Busan seems to be a popular destination for hellish journeys in South Korean cinema. There's been an unforgettable train ride in Yeon Sang-ho's Train to Busan and now Kim Hong-sun takes us on a voyage at sea in Project Wolf Hunting, a sci-fi action thriller that dials the bloodiness up to eleven, sometimes at the sake of actually telling a compelling story.
While under heavily armed guard on a cargo ship from Manila to Busan, a number of dangerous convicts unite in a coordinated escape attempt that soon escalates into a bloody, all-out riot. What they don't know is that, even when freed from their chains, they aren't free from the horror unknowingly unleashed from the depths of the ship.

Project Wolf Hunting should come with a major warning before the film because, if you are averse to strong bloody violence, this might not be the film for you. Seriously, there's enough fake blood used in this film to sink the Titanic. The violent action ends up being both a strength and weakness for the film though. It's highly entertaining to watch a number of dangerous criminals meet a grisly end in a few action sequences that pack a punch and will make you wince. It's always great to see a film not shy away from showing as much gore as possible and Project Wolf Hunting certainly does just that.
For a film that takes place in an exciting setting for a sci-fi action film and one that utilises violent action, Project Wolf Hunting sadly soon drifts into a bit of a mundane existence. The action becomes repetitive and there's only so far ultra violence will take your film. There's next to no backstory for any of the characters which can work however, fitting in a flashback sequence to explain the horror waiting for them on the ship right towards the end feels a little like an afterthought. They don't really make use of the cargo ship setting either, instead settling for many moments of by-the-numbers action that do little to make it a true standout within the genre.

The cast do their all to make the film as entertaining as possible, Seo In-guk as Park Jong-doo in particular getting more of a chance to shine than any other as the leader of the revolt against the guards on the ship. These aren't very nice people being shipped to Busan and In-guk does a great job in going that extra mile to make his character even more despicable. There isn't much room for any sort of character development throughout so it's a case of these actors doing the best with what they are given. Jang Dong-yoon as Lee Do-il and Jung So-min as Lee Da-yeon are the best of the rest fighting their way through the chaos.
While Project Wolf Hunting offers up an intriguing concept and lots of potential, it never quite lives up to it and other benchmarks in South Korean cinema to make a name for itself. There's fun to be had here for sure and, believe me, there will be blood. Just not a lot else.
Project Wolf Hunting is available to watch on the Icon Film Channel exclusively from January 30th before releasing in UK cinemas March 10th