PROJECT SILENCE

(director/writer: Kim Tae-gon; screenwriters: Park Joo Suk, Kim Hong Hwa; cinematographer: Hong Kyung Pyo; editors: Heo Sun Mi, Lee Geon Moon; music: Shim Hyun Jung; cast: Lee Sun Kyun (Cha Jeong won), Ju Ji Hoon (Jo Park), Kim Hie Won (Mr. Yang), Moon Sung Geun (Byeong hak), Ye Su Jeong (Hye sim), Kim Tae Woo (Jeong Hyeon baek), Park Hee-bon (Mi ran), Park Ju Hyun (Yoo ra), Kim Su An (Cha Kyeong min); Runtime: 101; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Seo Ho Jin; CJ ENM Studios/A Capelight Release; 2024-S. Korea-in Korean, with English subtitles)

“Provides serviceable entertainment, if you take the low road.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

South Korean filmmaker Kim Tae-gon (“The Sunshine Boys”/”The Pot”) directs a nonsensical but playful action pic that has horror trappings. It’s co-written by Tae-gon, Park Joo Suk, and Kim Hong Hwa.
  
A traffic accident between two cars occurs on the foggy Incheon bridge that turns into a major crash site for those on the way to the Seoul Airport. The crashed vehicles include the one transporting military killer mutant attack dogs. They’re a product of a secret government program that’s referenced as the ‘Silence Project.’

The widower Cha Jeong won (Lee Sun Kyun, deceased actor from Parasite) is an adviser to a high-ranking politician, driving on the bridge with his spoiled teenage daughter (Kim Su-an) so she can catch a flight to Australia to attend school there. Since the accident left the area quarantined, Jeong won along with a disparate group of strangers try to leave the area. But the killer dogs won’t let them.

Jeong won evades the dogs and the commandos sent on the scene to deal with them. He’s also trying to carry out his duties as a government official, that is he’s trying to cover-up the accident with a media blackout.

At the site is a mysterious doctor (Kim Hee-won), the creator of the anti-terrorist attack dogs, who is on his computer trying to stop the dogs attacking those in uniforms. Meanwhile the doctor handcuffs Jeong won for getting in his way.

Also at the scene is the cheating punky tow-truck driver, Jo Park (Ju Ji Hoon), who has a lovable lapdog.

By the third act things come to a ridiculous head. But the question comes as to what to make of this mess, as it provides serviceable entertainment, if you take the low road.

It played at the Cannes Film Festival.

REVIEWED ON 7/13/2024  GRADE: B-
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