Jagveld

Good film with strong characters, good filming for a low budget!

Hunting Emma is one of those "surprises" you come across in cinema once in a while. On first inspection this looks like a "I Spit on Your Grave" knock off. Thankfully, its not.

Better yet its a really enjoyable South African flavoured take on the survivalist horror genre. This film works well first and foremost because its story holds together convincingly well.

There's a well thought out back story that explains Emma's ability to take on what would, for most people, be insurmountable odds. This is married up with Emma's other advantage, her superior knowledge of the environment, which her hunters fail to fully appreciate, until its too late.

There is predictably a lot of violence on offer but what's refreshing is its not overstated or gratuitous. Indeed, the emphasis here is on Emma's survival. She does what she does primarily because she wants to live.

The fight scenes in this film are plentiful, polished and sit comfortably alongside decent gun play, which includes a tongue in cheek nod to Spaghetti Western style showdowns.

If you like the idea of survivalist horror but want something "dialled down" then Hunting Emma is for you. 7/10 from me.

It is movies like this that shows what South African actors are really made of. The movie is based on a book written by South African legend Deon Meyer. The acting is superb, the story is amazing, and it leaves you in awe at the end. A definite must for action/thriller fans.

Though the movieposter itself is a spoiler on what to expect, the movie had its own unique way of keeping the tension throughout the entire film. The storyline is old; nice single person against many bad persons, but the South African spice makes it different than the Hollywood version or the scandinavian for that matter. Afrikaan is the spoken language, and I found myself trying to understand it rather than reading the subtitles. If you like «an underdog» vs «some bad guys» type of movie, and are open to an international interpretation, then you'll like this movie. If you need the constant thrill in Mission impossible and its huge budget to get satisfied, you're better off getting a beer and not watching this film.

Emma hates violence and has even called a timeout in her relationship after her guy struck a fella who hit him. Totally self defense but she doesn't like it. She is on her way to Karoo to spend some time with her father when her car breaks down and she sees a group of drug runners kill a police officer. She is spotted by the men and must now fight for her life.

Came across this by chance and I was pleased with it. While it isn't a film that hasn't been done, it was done well. The main actress isn't someone I am familiar with but she did a great job with her role. The story didn't have a whole lot of depth but the details they chose to portray were well suited.

I'm glad I came across it. I take my chances with films like this. There are some that are real bummers but when I find one I enjoyed it is worth it. This is one of those.