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I checked this out after I read some good reports from festival screenings. I really can't see the appeal of Live Action role-playing, so the film's greatest achievement is that it held my interest at all. I enjoyed the initial comedy of the absurd situations the non-playing lead character finds himself in, once he has barged his way into this make-believe environment. The plot shift and changes in tone from then on, which keeps it unpredictable.

The film is extremely well put together, especially for having been made on such a low budget. The cinematography and the unusual soundtrack are first class. There is some genuinely beautiful and haunting imagery, especially once the hunt gets underway.

For me the biggest problem with The Wild Hunt is that at its heart this is supposed to be a love story, but we never really learn much about the characters or their relationships. It's about a guy on a 'quest' to win back his girlfriend but she remains a cypher from the beginning to the end. I never understood her motivations at all, she just came across as unstable and selfish and therefore I never invested in what's at stake for him.

The other characters are underdeveloped as well and as someone who can't relate to the idea of LARP I would have liked to know more about what draws people to it other than the obvious implication that some do it to escape their real life problems.

The Wild Hunt is dark. The LARPers for the most part come across as craven, reminiscent of Vikings, nordic warriors and pub-dwellers alike.

The lovers are morose throughout. The actors in the background were largely mute. The real gems of acting come from the King, the Viking leader and Shaman. But these were inconsistent.

The film stood out because it evoked emotion and worry throughout, the soundtrack created mood and the well delivered tirades of screaming and begging encompassed tangible fear. The question of, "How far will they go?" really carried the film for me. Not wanting to have the dark side of humanity revealed but far too intrigued to stop watching.

The cinematography was realistic, with the tone and music really pinpointing the despair of being locked in a false reality at the behest of others.

There were moments where the film lulled to a crawl but this same failure, that of dragging time, really allowed the dramatic moments longevity.

While I didn't enjoy all of the movie, I give it 7/10 for the innovation and emotions it evoked.

When I first saw the movie "Role models" there is a group of people that is so into role-playing they do it in real life. All dressed up with plastic or wooden weapons that looks like it's a very cheap version of the characters from role-playing video games. Which kept me wondering if people actually really do participate in these types of events, sort of reminded me of Medieval Times except they don't get payed to act that way. This movie is basically about those types of people from the movie "Role Models" except the people that participate take it way more seriously. It's what they call a live-action role play game. This is just one of those movies you have to at least play some RPG games or watched those "Lord of the Rings" to get the entertainment value out of it, at least get the most out of it. The story here is very simple but the premise of the movie is what makes this movie really good. I am pretty sure everything in this movie is over exaggerated and some may complain about this, but I personally thought that was what made this movie entertaining to watch. I didn't know anything about Mark A. Krupa, but he is what made the movie entertaining the most and stole every scene as Bjorn Magnusson. The female lead in this movie is annoying to watch, but it's her role so it's alright and is what progresses the plot. The female lead acts like she is a cocaine addict but she isn't a addict which makes her even more annoying to watch. Anyways this is a Canadian independent film that gets more entertaining as it progresses.

7.4/10

I had the chance to see The Wild Hunt at TIFF in 2009. It was no surprise to later hear it had won the Best Canadian First Feature Film prize- it was one of the best and most surprising films I saw at the festival.

The Wild Hunt's premise is a young man naively entering a live-action role play (LARP) weekend in pursuit of his wayward girlfriend. There's some initial comedy in the fish-out-of-water concept, but real-life LARP aficionados needn't fear ridicule; the comedy is in the clash, not at the expense of players. The film in many ways actually celebrates this type of gaming and in more than a few instances defends it from common taunts.

From a simple beginning the story grows to a climax of epic proportions, bringing to mind Shakespearean levels of drama and tragedy. The Wild Hunt is an intelligent and impassioned exploration of fantasy and escapism, desire and obsession. Yet through all of this the film remains grounded in it's characters. One of the great strengths of the film is the realism and complexity at the heart of each role. You won't find any one-dimensional characters here. Instead we have very real people struggling with an escalating series of events, and the games quickly lose their innocence as people lose control.

The Wild Hunt is a truly remarkable film. The exploration of a blurring line between fantasy and reality is chilling, the performances are excellent, and from a technical standpoint it's equally well done. This is a film that will stay with you long after you leave the theatre- not only is it engaging to watch, but it leaves you with much to contemplate.

I gave this movie a 8 out of 10 which in my book is a good movie. If this movie were rated along the budget then it would have a gazillion. I am surprised that they could make such a good quality movie for 300,000 CAD. I did not think it was possible.

The flaws of this movie is that some of the story line is missing to you. A big budget movie would have flashbacks or some other mechanisms to fill in the blanks. For a low budget movie like this flashbacks or time filling pieces just add to the costs.

What I appreciated is its originality of story line. There are definite some surprises along the way where I was thinking, "ok now you surprised me." I also appreciated that this movie is pure Quebec Canadiana, though I wonder what the original language was? I am in Switzerland and I could only listen to the German track.

This movie is definitely something for movie buffs as you will appreciate the details and story nuances.

