Hunter Hunter

A family is living far off the grid (not trapped) in a cabin. It's the life Dad wants, but mom may not be all in anymore and complains their teenaged daughter was never even given the choice on how or where to live.

Dad believes his family is being stalked by a rogue and dangerous wolf. True, but there's something else even more terrifying and dangerous out there, as well.

You'll have to watch the rest unfold. No spoilers.

It's full of peril that will make you squirm, that's for sure. It's dark and grim, but ultimately the ending is righteous.

Definitely worth a watch. *Not for the faint of heart.

A family struggle to survive as trappers in remote woodland, but after discovering traces of a predator they become the prey ...

Movies about isolation can be a real drag, but this is well paced and produced. The cinematography and editing relieve the monotony of endless pine trees, and the music and eerie forest sounds keep up the tension.

Performances are good, with a tense family dynamic revolving around a taciturn Rugged Individual of a father, but that's not what the story explores. Instead it ends up a brutal reflection on solitude, when people are left to their own devices without the support of others, from scraping by in an increasingly pointless tradition to indulging humanity's sickest urges.

The climax involves merciless punishment - to the point of pornographic voyeurism. At best, this is a bleak picture of how bad it gets when depravity is offered no resistance; at worst, no better than a snuff movie.

Overall: Well made survivalist tale, but whichever way you take it the implications are unpleasant.

With a dark, ominous aura smeared all across its remote wilderness setting and a foreboding score that escalates the tension & suspense to nerve-rattling levels with ease, Hunter Hunter reeks of death and is a bone-chilling exercise in dread & paranoia that simply refuses to hold back its primal ferocity once it kicks into action and also features one of the most memorable endings in recent years.

Written & directed by Shawn Linden, the build-up is slow but effective and the first half of the story is effortlessly captivating, gripping the viewers with fear & uncertainty of the threat that lurks between the trees. On paper the plot doesn't amount to much but the tense atmosphere its surroundings invoke helps sustain its intensity. And also adding to the film's unnerving vibe is the stealth camerawork & grim score.

However, the film could've done without the subplot concerning the local police officer as it neither adds anything of value to the main plot nor enriches the viewing experience by much. The actors are committed to their roles and while they sure would've liked more flesh on their characters to build their act upon, their visceral rendition is nonetheless strong & fitting, with Camille Sullivan impressing the most amongst all.

Overall, Hunter Hunter takes a cold-blooded approach to bring its story to screen and packs some brutal, disturbing & harrowing imagery that will affect some viewers. Linden's direction stands out more than his writing here, for the script is thin on plot & characterisation and yet by drawing out the premise and setting up a sinister ambience, the director allows the horror to unfurl gradually & effectually and saves the best scene for the last. Definitely worth a shot.

It's not a high action or a texas chainsaw it's more of that deliverance feel to it, it keeps you interested and entertained enough and WOW what a great ending!! Lead actress steals the movie but everyone was excellent and it's a great film. Will definitely watch again!!

This movie was what I thought it would be- slightly entertaining with some flaws. The overall story seemed to be two separate ideas combined into one. There is a twist in the middle of the movie that was interesting, however, by the end it became predictable.

The pace of the film was a bit slow, however the ending provided some much needed emotion to the movie. There were definitely some tense moments, but unfortunately they were few and far between. On a positive note, I really liked some of the gritty scenes that show what it takes to survive in wilderness with minimal resources.

I was excited to see Nick Stahl and Devon Sawa on the screen again, but I don't think they were given big enough roles in the film. Too much time was spent on minor characters that did not really have much to do with the story. The actress that played the mother did a good job though, and helped carry the movie.

This is not the worst way to spend an hour and a half of your time, but don't expect the film to leave a memorable impression.

[5/10]