Don't get wrong, I did like this movie. Just too many unanswered questions. First off why was this family so worried about the wolf? I figured the wolf might of killed their son years before or something similar. But nope! No backstory at all. Looks like the wolf basically just stole their food. Secondly why didn't the husband call the police when he stumbled onto the dead girls? Instead he goes home and doesn't say a word. The next morning he grabs a trap and heads back to the crime scene. Was he going to hide in the bushes and wait for the wolf to come back? Or was he going to wait for the killer to return? Also, what would of happened if the police showed up? He would of been the prime suspect. And why would you leave your wife and kid home alone while some maniac is creeping around? Lastly how the hell did the killer take out the father? The father seemed like this total badass hunter type. Hard to believe the killer who preys on women murdered the father and only got a small cut on his leg. Also, in the ending why didn't the mom just shoot the killer through the window? She had a clean shot and didn't take it. Which resulted in her daughters death. I don't necessarily think it would of made a better ending but it surely would of been the smarter thing to do. With all that being said this movie was definitely intense and had my full attention. I was pretty much on the edge of my seat the whole time. I do wish the movie was a little bit longer though. It started to get really good with only about 20 minutes left. Anyways.. Solid 6 star film and I'll give it a C+
283 Reviews
Watchable but a missed opportunity
otnememento-228 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I must start by saying I liked the film but on the other hand I feel that they could have made a really memorable movie with the idea. The father was the most interesting character and I believe that they get rid of him too early in the movie. The atmosphere it creates is really good but there are some plot holes that make it hard to be plausible. Nature usually creates a special atmosphere in a movie and it is also the case here. Another point is that these are loving parents but pretty stupid or naive. If you find people killed near your house you call the police, you do not act as if you were Rambo unless you need to. In addition, leaving your young daughter alone with a complete stranger is not something a normal parent would do. Then we have an experienced hunter hunted by a skinny guy who does not know anything about nature. I think they did it so that the woman could get revenge but it looks a bit out of place. I was excited by the beginning and It gave me great expectations so I can't help felling disappointed but it is an ok movie.
It was fairly decent....
Otkon22 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
...until the last five minutes which become implausible and rushed. The music during this sequence doesn't help. And I get what the filmmakers were trying to do. And I don't even mind the fate of the daughter. But the issue is entirely a matter of pacing.
Prior to that, I was fully enjoying the film. It held this nice ambiguity around whether the wolf aspect had supernatural elements, even so much as to show a blatant shot of the full moon. And the mention of the weird bug with orange hair. There were so many things lending to an interesting mystique about the film.
Then only to be jarringly negated when the mother, after half a lesson in animal dressing, puts on headphones and goes all Hannibal Tarantino on Nick Stahl in the insanely short time it takes the cops to arrive. After a perfectly fine slow burn of a movie, everything is sped up to a trillion. So there was nothing to savor. The cuts were too quick in both the editing and the butchering, just bouncing back and forth between the cops and the retribution. There is no way she did that extensive amount of precise flaying in the time frame suggested by the editing. Had the director slowed it down I think it would have been more satisfying.
Prior to that, I was fully enjoying the film. It held this nice ambiguity around whether the wolf aspect had supernatural elements, even so much as to show a blatant shot of the full moon. And the mention of the weird bug with orange hair. There were so many things lending to an interesting mystique about the film.
Then only to be jarringly negated when the mother, after half a lesson in animal dressing, puts on headphones and goes all Hannibal Tarantino on Nick Stahl in the insanely short time it takes the cops to arrive. After a perfectly fine slow burn of a movie, everything is sped up to a trillion. So there was nothing to savor. The cuts were too quick in both the editing and the butchering, just bouncing back and forth between the cops and the retribution. There is no way she did that extensive amount of precise flaying in the time frame suggested by the editing. Had the director slowed it down I think it would have been more satisfying.
One Of The Most Memorable Endings In Recent Years
CinemaClown6 August 2021
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.
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.
Mean Little Gem
TwistedContent1 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This is a strong entry into the selection of my favorite indie horror surprises of 2020, for it offers a lot of what I like, nightmares in nature, forest's damp and mossy atmosphere, grimy story, strong characters, and the unexpected virtues of exploitation horror. It is a family drama, a survival movie, a tribute to the craft of hunting, a serial killer movie, a revenge flick, an exploitation horror - all in one. An adventure worth taking for sure.
