Hunted (2017) User Reviews

Doesn't seem real but entertaining

[mtjohnson-61001 · 5/10 · 2 March 2017]

****Warning contains spoilers!!!!

I was enjoying this show up until the final episode. I watch Investigation Discovery every chance I get so I loved the concept of this show. There were a couple of things that seemed fake throughout the season like how willing family members were to talk to the hunters, or how the Hunters would sometimes guess the next move of the fugitives and be on target, but this last episode took the cake of phoniness. The fugitives had to log in to a computer to get instructions, withdraw money and take a plane all of which the hunters knew about it. THAT WAS RIDICULOUS! So after all the running and hiding, coming up with diversions only in the end to give the hunters a big heads up that would never happen in real life took away from the show. It didn't matter the last two couples won the money, that plot twist just screamed fake.

Semi-Reality, Semi-Interesting

[atlasmb · 6/10 · 26 January 2017]

This reality show is a game of hide and seek gone high tech. Nine teams of two try to avoid capture by a diverse squad of police and military experts. The teams are married couples, best friends or others with real-life connections. The experts are current or former FBI, Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals, CIA, SWAT, NSA, Navy Seals, British Intelligence...well the list goes on and on. They are dedicated to finding the fugitive teams before 28 days expire. Teams that elude capture win a prize of $250,000.

How real is it? Some scenes are recreated. There are certainly rules beyond those they share with the audience. Some parts of the show feel guided or manufactured. But overall it has a feeling of authenticity, meaning the behaviors of hunters and prey feel true to human nature. Some fugitive teams make elementary errors. Some execute clever plans only to be undone by simple mistakes. Some of the hunters are so driven by ego it might interfere with their decisions.

If nothing else, the show is a primer in modern techniques of surveillance and apprehension. The internet--and everything connected to it--is a huge source of data. But they also use searches, interviews, CCTV, drones, and other methods of profiling and gaining information.

I suspect most viewers will identify with the prey, but some will probably identify with the hunters. Either way, there are moments of anxiety as their paths come close together or even intersect.

This might be considered a guilty pleasure--though not as much as "Cops" which appeals to the baser nature of its viewers. As a contest, it pits amateurs against professionals with years of training and nearly unlimited tools. Still, the odds are that one team, at least, will survive to claim the cash.

Will and Miles

[kbostian-89186 · 5/10 · 3 February 2017]

Charles Debarber was very proud of catching Will and Miles who he described as 'two prolific users'. I hope Mary Scott Valentine gets her "maybe reward". If not, Charles Debarber and his crew are just as guilty of using the public by saying the informant "may be entitled to a reward". Most people will interpret that statement as being a definite reward. Anna, herself, assumed there was a monetary reward involved and said the prize would be huge. I thought the guys were being fairly open by asking to stay the night on people's porches, boats, etc. They weren't flirting or trying to take advantage of anyone during the show. I thought they were playing by the rules. They were respectful and polite. If Anna's sister doesn't get a reward for her betrayal, the good guys are the users.

Totally Fake

[trekshop · 12 February 2017]

It feels insulting that the dictators of this show consider the general public so oblivious to buy into this, too many errors that give away that the show is staged and fake. There is just nothing 'reality' about it, when the so called contestants who have a good chance of winning, are being forced by the movie makers to make supportable mistakes that they would have never made if the decision was actually left up to them. for example, a women offers the 2 hunted guys her kayak and they agree that it is a great idea, then somehow the detectives find old google searches where these guys looked up kayaks and fully concentrate on searching for a kayak on a lake even with a helicopter, although the idea just came up and they could not have know anything about it. the next part are 2 girls who successfully hide out for 2 weeks and knowing about all the cameras they suddenly decide to go on a camera infested highway to expose them self to a Tacco Bell camera, and if that's not fake enough they now decide to eat their Tacco's in the parking lot just waiting until the hunters get them. OMG

The only reality show I've ever actually liked

[solomonkleinsmith · 8/10 · 2 February 2017]

This is genuinely both interesting and fun. I've never watched more that maybe 2 or 3 episodes of any reality show, but I just micro-binged the first three. Can't wait for more, and how the heck do I sign up for next season?!?

Part of the fun is watching people make obvious mistakes... I mean, how is it not obvious that you shouldn't just meander down any streets if you don't have to or spend the night at your best friends' house?

Also fun to see the fugitives struggle to figure out how their trackers repeatedly get close or find them even when they've been extra careful, or try to come up with ways of getting around, communicating with friends and relatives, eating, bathing or finding places to sleep with the minescule budget they get - $500 for a whole month, although they can accept non-monetary help or work in exchange for stuff - without being seen by those who might have seen a wanted posting or a camera the trackers might be looking for them through.

