Behind all the controversy is a darkly humorous (and exceptionally violent) commentary on the current zeitgeist of the United States.
If you’ve heard of The Hunt, you’ve most likely heard how it was pulled from its original theatrical release date due to controversy surrounding its plot. What you likely didn’t hear about was the fact that, by and large, the film is a satire. It’s designed to play on the heavily divided political landscape of the United States. In some sense, it’s meant to be a tale with a moral at the end.
That controversial plot is a sort of modern day update to The Most Dangerous Game. 12 strangers awaken to find themselves in a fenced-in area forced to fight against unseen but heavily armed assailants. The hunted are right-wing conspiracy theorists and the hunters are a group of wealthy, NPR-listening liberals. Taken at face value, it’s easy to see where a controversy would ignite. However, as the film plays out, there are subtle jabs taken at these rather sweeping generalizations on both sides.
Although the promotional material for The Hunt plays up a cast including Emma Roberts (We’re the Millers), Ike Barinholtz (Blockers), and Justin Hartley (TV’s This is Us), their appearances amount to little more than cameos. The key cast member is Betty Gilpin as Crystal, one of the hunted who proves to be quite a bit more capable than the hunters expect. Without her knockout performance, The Hunt would be a lot less enjoyable.
Director Craig Zobel (Z for Zachariah) keeps the viewer just off-kilter enough to keep things interesting until the film reveals its “twist.” The script by Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof (TV’s Watchmen) includes a lot of references to conspiracy theories. If you’re not sure what “Pizzagate,” “crisis actors,” or the “Deep State” mean, a lot of the humor will likely go over your head.
With a plot that will trigger most people sight unseen and a nuanced message buried under a metric crap ton of violence and gore, my biggest question is, “Who is The Hunt really meant to entertain?” This type of film will have a limited appeal and that audience is likely to be further subdivided by its ham-fisted approach. Even so, behind all the controversy is a darkly humorous (and exceptionally violent) commentary on the current zeitgeist of the United States. I doubt it will sway anyone’s views one way or the other.
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
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