Joseph (Devon Sawa) with his family - wife Anne (Camille Sullivan) and daughter Renee (Summer H. Howell) - live in the remote Canadian wilderness as fur trappers, where the struggle is always real. Their lives are about to get harder, as they are haunted and hunted by the return of a rogue wolf. Joseph goes out to get it, but what else will he find... Indeed, the general premise of "Hunter Hunter" might turn out misleading to some, but one can't be too adventurous, right. Wolf is not the only monster in this film, which ponders who and what are the real beasts.
"Hunter Hunter" gets high marks in style, aesthetics and atmosphere. Its misty cold aura is impenetrable, cinematography's alive and breathing, and overall I'm just very satisfied with the filmmaking abilities behind ("Hunter Hunter"), in technological and aesthetical aspects without a single complaint. All FX was solid apart from one sequence, the gore is top notch, etc. The story, however, doesn't flow as evenly as one would want, but that's reasoned with the twists that are to come, changing and adjusting the said flow. Neither is it (the story) very rich, for, in the end, one interpretation of the whole story is a mere parable. The flaws though are compensated with good character work, acting and atmosphere. "Hunter Hunter" feels tight, neat, strong, and performances speak for themselves - Devon Sawa and Nick Stahl put on mean and experienced faces, while the highlight is carried high by Camille Sullivan, providing to "Hunter Hunter" important extra layers of emotion.
"Hunter Hunter" is its own ecosystem, own little world with dangers all around. Minimalist and awesome. You might not see nothing new or sensational, but trust me, it's a horror movie worth seeing. My rating: 7/10.
Joseph (Devon Sawa) with his family - wife Anne (Camille Sullivan) and daughter Renee (Summer H. Howell) - live in the remote Canadian wilderness as fur trappers, where the struggle is always real. Their lives are about to get harder, as they are haunted and hunted by the return of a rogue wolf. Joseph goes out to get it, but what else will he find... Indeed, the general premise of "Hunter Hunter" might turn out misleading to some, but one can't be too adventurous, right. Wolf is not the only monster in this film, which ponders who and what are the real beasts.
"Hunter Hunter" gets high marks in style, aesthetics and atmosphere. Its misty cold aura is impenetrable, cinematography's alive and breathing, and overall I'm just very satisfied with the filmmaking abilities behind ("Hunter Hunter"), in technological and aesthetical aspects without a single complaint. All FX was solid apart from one sequence, the gore is top notch, etc. The story, however, doesn't flow as evenly as one would want, but that's reasoned with the twists that are to come, changing and adjusting the said flow. Neither is it (the story) very rich, for, in the end, one interpretation of the whole story is a mere parable. The flaws though are compensated with good character work, acting and atmosphere. "Hunter Hunter" feels tight, neat, strong, and performances speak for themselves - Devon Sawa and Nick Stahl put on mean and experienced faces, while the highlight is carried high by Camille Sullivan, providing to "Hunter Hunter" important extra layers of emotion.
"Hunter Hunter" is its own ecosystem, own little world with dangers all around. Minimalist and awesome. You might not see nothing new or sensational, but trust me, it's a horror movie worth seeing. My rating: 7/10.
it's not just the wolf
ferguson-619 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Greetings again from the darkness. The initial assumption is that this is a story of a lone wolf stalking a family. Early on, it shifts into the story of Joseph Mersault, a throwback trapper teaching his 13 year old daughter how to survive off the land. Yet, what writer-director Shawn Linden ultimately delivers is the story of Joseph's wife, Anne, who combats not only the wolf, but something even worse.
Joseph (Devon Sawa) is one grumpy dude. He's no fan of society or people, and the only pleasures he seems to find in life are living in an isolated cabin and teaching his daughter Renee (Summer H Howell) how to do the same. They are joined in this quiet and very hard life by wife and mother, Anne (Camille Sullivan). Anne dutifully carries out her chores, but dreams of a more normal life for herself and her daughter. The family barters animal skins for food and supplies and live mostly off the grid - and we later learn there are complications to even something as simple as their cabin.
The forests of Manitoba provide what the family needs, but just barely. Winter is approaching and now a wolf is stealing from their traps, leaving them short of food. This wolf has previously stalked the family, and Joseph aims to hunt him down. The camera work in the forest is terrific - giving us the visual beauty, as well as the constant danger. And in this story, danger and traps take on many forms, including the secrets folks keep from each other.
