Hunting Season

"Hunting Season" is a competently made thriller that builds tension through atmosphere and restraint, even if it never quite rises above genre familiarity. It's a solid watch, but one that plays things a little too safely to leave a lasting impression.

The direction favors subtlety over spectacle, allowing unease to develop gradually. This approach works in places, creating moments of genuine tension, but it also means the film can feel muted at times, lacking the punch needed to fully engage. Visually, it's appropriate and consistent, though rarely striking.

The performances are believable and grounded, helping sell the realism of the situation. However, the characters themselves aren't especially memorable, and the story follows well-worn paths without adding much of its own identity. What could have been sharper or more daring settles instead for competence.

In the end, "Hunting Season" isn't bad - just limited. It delivers a restrained, watchable thriller experience, but one that remains firmly in the realm of "okay" rather than truly compelling.

For these usual geezer teaser movies there's usually a bait and switch. Mel would be on the cover but in reality just in the movie for 10 minutes. Not here actually. He is the lead. It's primarily his film and bless him he is trying but there's no budget to speak of and it shows. The movie meanders around and takes a long while to get to its eventual conclusion. I wouldn't be surprised if Mel really helped out on keeping the action quick and simple to cover for the fact they just had no money. Digital squibs and muzzle flashes galore kill any sort of bloodlust enjoyment in the finale and it's a routine a to b to c plot.

That would be fine if they could have delivered on some kind of satisfactory conclusion or character path. I mean let's be real it's 2025, I'm watching cause it's Mel Gibson. Just give Mel a decent reason for ripping throats and then set him free, you'll have all of our money. It's the John Wick principal of these types of movies. Just be the crowd pleaser. But instead it wanted to be a slow burn type mid 90s hometown thriller. But nothing in the script reaches above mediocrity so instead you have a painfully average vendiagram of the two and it all results in nothing satisfying.

I'll still give it props for being mostly competent and not a bait and switch.

Late at night and on streaming? It's fine. Cheap rental? Meh

Purchase? No.

Ignore the anti Gibson invasion here. It's a decent movie, perhaps low on script and depth but the acting is good, and the tension builds well. It's a no nonsense traditional action movie, and none the worse for that.

For me it's a solid 7/10 plus a one point bonus for the way the simplicity took me back to a better time. Well done Mel, out there in the real world you have far more fans than haters!

Mel Gibson is one of the most experienced actors, producers, and directors, regardless of what has happened in his private life. He is a very charismatic old guy.

This film reveals a lot about the development of the characters. You get a clear picture of what these people are like. And that takes time. Almost half of the film shows the father and his daughter living alone in the forest, and you learn what kind of people they are. Good people. And they know how to survive, they know how to deal with problems. So you start to worry more about the villains of the film than about these two and how they will cope with the problems ahead.

The second half is pretty brutal and bloody. I loved this movie. I loved watching these two. I don't want to say any more. I don't want to spoil the story.

Just watch the movie if you want to see how to deal with a brutal crime. You won't be disappointed.

Mel Gibson always seems to deliver movies which are exactly what you expect them to be.

It is a solid action movie with a bit of family in there.

Everything is solid, the acting the characters the script.

While you could argue it is a bit simplistic end of the day it is exactly what is expected and wanted in these sort of movies.