Project Silence (2023) – Film Review
Director: Kim Tae-gon
Cast: Lee Sun-kyun, Ju Ji Hoon, Kim Hee-won
Certificate: 15
By Roger Crow
One of the many things movies have taught us is that arrogant young men will get their comeuppance. So when one such speed racer puts his foot down in a car which looks like it escaped from a Fast and Furious movie, the scene is set for carnage reminiscent of Sylvester Stallone’s thriller Daylight.
A fog-shrouded bridge near Incheon airport is the setting for a massive pile-up. In true disaster movie fashion, there’s an eclectic bunch of strangers, and some things lurking in the mist. Thankfully not as terrifying as the beasts in Frank Darabont’s terrifying movie The Mist, but when mutated military dogs are accidentally released from their transport vehicle, there’s no surprise when they start preying upon humans.
“Colours really pop”
Our hero is Jung-Won, who tries to protect himself and his daughter when the dogs are activated by a shadowy figure. And it’s here that the movie becomes problematic, because as stylish and well directed as it is, featuring man’s best friend as a lethal predator results in mixed feelings.
So it definitely won’t be for all tastes, especially if you’re a dog lover. However, as disaster thrillers go, it’s pretty good, and kudos to the team who put the Steelbook together as that’s a beautiful bit of packaging.
The cast includes Lee Sun-kyun, who was so good in Parasite, one of the best films of the past few years. Picture and sound quality is excellent in the 4K UHD edition; those colours really pop, and there’s none of the fragmentation that the odd mist-centric movie can cause on some TVs.
“Apex predator”
The dubbed version may lose something in translation, but it’s easy to get over that small hurdle in the first few minutes.
A shame we’re not at that point where a movie’s choice of apex predator can be swapped for an alternative; maybe dinos instead of Fidos, but there’s plenty of good stuff here for those who love a good thriller.
Adopted Yorkshireman Roger Crow developed a passion for film and TV in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been a published film and TV reviewer since the 1990s; a world travel and restaurant critic since the noughties, and for the past decade has assessed the pros and cons of live gigs and theatre productions around the UK. His ideal day would involve reviewing a performance of Bat Out of Hell, followed by a Pad Thai while being serenaded by Texas on a cruise around Europe.
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