This is very much a low budget indie film. When I saw it in 2010, I was actually floored by how good of a movie it was for a very limited release indie film. My only complaint about the movie is really style and characters being a little too unbelievable, but only the unbelievability because the movie starts off trying to establish realism vs fantasy but seems to lose realism in later forms of the movie.

This movie is essentially a retelling of a Shakespeare tragedy involving the LARP scene community. The build up could have truly been a lot better but the later half of the movie is very well done in terms of the Shakespearean tragedy. I cannot say much because this movie is a need-to-watch basis to see it although it is difficult to get your hands on.

If you ever do find this movie, I would recommend watching it with a group of friends. It is a dark and emotional movie that is a good watch for the first time.

This film seems to fullfil all the clichés of a low budget bad Canadian movie.Bad writing,poor photography,bad acting and incoherent directing.I am not sure what tone the director had in mind.Drama,comedy,horror or suspense but he doesn't succeed in any single one.If anything he has nothing but contempt for the individuals who spend their time doing a harmless but nerdy hobby of reenactment.He even exploits the old saw of the evil nerd who can't tell reality from fantasy.Yawn.Having met people who work in a real life armoury.I am amazed by their skill,attention to detail and the passion for their occupation.Have not met a crazy yet but instead pretty smart and imaginative people.The real psychopaths seem to be more interested in mainstream activities like professional sports,night clubs,corporate boardrooms and film and art school.Just skip it till Canadian artists learn how to do a real narrative.

The story follows Erik, who "crashes" a LARP (Live-Action Role Play) camp in order to confront his estranged girlfriend, Lyn. The event is one that is held supposedly once a year, and the other role players are not pleased to have a modern non-player spoil their fun. Things escalate quickly during Erik's stay; acute conflicts arise between the players, and the game soon stops being a game and becomes a nightmarish brawl.

The main themes and motifs in the film are prevalent, yet not applied so thickly as to be too artsy and obtrusive to the enjoyment of the story. The most upholding traits to the film are the diverse characters and their realistic relationships with one another--Lyn literally says nothing about what she thinks, and even appears to be non-committal to her own feelings in the way she interacts with other characters. Erik is highly aggravated, brutally honest and unforgiving, yet he genuinely cares for Lyn's wellbeing, even though she shows no sort of reciprocation. And Bjorn, Erik's eccentric brother, is so in love with his Icelandic roots that he embraces the game as his reality, and cannot break the boundary between a time for play and a time for seriousness until it's too late.

I found myself trying to guess the next outcome in the string of events, and found that the story was, for the most part, unpredictable in a satisfying way. Just the right amount of popular archetypes were applied to the film to give it a comfortable feel of a typical story while infusing the realistic. Not all characters are heroes or villains, and not all humans see right and wrong in the same way.

I would recommend this film to just about anybody who wouldn't mind squirming in their seat, or watching something on the darker side. You won't necessarily feel like you just saw a double rainbow after watching this, but you may be able to walk away with something on the human condition.

Larpers (more properly L.A.R.P.ers, i.e. Live-Action Role Players, i.e. folks that dress up like goblins and wizards and engage in foam-sword combat in the woods) have been one side of a cinematic love affair, of late. Documentaries like Darkon and Monster Camp try and peel back the fake fur and face paint to see the real people beneath, while comedies like Role Models see in the admittedly nerdy hobby a wellspring of both laughs and weirdly noble self-realization.

In director Alexandre Franchi's debut film The Wild Hunt, larping is something altogether more serious, and much more sinister. Erik Magnusson (Ricky Mabe), a Canadian born to an Icelandic father whom he now reluctantly cares for, is bothered by repeated dreams of a banging door and the sound of his girlfriend Evelyn (Tiio Horn) crying out in fear. Evelyn has left him for the weekend, to role play a princess in Erik's older brother Bjorn's larp-group, a viking and troll setting Bjorn (Mark A. Krupa) has all but disappeared into. To win her back, Erik must navigate the confusing, threatening larp world, where he discovers that some of the players aren't just escaping workaday responsibilities but are instead building a framework to work out some of their darker, more violent fantasies.

It's an enjoyable film, troubled by a difficult script. On the one hand it's enjoyably novel: setting a murder-and-revenge story amongst the assumedly meek, awkward foam-sword and teva-sandals crowd is an entertaining twist, and Franchi, helped enormously by good Gothic set dec and often beautiful cinematography by Claudine Sauvé is able to wring surprisingly high drama out of the whole thing. On the other hand, in building up to the grand guignol finale the film strains and struggles, testing credulity both in terms of character motivation and in terms of basic emotional mathematics: it's hard at points to understand why Erik doesn't just dismiss the whole mess and go home. That said, there's rather more of the former dark beauty than the latter character weirdness, and the film (especially as a Canadian film artifact) is massively enjoyable on its merits, of which there are plenty. Missteps along a very original path are easily excused. 8/10

Reviews Of Unusual Size!

Re: An intense session of LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) gets out of control when a man breaks the veil of fantasy in an attempt to win back his girlfriend.

Outstanding: Some very strong performances here. Great sets and physical effects. Despite the dark tone of the film, there are some moments of humor. I love the poster.

