The Hunt (2020)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

This is an ultra violent satire on America's fixation on guns. 12 strangers are captured and released in the middle of an open field next to a forest only to find themselves gagged and soon hunted down like animals. The film's first act is packed with gun fire, explosives, throat slashing and arrows! Half the cast members seem to be killed and eliminated within the first few minutes barely a few seconds after we were introduced to them! It becomes clear that here is a movie that nothing appears to be what it seems and that we can sit back and just enjoy the show not knowing what crazy things will happen next. This approach certainly will make you sit up and pay attention throughout the movie as you would not want to miss anything.

This is also probably not the sort of movie that everybody will find as "enjoyable". Its ultra violence may turn some people off but at the same time, may be exactly what gets some people thrilled to bits. But The Hunt is much more than just a movie with people killing each other senseless without a purpose. There is a plot somewhere here and along the way, it cleverly touches on a number of mostly American values on women's rights,  gun control, and the political divide between the left and right. I guess that's what a great satire does.

The main actress here is Betty Gilpin who plays sort of like "the final surviving girl". She is a relative unknown to me and I am not familiar with her work. I find her portrayal of the tough kick ass Crystal a refreshing departure from the weak whining female leads that we so often find in thrillers and slasher movies. She more than matches the screen presence with her Academy Award winning co star Hilary Swank. With a tight running time of just 90 minutes, The Hunts leaves you no time to relax and it is basically one rollercoaster ride. Lastly, please take note that The Hunt here is not related in any way with the other movie with the 2012 released Danish drama, The Hunt.