Han So-hee and Jeon Jong-seo in Project Y

Project Y, from filmmaker Lee Hwan, is a slick, ultra-violent, and emotionally charged crime thriller starring the magnetic international superstar duo of Han So-hee (Gyeongseong Creature) and Jeon Jong-seo (Ballerina). The film isn’t just a tightly crafted neo-noir heist story with exceptional leads but also a cultural event, pairing two of the most exciting young actors of their generation in a genre that South Korea continues to expertly reinvent for the world stage.

The setup for the film is as satisfying and exciting as it gets: Mi-sun and Do-kyung are two lifelong friends who set out to steal an unimaginable amount of gold bars in Seoul’s Gangnam district, a playground of wealth, corruption, beauty, and power. What starts off as an odd-couple crime partnership quickly unravels into the messy realms of betrayal and escalating danger, all framed through Lee Hwan’s singularly stylish lens.

If the setup recalls plenty of classic thrillers, its execution is fresh and brand new: a modern tale firmly rooted in the noir tradition. If I can be allowed to rely on Western references for comparison, Project Y, at times, plays a lot like Hustlers by way of Reservoir Dogs, echoing Tarantino’s early films in more ways than one. However, it’s essential to acknowledge Tarantino’s own deep debts to Asian cinema. This circle of influence feels intentional and fluid, rather than a snake eating its own tail.

Visually, the film is a literal thrill. Lee Hwan drenches the screen with contrasting glamour and sudden bursts of brutal realism. The production design highlights the duplicity of an imagined Seoul nightlife—glistening clubs and penthouses facing out onto grimy back alleys and torture dens, often in the same frame. Fashion is wielded like a weapon: high-gloss couture sometimes marks its characters as aspirational and untouchable. Men and women alike are styled with astute precision rarely seen on this side of the pond. Clothes, cars, and homes are artful signifiers of class, power, and manipulation worth keeping a keen eye on as things progress.

The world-building doesn’t stop at the visuals. By depicting escort agencies of both young men and women, the film reframes sex work not as a taboo but as a high-end industry where companionship, prestige, and appearances are traded with ease. The detail is not only culturally fascinating but also boundary-pushing in the ways it destabilizes expectations of gender, sex, and power in a crime thriller. Youth and beauty are currency, but they’re also a liability.

Project Y doesn’t shy from emotional excess, either. Its narrative crescendos into outrageous mommy issues, sex-work fiascos, financial emergencies, and unimaginable childhood trauma—often in exhausting tandem. For viewers unfamiliar with South Korean melodrama, these swings could come across as a bit overwrought. But melodrama is a celebrated and refined structure in South Korean storytelling, exported to audiences worldwide who increasingly understand and adore it through K-dramas and films like Decision to Leave. It can just take a bit of getting used to for the untrained eye.

While the emotions soar, so does the violence—and it’s often quite shocking, even for horror fans. Lee Hwan stages some of the most brutal sequences in recent memory. A vicious recurring motif involves drowning victims in tar (or mud?) pools to force confessions, a device both grotesque and unforgettable. Blood flows freely throughout, and even the proudest gorehounds will wince once or twice. The brutality is always used to advance tension, character, or story, making the violence feel both inventive and horrifying while earned.

The true draw of Project Y is watching Han So-hee and Jeon Jong-seo collide on screen. Together, they embody a combustible good-girl/bad-girl archetype that feels classic yet reimagined. Their chemistry is magnetic, their star power massive, and their ability to toggle between high-fashion prestige and blood-soaked grit makes them thrilling to watch. Both are already megastars in South Korea, with global fanbases thanks to streaming platforms, and this film doubles as a showcase for their international reach.

Equal parts crime thriller, melodrama, and neon-splattered heist story, Project Y is a pulse-quickening showcase for two of Korea’s most exciting stars. Its violence shocks, its emotions overwhelm, and its style dazzles. Everything is amped up to eleven, making for a satisfying watch for cinema fans from all genre houses.

Project Y had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Wednesday, Sept. 10, as part of the Special Presentations program.

Summary

‘Project Y’ delivers brutal violence, melodrama, and the unstoppable star power of its dual leads Han So-hee and Jeon Jong-seo.

Tags: Han So-hee Jeon Jong-seo Lee Hwan Project Y TIFF 2025

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