Unacceptable: Some actors were a little questionable, but thanks to the blurring of reality and LARP life, that never impacted the emotion of the movie. Some reviewers claim that the world of LARPing is inaccurately portrayed. The music could be overbearing at times. I have no idea how Erik managed to speak in his angry viking voice the entire movie without losing his voice.

Summary: This was a very bleak film. I figured it would go down the path it took, but I was surprised at how cohesive the entire movie felt as a whole. There are some excellent performances, especially from the two brothers and the referee, who deserves more praise for her part. This is not a pleasant movie - it's almost Coen Brothers-esque and you wont leave it with a good feeling, but it is worth watching. An interesting take on the potential violence within us.

4/5

Erik Magnusson (Ricky Mabe) goes searching for his girlfriend Lyn (Kaniehtiio Horn) who is fully immersed in a Live Action Role Playing game out in the woods. Only things get weird as Erik falls further into the game.

It's an interesting indie with a few interesting moments. Where else could you learn that "Elves are gay". It's odd. A more compelling lead actor would be worthwhile. Ricky Mabe plays a love sick puppy, but can't create a bigger character.

The tone keeps changing. There is always a bit of comedy as the LARP world keeps confronting the modern world. That's worth a few laughs. But then there are people who take it so seriously that it makes the whole thing awkward. It's hard to know if this is a horror film, an action movie, a romance, or a comedy. I appreciate this is a full length indie from first time director Alexandre Franchi. It has problems, but it has its moments.

I just finished watching this movie and I feel so happy I didn't miss it in the recent flood of low budget crap. Technically, "The Wild Hunt" can easily compete with 50 times more expensive movies (if the estimated budget of $300,000 listed on IMDb is true). Actors are less known, but they did helluva job. I'm trying right now to think of any drawbacks that I could put here, but nothing important comes to my mind. Maybe only that most of movie is going on in the dark. Also, action starts very late, so I had to fight with myself to survive first hour. Luckily I won, and the award was exciting finale. I was misled by it's trailer that it's a horror, but it's actually my mistake because it's clearly stated on it's IMDb page that it is a thriller/drama). Give it a try

this film is out of whack, but that is where it is supposed to be.

you have a real viking, rescuing a fake princess from a fake celt, and throughout, all become something they really didn't want to be when the game started.

they are nerds playing at fantasy violence without realizing that their modern skins mask a real violence hidden in their real history, and it just waiting for the right catalyst to prompt its release.

and then there is the ending. it is a mixture and manifestation of both fantasy and reality.

and that is the truth that surrounds us all. we all live in a mix of fiction and the other. and it is up to us which wins out and when.

when we give ourselves up to the impetus of a group, we also relinquish individual immunity from the crimes of that group--just ask albert speer.

Forget that this is a "cinematographic debut", forget that it's an "indie film". This movie needs neither apologetic introduction nor patronizing kudos.

Most aspects of the film are mastered better than in the majority of mainstream movies, so your eyes, your mind or your heart will find something to latch on from beginning to end.

Plot has multiple layers, some easily read and others complex. You can enjoy the film at any level.

Cinematography is solid in a Hollywood-action-movie sort of sense. But also gives you some meaningful "artsy" shots which convincingly express the turning points in the plot and in the characters' evolution. They set the mood without being overbearing -- like the "right" frame around a masterly painting.

Characters find their depth in the way that each attempts to enjoy, survive, or in some cases take advantage of, the co-existence of inevitably real motivations with the seductiveness of acting, improvisation, role-playing, fantasy...

Music obviously helps set the mood and tell the story; but it acts more as a commentary -- as a minstrel would do. In fact I found that the movie has its own carefully crafted rhythm.

Costumes and props are top-notch -- forget that it was a low-budget movie. It looked better than most $100M CGI stuff.

Dialogs sound "true" from beginning to end.

Go see this movie like you would go see any other movie. Enjoy.

I wasn't sure what to expect when i started this film. I really wnjoyed the fact that it combined several genres without coming off as farce. Incredible dialog, great acting, perfect production.

OK, there is a little bit of violence, and OK, it may need some serious thinking to understand what is happening. BUT this must easily be the best thought-of plot, the most realistic romantic story, and a great description of human nature with an unbelievable ending.

There was comedy, a build up of emotions, acting to be proud of and an explosion of emotion through out the movie. Definitely not for the faint of heart, or those looking to waste a couple of hours of their lives. But more for those looking to see our own humanity, what love would do to us, the abyss of desperation and the true meaning of chivalry.

This is one of the few films that doesn't treat LARPing as a punchline. It's a beautifully shot film with great performances that just happens to have a LARP game as it's main backdrop. I can not recommend this one to gamers enough. It is seriously great and a must watch for us geeky folk

This film was surprisingly good! I wasn't sure at the beginning, which was a little slow and the lighting was on the dark side, but The Wild Hunt kept chugging along in its tale of LARP passion and the second lives we create. I cannot recommend this movie enough now, it made me literally gasp several times which has been hard to do with today's thrillers and horror movies. Please stick with the film through the beginning, the camera work is great and everyone who worked on this film did an AMAZING job! Brilliant!!!