El Cazador De Monstruos

This movie is cool, just don't go in expecting full blown gory action horror - it's not that at all. It's way more of a slow burn, suspense film. So if that's your thing you'll dig it. Filmmakers did a great job building a gothic, medieval world I hadn't seen on film before. Cinematography and story craft is on point.

A medieval father searches for the beast that killed his daughter.

Ok. So, this is a low budget film but it is filmed well. Some of the landscape scenes are very nice. This is supposed to be horror but I'm a bit of a horror buff and it wasn't horror for me. The biggest problem I have is that the story is so vague. You know what is going on and you sorta know why but it lacks detail. You have no backstory and for me, that is what draws me in and causes me to invest in the characters. The effects were passable but key moments were shot in low lighting and it couldn't be seen well.

It isn't awful but it is short, extremely about being "in the moment" and the scenic shots were good. If that sounds like something you are about, check it out.

This was a beautifully shot almost silent film. Fantasy Viking mission on a hunt for Troll Beast. Avenging the death of his daughter you're brought into his world. Angst, pain and you feel every minute of it the actor brings you there 100% the creators of this film knew how to use their low-budget to there advantage.

DO NOT MISS

What seems like a simple and straightforward revenge story turns into a surprising and uncanny tale of life and death, amidst an eerie atmosphere.

Christopher Rygh's performance is astonishing. Even though the dialogue throughout the movie is scarce, he manages to convey all sorts of emotions through his acting, and turns this "one-character-film" into an amazing journey.

In this movie, what can't be seen is often as important as what is shown on the screen. So keep your ears peeled and let yourself be drifted by the carefully designed sound and the superb music score. Allow yourself to let your imagination flow freely and you won't regret it.

Last, but by no means least, the cinematography in this movie is simply beautiful, especially when it comes to lighting and camera shots. A note also to the fantastic decor and costumes, where no detail is too small to be dismissed.

This movie may have been made with a modest budget and a small crew, but that doesn't mean its quality isn't top-notch.

I watched The Head Hunter in this year's edition of Fantasporto - International Film Festival, and I loved it so much that on the last day of the festival, when the awarded movies were being shown again, I actually went in for a second screening (I don't do that often).

I strongly recommend it! (Rating: 9/10)

In THE HEAD HUNTER, the protagonist, a hulking solitary warrior scarred by the loss of his daughter goes monster-hunting whenever called upon by a nearby castle, bringing back the heads of his kills and pinning them against a trophy wall. One day, the monster that killed his daughter comes back.

At heart, the movie tells a simple story, but the atmosphere created by the production design is just so outstanding that one cannot be helped but be drawn in. Considering that this entire film was shot for about 30,000 dollars, it is incredible how much quality was put into the visuals. The movie looks better than some which cost literally hundreds of times as much.

Alas, the lack of a budget did show itself indirectly. The movie skips most of the fight scenes, showing us merely the aftermath, except for the final fight between the two old enemies, but even neat camera tricks cannot cover up the shortfall created by the lack of a budget.

If there had been enough money to stage a couple exciting fight scenes, and also a visual depiction of the backstory leading up to the daughter's death, this could have been propelled to the top of the fantasy genre. I think for fans of medieval fantasy this film is still a must-see.

For others, there is a feast for the eyes, made possible by meticuluous attention to detail and brought to the fore by large stretches without any dialogue at all. The story structure gives the ending, in which ironically the final shot is nearly identical to the opening shot, unexpected emotional heft.

I would normally give this 6/10, but it is so close to being a good film, and I can still hardly believe the shoestring budget it was made on, that I still give it the rating of a good movie.