The wolf only makes a couple of appearances, yet the threat is always present. There is a terrific sequence that cuts between Joseph, Anne, and Renee, as each are in different areas of the forest at the same time. Each of the situations is tension-filled and our minds are bouncing around as much as the characters. Other characters enter the story, including a couple of Rangers who are unprepared for what they are about to face, and another character (Nick Stahl) who shifts the entire dynamic of the film.
Director Linden gives us a survival thriller, one that probably best compares to LEAVE NO TRACE. This one is also a psychological study of just what a person is capable of when pushed to the limit. Anne's story is about her ability to navigate this world while raising a daughter. The final sequence leads to extreme violence, and acts as her emotional release every bit as much as rage and revenge.
Joseph (Devon Sawa) is one grumpy dude. He's no fan of society or people, and the only pleasures he seems to find in life are living in an isolated cabin and teaching his daughter Renee (Summer H Howell) how to do the same. They are joined in this quiet and very hard life by wife and mother, Anne (Camille Sullivan). Anne dutifully carries out her chores, but dreams of a more normal life for herself and her daughter. The family barters animal skins for food and supplies and live mostly off the grid - and we later learn there are complications to even something as simple as their cabin.
The forests of Manitoba provide what the family needs, but just barely. Winter is approaching and now a wolf is stealing from their traps, leaving them short of food. This wolf has previously stalked the family, and Joseph aims to hunt him down. The camera work in the forest is terrific - giving us the visual beauty, as well as the constant danger. And in this story, danger and traps take on many forms, including the secrets folks keep from each other.
The wolf only makes a couple of appearances, yet the threat is always present. There is a terrific sequence that cuts between Joseph, Anne, and Renee, as each are in different areas of the forest at the same time. Each of the situations is tension-filled and our minds are bouncing around as much as the characters. Other characters enter the story, including a couple of Rangers who are unprepared for what they are about to face, and another character (Nick Stahl) who shifts the entire dynamic of the film.
Director Linden gives us a survival thriller, one that probably best compares to LEAVE NO TRACE. This one is also a psychological study of just what a person is capable of when pushed to the limit. Anne's story is about her ability to navigate this world while raising a daughter. The final sequence leads to extreme violence, and acts as her emotional release every bit as much as rage and revenge.
Sylvan slaughter
begob26 October 2021
A family struggle to survive as trappers in remote woodland, but after discovering traces of a predator they become the prey ...
Movies about isolation can be a real drag, but this is well paced and produced. The cinematography and editing relieve the monotony of endless pine trees, and the music and eerie forest sounds keep up the tension.
Performances are good, with a tense family dynamic revolving around a taciturn Rugged Individual of a father, but that's not what the story explores. Instead it ends up a brutal reflection on solitude, when people are left to their own devices without the support of others, from scraping by in an increasingly pointless tradition to indulging humanity's sickest urges.
The climax involves merciless punishment - to the point of pornographic voyeurism. At best, this is a bleak picture of how bad it gets when depravity is offered no resistance; at worst, no better than a snuff movie.
Overall: Well made survivalist tale, but whichever way you take it the implications are unpleasant.
Movies about isolation can be a real drag, but this is well paced and produced. The cinematography and editing relieve the monotony of endless pine trees, and the music and eerie forest sounds keep up the tension.
Performances are good, with a tense family dynamic revolving around a taciturn Rugged Individual of a father, but that's not what the story explores. Instead it ends up a brutal reflection on solitude, when people are left to their own devices without the support of others, from scraping by in an increasingly pointless tradition to indulging humanity's sickest urges.
The climax involves merciless punishment - to the point of pornographic voyeurism. At best, this is a bleak picture of how bad it gets when depravity is offered no resistance; at worst, no better than a snuff movie.
Overall: Well made survivalist tale, but whichever way you take it the implications are unpleasant.
Definitely one to watch!
doujyr18 April 2021
Beware the Woods
ntj-film19 December 2020
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.
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.
A very, very surpirsed but fantastic ending.........
tnokoz19 December 2020
The story line sounded great and I thought I would give it a chance. It had me guessing the entire time of WTH is going on. I have seen a LOT of movies and the ending... just WOW , I never expected that and it was great!!!!!!!!!
