When Mi-sun (Han So-hee) and Do-kyung (Jun Jong-seo), two women forced to play by the rules of a society of crime to get by, are scammed out of their way to a better life, they hatch up a plan to steal back what was stolen from them. This leads them to the discovery of a fortune and into a race against time as it sets some very dangerous people after them.
Project Y, directed by Lee Hwan, is a satisfying revenge thriller about two women who topple the hierarchy created by money and power, although I do always wonder why people who hold the power in these situations (usually men) do not realise that the people they have power over (usually women) actually have more power than they realise. This film explores that.
Project Y is helmed by the dynamic portrayals of its two distinct main characters from Han So-hee and Jun Jong-seo. While Mi-sun always has a plan, Do-kyung is driven more by her impulse which makes the hole they are in even deeper, but also helps them out of dire situations. Their different ways of showing their deep care lead them to decisions that keep the film unpredictable. The dynamic nature of the film is also supported exceptionally by Kim Sung-cheol’s Sa-jang, a villain so detached from his humanity, you look forward to what he’s going to do next.
The film alludes to the cyclical nature of a life of crime, and just how difficult it can be to break out of it, with an ending that I think will surprise many.
Project Y is playing at TIFF ’25. For more information, click here.
