FANTASTIC FEST 2022: ‘Project Wolf Hunting’ Cranks the Violence Up to 11

WellGoUSA has had a great track record with me this year, especially in terms of what genre offerings they’ve brought. And they’re continuing that streak for US distribution with Project Wolf Hunting, a balls-to-the-wall action thrill ride. Directed and written by Kim Hong-seon, the film is a roller coaster with no way out speeding down an unknown track. The perfect addition to the Fantastic Fest 2022 programming, Project Wolf Hunting isn’t just a blast, it’s a whole keg of gunpowder.

The film begins simply enough. A group of the most heinous criminals is loaded onto a boat after a treaty with the Philippines secures their extradition back to Korea. With rapists, serial killers, gangsters, and family annihilators on board, it’s clear that a group of 20 detectives probably won’t be enough. But the boat takes off anyway. Desperate to keep all hell from breaking loose like the last time something like this happened, every precaution is taken. And somehow, carnage still breaks out.

And that’s where I’ll keep the plot, hell, I don’t even want to go into detail on the characters (although Seo In-Guk as Jong Du is an attractive and awful baddie who steals the show). Going in any deeper on this completely chaotic genre mash-up would spoil all the gruesome fun you’ll have when you get the chance to check it out in theaters or on demand. And when you tune in, let the expectations build up because director Kim will throw them out the window about every 30 minutes or so.

With a packed cast of prisoners and detectives, audiences aren’t short on people to root for and against. That said at the second act mark it’s clear that you can’t get too comfortable with any of your favorites making it out alive. There are some overarching narrative moments or at least an attempt at them with some standout characters.

That said, Project Wolf Hunting only shows you glimpses of character background and development in small bursts. But even with that, the cast manages to make their fights, deaths, and any minute of screentime beyond worth the two-hour runtime. Is this some high-stakes drama? Nah, but it is a high-stakes action movie that moves from Conair to Overlord to b-horror slasher in such smooth transitions that you never start to question if any of it belongs together.

Project Wolf Hunting is absolutely bonkers. The story pivots at least three times and the violence has faces being smashed with hammers, necks being stabbed to walls, and heads being bludgeoned with body parts that were just ripped off. An absurd level of violence, fake blood, and absolutely zero care about who matters to building a plot. And you know what? Sign me up to watch it again. Hands down, Project Wolf Hunting is the most fun I’ve had in a theater this Fantastic Fest. Go into Project Wolf Hunting with your head empty, no thoughts, just let the blood bath wash over you.

Project Wolf Hunting was screened as a part of the Fantastic Fest 2022 programming and will release in 2023.