Why the high reviews nothing is plausible in this movie
gustheaffen27 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A rugged seasoned outdoorsman and hunter tracking a wolf stumbles on a crime scene and because he doesn't trust police he decides to stalk the killer. Really makes no sense and we have no idea if the killer was coming back, if it would be more than a single person. Also why would you leave your wife and daughter vulnerable and alone if you thought a psycho was in the area killing women? Meanwhile a wolf is terrorizing his wife and daughter. The wife knowing her husband has never been gone or out of touch for more than a day just waits it out. Not really original and pretty slow most of the time. Of course you know the woman took in the killer but I highly doubt that guy would have taken out her husband in the woods he has known all his life. Fail there. The daughter of course was right to fear the stranger as her dad had taught her. I don't understand why she didn't just take her daughter back to the police station to report the injured stranger and have him removed. These people made the dumbest decisions consistently. It just made no sense and had a rushed disturbing dumb conclusion.
Excellent horror thriller!! Great cast and cinematography!! Loved it!!
joiningjt4 April 2021
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!!
It's worth a watch
cristeavirgil179728 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Good movie, i like how the scenes we re filmed and the acting was very good, i gave it 6 becouse of the dog, why allways in the movies first who dies is the dog..it s an hunter movie with unexpected end, very much gore at the end, I recommend give it a watch but that,s it some people will find it boring and some people will find it disturbing, i appreciate low budget good film well acted movie. 6.2/10
Be Careful What You Hunt For
ryan_sy18 December 2020
This movie was what I thought it would be- slightly entertaining with some flaws. The overall story seemed to be two separate ideas combined into one.
There is a twist in the middle of the movie that was interesting, however, by the end it became predictable.
The pace of the film was a bit slow, however the ending provided some much needed emotion to the movie. There were definitely some tense moments, but unfortunately they were few and far between. On a positive note, I really liked some of the gritty scenes that show what it takes to survive in wilderness with minimal resources.
I was excited to see Nick Stahl and Devon Sawa on the screen again, but I don't think they were given big enough roles in the film. Too much time was spent on minor characters that did not really have much to do with the story. The actress that played the mother did a good job though, and helped carry the movie.
This is not the worst way to spend an hour and a half of your time, but don't expect the film to leave a memorable impression.
[5/10]
The pace of the film was a bit slow, however the ending provided some much needed emotion to the movie. There were definitely some tense moments, but unfortunately they were few and far between. On a positive note, I really liked some of the gritty scenes that show what it takes to survive in wilderness with minimal resources.
I was excited to see Nick Stahl and Devon Sawa on the screen again, but I don't think they were given big enough roles in the film. Too much time was spent on minor characters that did not really have much to do with the story. The actress that played the mother did a good job though, and helped carry the movie.
This is not the worst way to spend an hour and a half of your time, but don't expect the film to leave a memorable impression.
[5/10]
Not the film you expect it to be!
eddie_baggins19 July 2021
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.
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.
Good atmosphere but too many plot holes that will leave you frustrated
lsdoxie27 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
First off I woud like to start with the positive parts of this movie. The cinematography is great, the filming locations are great and the acting is pretty OK as well. It's a slow burn and builds up characters.
The movie is about a family in Canada during the 80's or early 90's. They are living in a very remote cabin in the woods and live off the land. Basically they are living that 18th century life.
The father is presented as the ultimate survivalist, hunter and trapper, born in the woods. I mean, this guy could probably out-witt Rambo in the woods. He can do anything from howling like a wolf to lure them in to track any animal.
His relationship with his dauther is that he is raising a mini version of himself, teaching her everything he knows about hunting. And she seems to be a really good student, making us believe that she's quite capable even though she's only 12 or something.
The wife, even though she's been living with her husband remote in the woods for most of her life, doesn't know much about trapping or hunting at all, we find out she doesn't even know how to skin an anmial which is quite strange.
So the story gets tense when they discover a lone wolf that has come back to eat their food. They seem to be really scared of this wolf, but we don't really get to know why. The husband leaves to track down and kill the wolf, but stumbles onto a murder scene. Dead, female bodies in the middle of the woods. A obvious work of a sick serial killer.
Instead of calling the authorities, telling his wife and child about this, he return to his home, eats dinner, decides that he is going to hunt this serial killer himself using bear traps and such.
