“Project Y” is a 2026 Korean neo-noir film and is categorized as Korean noir or neo-noir, Thriller, Action, and Crime. It is streaming on Viki.
- Memorable Quote: “Hold tight to your lifeline.”
SUMMARY: Two women trapped in dangerous nightlife risk everything on a high-stakes gold heist. Their daring plan forces them deeper into the criminal underworld, testing their loyalty, resilience, and hope for a new life.
♦ We Can Escape!
In “Project Y”, Yoon Mi-Sun and Lee Do-Kyung have spent years navigating the dangerous underbelly of the criminal underworld, especially the ruthless nightlife economy. Their friendship is built on the necessity of survival. But they truly believe it’s possible to escape. Together, they run a modest flower shop that doubles as a front for the night work they rely on to save money. Their dream is simple: earn enough to leave nightlife behind, buy a nice, comfortable place to live, start fresh, work during the day and sleep AT NIGHT.
- Yoon Mi-Sun is the more grounded of the two. She understands the risks of their environment and approaches every decision with caution. Her strength lies in her ability to endure, to keep going even when the world seems determined to break her.
- Lee Do-Kyung is more impulsive, driven by a restless desire for a life bigger than the one she has. She believes in possibilities even when they seem out of reach, and her boldness often pushes the pair into situations that test their limits.
♦ Can We Escape?
Yoon Mi-Sun is counting down the days. Her time working as a “play thing” for customers in the club is about to come to an end. Just when she thought she would be able to breathe, she gets the news that she and her friend are the victims of a financial scam. The savings they’ve spent years accumulating were wiped out. What’s even worse is the man who scammed them killed himself. Can they recover their money?
The betrayal is devastating, but not enough to make them give up on their dream. It just makes them more desperate. Desperation is the moment when the heart stops asking for permission and starts demanding a way out. Instead of giving up, they pivot toward a dangerous opportunity: a hidden cache of gold bars worth billions of won, buried deep within criminal networks. The heist is not a fantasy—it is a desperate attempt to reclaim their future. The reality is that one wrong move can cost everything, including their lives.
Main Characters:
- Yoon Mi-Sun (played by Han So-Hee, “My Name”, “Gyeongseong Creature 1 and 2”, “Abyss”, “100 Days My Prince”)
- Lee Do-Kyung (played by Jeon Jong-Seo, “Ballerina”, “Queen Woo”, “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area 1 and 2”, “The Call”, “Wedding Impossible”)
Viewership and Rating:
- IMDb: 5.7 out of 10 stars
- My Drama List: 7 out of 10 stars
- Letterboxd: 2.9 out of 5 stars
My personal rating is the same as MDL.
“Project Y” has a similar theme to “Gold Land”. If you steal from the bad guys, it’s not really a crime. Although in this case, the women had been scammed, and it was only just for them to get their money back with “extra” for emotional and psychological distress caused by the thief. Right? If you’re keeping track, this Korean neo-noir film can be added to a watch list of K-dramas set in Gangnam. I would not tag this film as “strong female leads” because the women did not impress with their “strength of character”. They should probably blame the scriptwriters because their acting was pretty good. If it’s any consolation, the male characters were also weak. LOL.
LINKS OF INTEREST:
Project Y (South Korea, 2025) – Review. | AsianMovieWeb
TIFF 2025 Review: Project Y | The Extra Mile
Project Y (2026) Review. | Cityonfire.Com
Project Y TIFF Review: This Is How You Elevate Women in Cinema. | Fangirlish
TRAILER/TEASER:
213 Pictures & Media (formerly 815 Pictures). “Project Y (2026).” YouTube, 11 Jan. 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA8qX8c60nc.
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