Hunter Hunter (2020).

Directed by Shawn Linden

Written by Shawn Linden

Starring Camille Sullivan, Summer H. Howell, Devon Sawa, and wolves

1. (The Stage)

Joe, Anne, and their daughter Renee live a very simple life in the remote wilderness. They make money via fur trapping, catch their own food, boil their own water, and live without electricity. Their tranquility is threatened when a rogue wolf returns.

2. (The Good)

There are slow burn films and there are powder keg films. This is a powder keg film. We have all of these slow moving elements that you just know are going to come together for an explosive ending, and goddamn - this has one explosive ending. It’s very well paced and you just feel this incredible sense of dread leading up to the climax of the film, even if none of it is really surprising.

That slow burn wouldn’t be nearly as impactful if the acting wasn’t on point and everyone in this film absolutely kills it. Camille Sullivan is amazing as Anne, a wife torn between the love for her stubborn husband and her desire to live a more normalized life. Her role requires some heavy, HEAVY lifting, and she really makes it happen. Summer H. Howell is great as a daughter trying to follow in her father’s footsteps, and Devon Sawa just ages like fine wine. There’s another actor that appears late in the film that I don’t want to spoil here just in case, but he’s really great in a limited role as well.

Honestly, I really liked most aspects of this film. It starts as sort of a modern Revenant, but by the last third, it’s clear that you’re watching a horror film.

3. (The Bad)

The way certain characters act in this film is frustrating. That’s not an indictment on the screenwriter - the characters and they way they act are believable - it’s just frustrating when you see characters making the absolute stupidest decisions knowing that those actions are going to get people killed.

Joe is the worst offender of this. After stumbling upon a horrific, grisly scene, I think most people would tell their significant other and then get ahold of the police. Joe does not tell his family. Joe does not tell the police. Joe goes to plant some bear traps. What’s the plan here? To wait until the offender comes back? Then what? What unfolds during the last thirty minutes is entirely on Joe’s shoulders.

Finally, there’s a certain confidence in holding back pieces of information from the audience so that we can make conclusions on our own. That being said, I do wish we would have gotten a little bit more information about the wolf. These are hardened fur trappers, so what made them so afraid? I have my own thoughts around this, but I could be off entirely.

4. (The Ugly)

The last scene. That last fucking scene. It could have used another five minutes (it felt really rushed between the juxtaposition of the two groups of people), but it’s definitely a scene I’ll never forget.

5. (The End)

Hunter Hunter is a small, terrifying adventure worth taking part in. It’s the cruel truth of nature, an exercise in bad judgement, exploitation, horror, and familial drama all wrapped up in one, unforgiving package. You’ll definitely be frustrated by some of the stupid decisions people make, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t still thrilling despite that.