Here's one of the biggest plot holes. Why is he taking this decision. Is it because he doesn't want to involve authorities because they are living on the land illegally? Why does he leave his wife and dauther alone in a cabin when there's obviously a serial killer on the loose in the area? Why not even a warning to them (be extra careful, don't let any strangers in etc)
So the movie goes from getting us all worked up about that wolf, to be something else. We do get an encounter with the wolf, but the wife is seen just screaming at it and it runs away.
The wife finds a man wounded in the woods, take him inside and help him. It's quite obvious his story doesn't add up (where's the camera if he's a photographer?), he is seriously wounded and they are trying to explain that he needs a doctor, but he doesn't want to go to the car. Here's a suggestion. Leave him in the cabin, take the daughter to the car and drive to the town and inform the authorities and return with help. Instead they just stay in the cabin and try to catch the wolf instead? At several points the wife even leaves him with her dauther alone in that cabin.
We later find out that he killed the husband, and I believe this is probably the biggest plot holes of them all. How in God's name does this psycopath serial killer sneak up on the husband while he's waiting with traps laid out? He gets away with a cut on his leg but that's it.
And while the wife is being strangeled by the killer, why is her daughter doing nothing but scream? They build her character to be a capable survivalist herself, why doesn't she run and fetch her .22? It's later just assumed the killer kills her too, and it ends in some sort of revenge blood and gore fest.
This movie sure had potential, but there were too many major plot holes for me.
The movie is about a family in Canada during the 80's or early 90's. They are living in a very remote cabin in the woods and live off the land. Basically they are living that 18th century life.
The father is presented as the ultimate survivalist, hunter and trapper, born in the woods. I mean, this guy could probably out-witt Rambo in the woods. He can do anything from howling like a wolf to lure them in to track any animal.
His relationship with his dauther is that he is raising a mini version of himself, teaching her everything he knows about hunting. And she seems to be a really good student, making us believe that she's quite capable even though she's only 12 or something.
The wife, even though she's been living with her husband remote in the woods for most of her life, doesn't know much about trapping or hunting at all, we find out she doesn't even know how to skin an anmial which is quite strange.
So the story gets tense when they discover a lone wolf that has come back to eat their food. They seem to be really scared of this wolf, but we don't really get to know why. The husband leaves to track down and kill the wolf, but stumbles onto a murder scene. Dead, female bodies in the middle of the woods. A obvious work of a sick serial killer.
Instead of calling the authorities, telling his wife and child about this, he return to his home, eats dinner, decides that he is going to hunt this serial killer himself using bear traps and such.
Here's one of the biggest plot holes. Why is he taking this decision. Is it because he doesn't want to involve authorities because they are living on the land illegally? Why does he leave his wife and dauther alone in a cabin when there's obviously a serial killer on the loose in the area? Why not even a warning to them (be extra careful, don't let any strangers in etc)
So the movie goes from getting us all worked up about that wolf, to be something else. We do get an encounter with the wolf, but the wife is seen just screaming at it and it runs away.
The wife finds a man wounded in the woods, take him inside and help him. It's quite obvious his story doesn't add up (where's the camera if he's a photographer?), he is seriously wounded and they are trying to explain that he needs a doctor, but he doesn't want to go to the car. Here's a suggestion. Leave him in the cabin, take the daughter to the car and drive to the town and inform the authorities and return with help. Instead they just stay in the cabin and try to catch the wolf instead? At several points the wife even leaves him with her dauther alone in that cabin.
We later find out that he killed the husband, and I believe this is probably the biggest plot holes of them all. How in God's name does this psycopath serial killer sneak up on the husband while he's waiting with traps laid out? He gets away with a cut on his leg but that's it.
And while the wife is being strangeled by the killer, why is her daughter doing nothing but scream? They build her character to be a capable survivalist herself, why doesn't she run and fetch her .22? It's later just assumed the killer kills her too, and it ends in some sort of revenge blood and gore fest.
This movie sure had potential, but there were too many major plot holes for me.
would remove horror genre from this movie
cukruss18 December 2020
Liked the wilderness atmosphere in the movie. The plot doesn't have many twists, it is mostly predictable, it doesn't have much action, it's more of a slow burner that delivers the conclusion with an exclamation mark at the end.
Nothing scary here except the rabid human nature of a serial killer and some gore.
