Hunter Hunter

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.

There are all sorts of predators in the forest of this here film, ranging from a family of trappers to an increasing emboldened wolf to something much, much worse.

An intense and dread inducing 80 min. of quality slow-burn ultimately give way to a catherdic showstopper of an ending that pure grand-guignol grotesquely. A fantastic little cold-blooded indie film to cap of 2020.

My top three list of films for the year now goes like this.

1. Possessor 2. The Dark and the Wicked 3. Hunter Hunter

If you liked the aforementioned titles, I'm positive you'll love Hunter Hunter.

Hope you enjoy it.

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!!

On face value what appears to be a fairly unassuming low-budget Canadian backed thriller/horror ends up becoming something else entirely in its latter stages thanks too a sharp pivot as Hunter Hunter escapes the doldrums of a slowly staged start and some el-cheapo production values to become a small-scale genre mash-up that is well worth tracking down.

Directed by Shawn Linden, who brings this film to life based off a script he had in the pipeline since 2007, Hunter Hunter starts out in a so-so fashion as he introduces us to Camille Sullivan and Devon Sawa's couple Anne and Joseph who alongside their young daughter Renee (played well by Summer H. Howell) live out a secluded life in the wilderness scraping out an existence as fur trappers only to have their simple lifestyle interrupted by a ravenous wolf that poses a significant threat to their lives and livelihoods.

There's certainly nothing overly new about this particular set-up, there have been numerous small budget and big-scale tales of man vs beast over the history of film and far before moving pictures ever existed but without going directly into heavy spoiler territory, Hunter Hunter doesn't end up becoming the exact type of film you would initially expect it too be and for a film with miniscule funds and options, it does well to morph into a genuinely unnerving tale that will linger long in the memory thanks to its insane finale.

At the heart of all of these happenings are some memorable little turns also with Sullivan doing good work as the determined yet frightened Hannah and the increasingly rugged looking Nick Stahl as the injured house guest of the couple Lou, a man who offers either a hindrance or a potential help to their survival against a animalistic threat that could strike at any moment.

As is the case with many films of this low-end ilk, Hunter Hunter is rough around the edges in many departments with Linden's direction mostly by the numbers and delivered without much flair and many production values lack a certain polish that could've otherwise elevated this grim and dreary affair but while never reaching grand heights, this is a little film that could and will be sure to please genre fans seeking an unpredictable bout of storytelling from a film many would've expected nothing from.

Final Say -

Doing well to overcome a slow start and a middling middle section, Hunter Hunter takes a dark and shocking turn in its latter stages and proves even the most unlikely of films have a chance to become something more even when the odds are stacked well and truly against them.

3 traps out of 5.

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.