The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
‘The Hunt’ isn’t really worth the wait
Violent political-culture satire ‘The Hunt’ isn’t really worth the wait
So this is what all the fuss was about?
“The Hunt” — a source of political controversy and a movie that was pulled from a planned September release after a pair of mass shootings rocked the nation in the late summer but is finally hitting theaters — begins with a mysterious woman texting a friend.
We learn from the words exchanged that he is a wealthy doctor and philanthropist, albeit one with a sophomoric sense of humor.
They have not-so-kind words for the unnamed U.S. president and use politically charged terms such as “deplorables” as they trade brief messages about looking forward to an upcoming “hunt.”
What follows is a work of dark, violent satire that attempts to skewer extremes on both sides of the political aisle.
Problem is, satire is really difficult, and “The Hunt” — co-written by Damon Lindelof of “Lost” and “Watchmen” — doesn’t really manage to offer much food for thought as it drops bodies and spills a lot of literal and figurative blood.
One strange, table-setting sequence follows that opening scene — we won’t spoil it — and then we see 12 strangers awaken in a clearing. Among them are characters portrayed by Ike Barinholtz (“Suicide Squad”); Wayne Duvall (“Lincoln”)’ Sturgill Simpson (“Queen & Slim”), Emma Roberts, who’s credited as “Yoga Pants”; and “This Is Us Star” Justin Hartley, who’s uncredited, at least in the film’s production notes.
Be warned, this will be a bit of a spoiler: You should not get very attached to some or all of these people.
They are being hunted by a group of characters portrayed by, among others, Steve Coulter (“Annabelle Comes Home”), Glenn Howerton (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), Vince Pisani (“Jumanji: The Next Level”) and, last but not least, Hilary Swank (“Million Dollar Baby”). At the head of this ensemble cast is Betty Gilpin (“GLOW”) as the highly capable Crystal, a member of the hunted who goes on the offensive against her abductors.
When they awake, initially gagged, the strangers find themselves in close proximity to a large wooden crate. Against at least one muffled objection, one of the strangers uses a nearby crowbar to open it. Out walks what will prove to be a symbolic pig and inside the crate resides a serious collection of firearms.
As soon as the strangers arm themselves, they become the hunted.
“That almost hit me!” one of the strangers exclaims after being shot at.
(That person’s head explodes from another shot a moment later.
Yeah, it’s that kind of movie.) Unsure of where they are, a few of the hunted reach an old-fashioned gas station, and the couple running it (Amy Madigan of “Gone Baby Gone” and Reed Birney of “Morning Glory”) tell them they are in Arkansas. But are they to be believed?
After a hectic stretch, “The Hunt” settles down and focuses on Crystal, who isn’t all that interested in why people are trying to kill her — only that they are. This isn’t necessarily “The Hunt” at its best, but Gilpin is its strongest asset, the actress giving a steady, compelling performance that serves as an anchor for all the insanity.
Of course, it helps that Crystal is the only truly likeable character in “The Hunt.” Lindelof and cowriter Nick Cuse — son of Lindelof’s co-showrunner on the ABC hit series “Lost,” Carlton Cuse, and a collaborator on Lindelof’s excellent HBO series “The Leftovers” — were inspired to pen the script after becoming “politically obsessed” after the 2016 election, according to the production notes.
They take aim at the lack of self-awareness of the overly politically correct left, as well as those on the far right who subscribe to and propagate far-fetched online conspiracy theories about the Deep State and the like. Arguably, “The Hunt” goes harder at liberals — they are, after all, the ones hunting human beings in the film — but your mileage may vary here. Conservatives certainly aren’t portrayed merely as victims.
You can understand the filmmakers never really picking a side, but the result is a movie that feels unfocused and largely pointless.
“The Hunt” is directed, unremarkably, by Craig Zobel, whose credits include the decent 2015 film “Z for Zachariah” and a few episodes of “The Leftovers.” Zobel’s work here is fine, but, again, pulling off satire is hard, and the film probably would have benefited from an even more-experienced hand to truly work.
Ultimately, the blanks will be filled in as to why the hunt is happening and to whom. Like so many less ambitious movies, though, its climax involves two people beating the living snot out of each other.
Early on, Crystal tells another member of the hunted that likelihood of their survival depends on whether their captors are smart people acting like dumb people or dumb people acting like smart people.
It’s a good line.
Unfortunately, though, while you’d hope “The Hunt” is a smart movie that occasionally behaves like a dumb one, the opposite is true.