All in all it's not the worst movie to watch on a slow night
This is a bit of an uneven movie with some worthwhile elements
kevin_robbins8 September 2022
Hunter Hunter (2020) is a movie that I recently watched on Hulu. The storyline follows a family that lives deep in the forest and survives by living off the land. When they find tracks and animal parts around their house they believe a wolf is stalking their land, putting their child at risk. As the father starts hunting and tracking the wolf he may discover a wolf is the least of their problems.
This movie is directed by Shawn Linden (The Good Lie) and stars Camille Sullivan (The Disappearance), Summer H. Howell (Curse of Chucky), Devon Sawa (Idle Hands), Nick Stahl (Sin City) and Jade Michael (Orphan: First Kill).
The setting, characters and circumstances in this are very unique. The storyline is creative but a bit of a slower burn than I would have liked. However, there are some very well executed aspects of this movie - the bodies at the camp site in the woods was very well done, the carving scene is fantastic and the very end is magnificent. The gore in the final scene is perfectly executed and fun to watch unfold. The acting is also excellent and Sullivan depicts the evolution of her character perfectly.
Overall, this is a bit of an uneven movie with some worthwhile elements. I would score this a 6.5-7/10 and strongly recommend it.
This movie is directed by Shawn Linden (The Good Lie) and stars Camille Sullivan (The Disappearance), Summer H. Howell (Curse of Chucky), Devon Sawa (Idle Hands), Nick Stahl (Sin City) and Jade Michael (Orphan: First Kill).
The setting, characters and circumstances in this are very unique. The storyline is creative but a bit of a slower burn than I would have liked. However, there are some very well executed aspects of this movie - the bodies at the camp site in the woods was very well done, the carving scene is fantastic and the very end is magnificent. The gore in the final scene is perfectly executed and fun to watch unfold. The acting is also excellent and Sullivan depicts the evolution of her character perfectly.
Overall, this is a bit of an uneven movie with some worthwhile elements. I would score this a 6.5-7/10 and strongly recommend it.
Wow
cometatfullspeed26 December 2020
I finished this movie 20 minutes ago, and I'm still rattled. I feel like I need a shower, and it's barely 8 am.
Let me just start by saying, this movie is intense. A taut thriller with Hitchcockian levels of tension and steeped in enough dread to keep Ari Aster awake at night. A plot not all that dissimilar to Leave No Trace, with splashes of It Comes At Night, and about as bleak as the darkest parts of the first season of True Detective.
A lot of reviews focus on the ending of this movie, but this had one of the best first acts I've seen in recent memory, and it never let up after that. I honestly have not been this glued to my seat since I saw Hereditary in theaters (and worth nothing, writer/director Shawn Linden seemingly released another feature 13 years ago, otherwise I would say this it the best debut in horror since Aster's 2018 masterpiece). Devon Sawa is as good, and as grizzled, as he's ever been, and Camille Sullivan and Summer Howell carry this film through to the end as startling revelation after startling revelation are revealed.
With only a few days to spare, this is my favorite movie of 2020. Cannot recommend enough.
Just wow.
Let me just start by saying, this movie is intense. A taut thriller with Hitchcockian levels of tension and steeped in enough dread to keep Ari Aster awake at night. A plot not all that dissimilar to Leave No Trace, with splashes of It Comes At Night, and about as bleak as the darkest parts of the first season of True Detective.
A lot of reviews focus on the ending of this movie, but this had one of the best first acts I've seen in recent memory, and it never let up after that. I honestly have not been this glued to my seat since I saw Hereditary in theaters (and worth nothing, writer/director Shawn Linden seemingly released another feature 13 years ago, otherwise I would say this it the best debut in horror since Aster's 2018 masterpiece). Devon Sawa is as good, and as grizzled, as he's ever been, and Camille Sullivan and Summer Howell carry this film through to the end as startling revelation after startling revelation are revealed.
With only a few days to spare, this is my favorite movie of 2020. Cannot recommend enough.
Just wow.
Hard to watch!
pstuckings19 December 2020
Just finished this and I'm disturbed. It was kinda not what I was expecting but also much more. I won't go into detail as you just have to see it. No idea what rating out of 10 so I just went with the average. Disturbing.
I feel dirty for watching this movie
swalker-1730531 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I watched the trailer to this movie, read the reviews and decided all the minus 5 reviews had to be crazy. I couldn't be more disappointed in this movie. Every chilling scene was pure manipulation. I can find any substance to support why they even happened.
The whole wolf thing is a joke. We know of two opportunities to kill the wolf that were missed.
