim Hong Sun, the veteran director known for The Chase. Following its world debut at TIFF Midnight Madness in 2022, it has quickly become a firm global festival favourite, having also been selected for Sitges International Film Festival, Leeds International Film Festival and San Sebastian Horror & Fantasy Film Festival. During an extradition from the Philippines to South Korea, a group of dangerous criminals unite to stage a coordinated escape attempt from their floating prison. As the jailbreak escalates into a bloody, all-out riot, the fugitives and their allies from the outside exact a brutal terror campaign against the special agents onboard the 58,000-ton cargo ship. But the prisoners aren’t the only ones waiting to rise from the darkness - the freighter may be harbouring an even more sinister enemy… (122 Mins)

 

Views: Getting its release here the UK & Ireland courtesy of Icon, this brutal South Korean thriller was definitely one of the most violent movies that I've seen in a long time – and I loved it! Using the blueprint of films such as Alien, The Terminator, and even Under Siege to some degree, Project Wolf Hunting tells the story of a number of violent prisoners who are being shipped from Manilla to Busan on a large cargo ship. Unfortunately, there are a number of dirty cops, fake crew members, and old friends on board who are determined to help free their criminal friends no matter what. But as the blood flows and the body count adds up, both sides soon find themselves trapped at sea with an even bigger threat – and one that enjoys tearing people limb from limb without a second thought!

 

I'm going to be honest; Project Wolf Hunting is completely insane and had the MCU went down the line of making their movies as dark as their Daredevil Netflix show, then this is how I would have expected Captain America: Winter Soldier to have tuned out! When you strip it all back, Project Wolf Hunting has a fairly simple storyline, with the first 30 minutes providing a slow but intriguing start to the film before it goes from 0-60 in a matter of seconds, escalating into a brutal battle royal that challenges even the strongest of stomachs. The same thing happens around the 1 hour mark with the introduction of the monstrous super-soldier – at which point my husband hit the nail on the head when he said, 'Well that took a bit of a turn!' From there, it's just constant balls-to-the-walls violence with a few more plot twists that save Project Wolf Hunting from becoming just another brutal action-thriller. Apart from the aforementioned Hollywood titles, I could definitely see other moments of popular titles popping up such as Wolverines Weapon-X, Halloween, and The Island Of Dr. Moreau, but that's not to say that this South Korean flick doesn't have enough of its own thing going on.

 

Written and directed by Kim Hong Sun who was behind the wonderful 2017 thriller, The Chase and horror-thriller Byeonshin, Project Wolf Hunting looks like it may be his biggest film yet with the director himself previously announcing that both a prequel and a sequel are in the works. I'm quite happy about this though as I felt there was definitely a lot of material available throughout to allow for many continuations of different characters stories. I enjoyed how Kim had you focused on a particular character, luring you in to think that he was the main lead of the movie before he would have him brutally murdered and the focus shifted to someone else. I did something similar in my first film, Battle Of The Bone, and tried to veer away from following the typical lead character. Some of these so-called leads include Seo In Guk, an actor who is incredibly gorgeous in real life but disturbingly terrifying here as the heavily tattooed prisoner, Park Jong Doo. A popular small-screen actor, Seo has appeared in K-dramas such as Rascal Sons, High School King Of Savvy, Hello Monster, The King's Face, Squad 38, Abyss, and Cafe Minamdang among many others. Joining him is the handsome Jang Dong Yoon, who plays a fellow prisoner that the evil Park doesn't really want to mess with. His character also carries a fantastic twist in the story that really takes control of the final act. Another TV star, Jang has appeared in shows such as School 2017, Search, The Tale Of Nokdu, and the fantastic Mr. Sunshine. Another of the main characters, and one of my favourite, was the police chief Lee Seok Woo – a man whose past has clearly crossed paths with Park Jong Doo, and the lead cop in charge of the whole operation. Lee is played by the prolific Park Ho San, an actor who has appeared in films such as Derailed, Warriors Of The Dawn, and The Call, as well as K-dramas including Wanted, Less Than Evil, My Mister, and Monstrous. They are joined by the wonderful Choi Gwi Hwa, who steals the show as Alpha One; the super soldier killing machine, who has also starred in films such as Runway Cop, The Wailing, Train To Busan, Tunnel, The Outlaws, and The Roundup to name but a few. Popular actors Jung So Min, Sung Song-il, Jang Young Nam, and Ko Chang Seok from The Front Line, Lady Vengeance, and The Host, also stars...

 

I really enjoyed Project Wolf Hunting, and while I know that it won't be for everyone given its intense violence and crazy comic book storyline, I have gives kudos to the team involved for creating such a film. From the raw and brutal action scenes to its incredible special FX, including some wonderfully done practical effects with over 2 tons of blood spilled, to its fantastic performances, cinematography and direction – I'm excited to see where Kim goes with the next couple of chapters that stem from this and hope we don't have to wait too long while the hype is fresh. If you can imagine the likes of Battle Royal, Alice In Borderland, and The Raid blended together with a killer who has the same brutal mentality of horror icons Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees, then you'll get a fair idea of what your about to watch. Just make sure the kids aren't in the room when you do!

​

Overall: Taking its cue from many horror sci-fi classics and adapting a dark turn on the comic book genre, Project Wolf Hunting is an intense and brutal two hours of pure entertainment!​

​

Watch my video review for this film HERE

​

Watch my unboxing and review video for the Kaleidoscope Blu-ray release HERE

​

Support the site by getting your copy HERE