MOVIE REVIEW: THE HUNT

Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don't know where they are -- or how they got there. In the shadow of a dark internet conspiracy theory, ruthless elitists gather at a remote location to hunt humans for sport. But their master plan is about to be derailed when one of the hunted, Crystal, turns the tables on her pursuers.

Director: Craig Zobel

Cast: Betty Gilpin, Ike Barinholtz, Emma Roberts, Hilary Swank, Ethan Suplee, Sturgill Simpson

Release Date: March 13, 2020

Action, Horror, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence, and language throughout.

Runtime: 1 h 29 min

Review:

The Hunt is every bit as stupid as it looks and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  It’s over the top Twitter political comment fight come to gruesome life is goofy and ham handed.  A bit of subtleness would have made this film just a tad bit more meaningful but as it’s an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon come to life.  In the first few minutes you sense every strand of it’s Grindhouse origin, it owes a lot to the 80s splatterfest Turkey Shoot.  Taken in that context, it’s a fun lark with a goofy but fun script.  Craig Zobel and his cast all have their tongue firmly in cheek so it’s never overly serious which lets all the blood and gore play as funny.  The cast, especially at the beginning, is made of a round table of familiar faces from TV but don’t get to attached to anyone because only a few are long for this brisk film’s runtime.  At it’s center is Betty Gilpin who carries the whole film with her wonderful turn which will remind people of Samara Weaving in last years Ready or Not and Sharni Vinson in Your Next.  It’s a fun performance that makes you look past the fact that her character is a murder machine in a Victoria Secret body.  It’s nothing new for Gilpin whose mastered that type of dichotomy in Netflix’s GLOW but here she can just go all out and have fun.  There’s no subtlety to this film and you’ll probably enjoy it more than you’d willingly admit.


C+