They are paralyzed with fear of the wolf, but the yuppie couple has two bears killed at their cabin. They weren't fearful of the bears? And don't tell me the wolf ate their food. They could buy spam $1 a can. They were living like animals anyway.
And psycho killer kills greater hunter. Must have slipped up on him.
Mom doesn't take injured man to town, or go to town WITH DAUGHTER, to get help. Then leaves daughter alone with injured man.
Sorry, but I'm really upset that I watched this movie. And I'm very sorry for the plus 5 reviews since this must be the very first movie they ever saw.
A slow burner
Gordon-1121 December 2020
The Guy Who Cried Wolf!
spookyrat115 October 2021
Writer/Director Shawn Linden's Hunter Hunter is a surprisingly good cross - generic thriller come horror, featuring new variants of those old fright night staples: the cabin in the woods and the marauding wolf. Take no notice of those low brow critics in this forum, who say nothing much happens. They were expecting a splatter - fest, which they were never going to get. Linden's script is way too clever and original to allow for the typical and the expected.
The beauty of the narrative is that so much of it rings true. Self - interested hunter Joseph, lives with his wife Anne and daughter Renee off the grid in the Canadian forest on land that he believes to be his, but may not be. They make a pretty ordinary living by selling the pelts he obtains from animals he hunts and traps. Anne's just about had enough of this life and quite understandably would like to move to the nearest regional town, where Renee could attend school and Joe, would still be free to live his hunter/gatherer life style. Then Joe becomes fixated on catching what he believes to be a dangerous lone wolf, feasting on the bounty caught in his traps and the story then proceeds to branch off into unanticipated, but still very logical directions.
The cast is uniformly strong, but special mention has to go to Camille Sullivan's Anne, who convincingly makes a realistic transformation from stoic den mother to avenging angel and even something beyond that. The locations are ruggedly handsome in a desolate sort of way and the soundtrack is entirely appropriate and thankfully never resorting to noisy jump shocks.
Hunter Hunter is a clever, good - looking, slow - burning horror piece, anchored by strong writing, accomplished performances and just generally smart film - making. It's been a while since I've felt the call of the wild be so compelling and attractively grim, as depicted here. Don't worry about keeping this wolf at bay.
The beauty of the narrative is that so much of it rings true. Self - interested hunter Joseph, lives with his wife Anne and daughter Renee off the grid in the Canadian forest on land that he believes to be his, but may not be. They make a pretty ordinary living by selling the pelts he obtains from animals he hunts and traps. Anne's just about had enough of this life and quite understandably would like to move to the nearest regional town, where Renee could attend school and Joe, would still be free to live his hunter/gatherer life style. Then Joe becomes fixated on catching what he believes to be a dangerous lone wolf, feasting on the bounty caught in his traps and the story then proceeds to branch off into unanticipated, but still very logical directions.
The cast is uniformly strong, but special mention has to go to Camille Sullivan's Anne, who convincingly makes a realistic transformation from stoic den mother to avenging angel and even something beyond that. The locations are ruggedly handsome in a desolate sort of way and the soundtrack is entirely appropriate and thankfully never resorting to noisy jump shocks.
Hunter Hunter is a clever, good - looking, slow - burning horror piece, anchored by strong writing, accomplished performances and just generally smart film - making. It's been a while since I've felt the call of the wild be so compelling and attractively grim, as depicted here. Don't worry about keeping this wolf at bay.
Not the worst film ever but...
richardbrazell20 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I think people are going a bit over the top with 8 and 9 ratings.
The film is a bit of a car crash, the first hour is very slow paced with no real character building, all very shallow. The 'twist' can be spotted from a mile away.
No explanation about why this guy is doing what he's doing, no explanation about why the husband (when he first stumbles across the murder scene) does nothing but come back the next day and sit amongst the bodies, no explanation how a seasoned hunter can be approached and killed by a 'city boy', the list goes on.
Also the CGI for the wolf and the final scene was like something out of the 1980's. Pretty much a waste of 90 mins.
No explanation about why this guy is doing what he's doing, no explanation about why the husband (when he first stumbles across the murder scene) does nothing but come back the next day and sit amongst the bodies, no explanation how a seasoned hunter can be approached and killed by a 'city boy', the list goes on.
Also the CGI for the wolf and the final scene was like something out of the 1980's. Pretty much a waste of 90 mins.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
