By Alex Carter, Horror Film Critic

When South Korean cinema ventures into horror, it rarely disappoints. From Train to Busan (2016) to The Wailing (2016), the country has mastered the art of blending visceral terror with deep emotional resonance. Project Silence (2024), directed by Kim Tae-gon (The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil), is the latest addition to this legacy—a high-octane survival horror film that traps its characters in a nightmare of government conspiracies, mutated experiments, and relentless terror.

Premiering at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival’s Midnight Screenings section, Project Silence has already drawn comparisons to The Mist (2007) and The Host (2006), but it carves its own identity with a relentless pace, grotesque creature design, and a suffocating sense of dread.

Plot: A Bridge to Nowhere

The film opens with a catastrophic accident on South Korea’s Incheon Bridge, where a thick fog rolls in, causing a massive pileup. Among the survivors are Cha Jung-won (Lee Sun-kyun, Parasite), a disgraced former firefighter, and his estranged daughter Soo-min (Kim Si-a, All of Us Are Dead). As they and a handful of others seek shelter inside a wrecked government truck, they discover something far worse than the crash—a classified military experiment has broken loose.

The experiment, codenamed “Project Silence,” was meant to create bioengineered soldiers capable of enduring extreme conditions. Instead, it has spawned feral, hyper-aggressive creatures that hunt by sound. The survivors quickly learn that making noise means death, forcing them into a desperate game of silence as the creatures stalk them through the wreckage.

Horror with a Pulse

Project Silence excels in its claustrophobic tension. The bridge setting—a vast, open space turned into a deadly maze—creates a unique dynamic where danger can come from any direction. Director Kim Tae-gon uses the fog brilliantly, obscuring threats until they’re right on top of the characters. The sound design is equally impressive, with every creak, whisper, or gasp ratcheting up the suspense.

The creatures themselves are nightmarish—think The Descent’s crawlers mixed with A Quiet Place’s sonic hunters. Their movements are jerky, almost insect-like, and their distorted vocalizations (a mix of guttural growls and radio static) make them one of the most unsettling horror monsters in recent memory.

Characters: Flawed but Compelling

Where many horror films falter with weak protagonists, Project Silence gives us real people in an impossible situation. Lee Sun-kyun delivers a powerhouse performance as Jung-won, a man burdened by guilt and forced to step up when his daughter’s life is on the line. Kim Si-a, meanwhile, proves once again why she’s one of Korea’s most promising young actors—her Soo-min is resourceful but realistically terrified, never falling into the trap of horror-movie stupidity.

The supporting cast includes a ruthless government agent (played by Squid Game’s Heo Sung-tae) who knows more than he lets on, a panicked truck driver (Jang Dong-yoon), and a pregnant woman (Esom) whose vulnerability adds another layer of tension. None of them feel like disposable fodder—when they die, it hurts.

Themes: More Than Just a Monster Movie

Beneath its terrifying surface, Project Silence grapples with government secrecy, parental sacrifice, and the cost of unchecked scientific ambition. The film doesn’t spoon-feed its message, but the implications are clear: the real monsters might not be the ones with claws.

A particularly chilling moment comes when Jung-won finds a classified document detailing how the creatures were once human test subjects—soldiers deemed expendable. The film’s social commentary isn’t subtle, but it’s effective, adding weight to the carnage.

Flaws: Pacing and Predictability

While Project Silence is a masterclass in tension, it stumbles slightly in the third act. Once the creatures’ weakness is discovered, the film shifts into a more conventional action-horror finale, losing some of its earlier dread. There’s also a predictable betrayal subplot that feels unnecessary, though it does lead to one of the film’s most brutal deaths.

Additionally, some viewers might find the military conspiracy angle underdeveloped. The film hints at a larger cover-up but never fully explores it, leaving a few intriguing threads dangling.

Final Verdict: A Must-Watch for Horror Fans

Project Silence isn’t just another creature feature—it’s a white-knuckle survival thriller with emotional depth, stunning visuals, and some of the most terrifying monsters in years. While it doesn’t reinvent the genre, it executes its premise flawlessly, delivering scares, heart, and social commentary in equal measure.

If you loved A Quiet Place but wished it had more gore, or if you’re a fan of Korean cinema’s unique brand of horror, this is your next obsession.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

A nerve-shredding, emotionally charged nightmare—Project Silence will leave you afraid to make a sound.

Would you watch it? Let us know in the comments! And if you’ve seen it—what was the most terrifying moment for you? 👇