Universal Pictures
When Universal decided to cancel the release of The Hunt due to the mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas, it sparked a lot of controversy surrounding the film. The film, which was intended to be a satire, was bashed for gun violence within its original trailers. When it was cancelled back in September, many were wondering if it would see the light of day. The film got a new release date of March 13th, but during that time the Coronavirus hit and the film performed poorly at the box office. Shortly after it received a release on VOD and now people get to chime in on whether it was worth the cancellation or not.
A group of people wake up in an open land not knowing where they are or how they got there. They are provided with weapons to defend themselves against ruthless elitists who gather to hunt down the humans. The film has a large cast including Hilary Swank, Betty Gilpin, Ike Barniholtz, and Emma Roberts. Even Glenn Howerton, who plays Dennis in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, was in the film and they made me happy!
I love an entertaining horror film and The Hunt delivered with that aspect. The Hunt moves at a quick pace that always kept me entertained. Some of the bigger names in the cast [no spoilers] were killed off quickly. The film introduces many characters throughout the film, and it is hard to figure out who the main character is and who to care for early in the film. The first half of the film moves quickly and once we get fewer characters, it is easier to pick someone to root for.
Universal Pictures
Betty Gilpin is the main character of the film and is the type of character who is confident and can easily defend herself. Gilpin plays a likable character from Mississippi who handles the action scenes well while also being funny. Since so many characters are introduced in the film and it moves at a quick pace, it is hard to get an understanding of the characters. It isn’t till the end of the film that we get to know a little more about who she is. Even the people who are participating in the killing spree have little development as well. We are introduced to a few in the beginning of the film but besides names here and there the film hardly explains why they are involved in the hunt.
The Hunt at its core is a satire. The humor within it is poking fun at the upper and lower class as well as gun control. It is a film that could easily offend many people and I understand why there was a lot of controversy surrounding it. The Hunt isn’t a comedy where the jokes are silly and reminiscent of films directed by David Zucker. It has a darker style of comedy that some may understand and laugh at, but others could be turned off by. I found myself laughing at the more subtle jokes from the cast and enjoyed the humor just as much as the violence.
The Hunt was a whole lot of fun. Horror films that move at a quick place and don’t take themselves too seriously are some of the most entertaining films. It is the type of film that will spark a discussion for awhile even if it’s just meant to be a fun film. I think the film should have focused on one political aspect since many times the jokes and characters went in several different directions, but overall this was one of the better films of the year so far and I was thrilled when I heard it was actually going to be released after being cancelled since it was a film I was really looking forward to.
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