When I first heard of The
Hunt, the controversial action movie from Universal’s Blumhouse Studios, I
thought it would be a modern riff off one of my favorite films – 1994’s Surviving
The Game.I was wrong.While The Hunt IS an action movie set
in the woods – it’s one wrapped in biting socio political satire which perfectly
echoes today’s conspiracy culture and insane partisan politics.
The film was slated for
release last September when America’s sad reality intruded – the tragic mass
shootings in El Paso and Dayton. Studio brass decided to shelve it
indefinitely. For a moment, it looked like The Hunt would become a
famously “lost†film like Lon Chaney’s London After Midnight. Now, with only a hotly contested election and
pandemic fears swirling, the film opens nationwide on Friday.
Like the old Caddyshack
tagline, “It’s the snobs against the slobsâ€, The Hunt’s plot revolves
around a bunch of rich elites who decide to hunt “deplorables†on a remote
estate – literally kidnapping them from their daily lives and depositing them
in the middle of the woods. Most of the prey are straight up stock redneck
types who are dispatched fairly quickly (although in jarring, sometimes brutal
ways).One, however, isn’t your average
hillbilly.Her name is Crystal and she’s
got a few tricks up her sleeve.Ably
played by Betty Gilpin (TheGrudge, Ghost Town), Crystal has a
military background and isn’t about to be meekly led to the slaughter.Radiating a quiet inner strength and
competence, she takes the fight to the elites, burning her way through the
haplessly woke villains until she faces off against their ringleader – the mysterious
mega-rich Athena (Oscar-winner Hillary Swank) in a bone-jarring catfight that
wouldn’t be out of place in a James Bond movie.(Caution: you may never look at a grilled cheese sandwich the same way
again.)
The film’s press materials
state that The Hunt’s writers Damon Lindelof (who also produced) and
Nick Cuse (who executive produced) were “politically obsessed†and the story
came together amidst a stream of internet conspiracy theories and the
“unrestrained hostilities between the Left and Rightâ€.The film does take care to point out the
absurdities of both sides – including an inspired sequence with movie veteran
Amy Madigan (Field of Dreams) and her hubby (Reed Birney) playing kindly
old shop owners who happily dispatch their human victims while railing against
various stereotypes and sugared soft drinks!
Director Craig Zobel (Compliance,
Z for Zachariah) keeps the action fast and unrelenting, with the camera so
close, one almost feels the body blows. Although the film’s satire gets heavy handed
at times and there are some gruesome death scenes (punji sticks anyone?) the
film might be too woke for the 18-34 action movie crowd, sailing over their
heads like a blown up body part… then again, in today’s toxic political climate
heading into the 2020 election, The Hunt’s timing might just be spot on.
The Hunt, released by Universal Pictures, opens
nationwide on March 13th.