I wanna do it! Sign me and my best fried of 21 years up, CBS!

Strangely good considering it's a reality show

[garda-land20000 · 8/10 · 23 January 2017]

Synopsis: The film follows nine teams of two who are fugitives on the run from highly talented investigators.They must work together to win the prize of $250,000. What challenge will they face to attain their goal?

This show has a simple premise, put a team of two people that are your modern everyday human consumer of social media and no cash only card and put them on the on the run, hunted by professionals in the field that specialize in tracking down fugitives.

Now after watching the first episode I find it strangely funny and entertaining just because it shows you that the stupid and simple mistakes can make your run really short.

For the moment it's worth keeping an eye on it.

interesting potential

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 1 March 2017]

This is a reality TV competition. Nine teams of two regular people are tasked to avoid the group of highly trained investigators hunting for them. They are given an hour head start as they set off to escape detection for 28 days before retrieving the $250,000 prize. The investigators use modern computer and tracking technologies as they dig through the competitors' real and internet life.

It's an interesting show. There are interesting detection techniques. There are interesting contestants. The potential is there for good reality TV. The show does need to explain the rules of the game much better. There are definitely rules but the viewer is forced to piece it all together. How much money can they withdraw from the banks? What kind of preparations can they do? The contestants obviously have camera crews following them. So this is an edited competition with murky rules. I hope that this is not fake. It does need to clarify its scenario. For example, the finale has the contestants picking up the money from a bank and running on foot to a plane. It's an interesting visual but I kept wondering what happened to their rides. It could have been an easy fix if the money comes with instructions to run to the plane. It would have been more dramatic and more logical. This show needs to clean up some of these loose threads.

Very disappointing at most.

[bhostetle · 2/10 · 2 March 2017]

I hoped this would be a better, more interesting version of Damon and Affleck's "The Runner" that aired on Verizon's Go90, but after watching all the episodes I have been totally let down. The majority of the fugitives seem to have no idea what they are doing and somehow get by with either luck or script, you decide. Some of the Hunters decisions are so ludicrous it's at times hard to watch the show (i.e. patrolling a gated community for multiple days in a black SUV). Though the majority of the stupidity lies on the runners, one team using an ATM at a bus stop, getting on a bus and riding it for hours and hoping to not get caught (which with the lack of effort by the hunters they would have done had they just asked to get off the bus early).

I could have forgiven all of this, none of it would have mattered to me if it weren't for the last episode. In the last episode, the Hunters cheat, using information that they only got because it was a television show. They were told that the fugitives were going to escape by plane, something in a real life situation they would NOT have known. With this knowledge, they start searching for planes to foil the fugitives before the fugitives even know where they are going. Here's the spoiler, law enforcement cheats or at least breaks the rules, this must be why even if it is scripted, they're able to call it a reality show.

One of the best reality shows!

[rubenoftheorchard · 9/10 · 1 February 2020]

It's a shame there's only one season. I watched this when it was on T.V. Recently i was trying to remember what it was called to maybe watch it again. It's a fun show! We've all wondered what it would be like to be on the run... how well we'd do. So the shows a great concept and well executed. That being said, it's a show. So of course it's not gonna be as crazy as the real thing. In the show they can't break the law, which makes sense and they also of course have camera crews with them and mics on etc. so it's not like they can just steal cars and rob convenience stores and stuff actual fugitives might do.

Has Potential, but Disappointing 1st Season

[glynne41 · 6/10 · 3 March 2017]

Having read most of the already posted reviews, I agree overall. Here are my suggestions for improvements:

Have fewer fugitive teams so it is less frenetic and so viewers can get more involved with the participants. I really had no personal involvement with any of them.

Tell the viewers more about the rules! I didn't understand why family members and close friends "gave up" information so easily. Do they have to tell the truth? Are they paid? If so, why were just a few paid? Do the fugitives understand the rules? How about volunteer helpers? Do they know that it is a reality game show? If so, can fugitives offer to reimburse them later if they win? It's hard for viewers to buy in, when the rules are so fuzzy.

What about the cameramen? What are their rules? Is there a way for the investigators to track them? That would be a huge cheat.

Give the fugitives a more realistic chance. Letting the pursuers know exactly how they are going to escape was a huge cheat, in my opinion.

Treat it more like the game it is, rather than acting as if these contestants are serial killers or something. Lighten up! Show respect where it is deserved.

I hope this show continues with substantial improvements. I love the premise.

Super Fake

[yolandanelson31 · 2/10 · 1 March 2017]

When they were first advertising this show I thought it was stupid. I was actually a criminal on the run for 6 years with a husband and 5 kids and there were common sense things that these people do that a real person on the run would not do. But here is my biggest deal: you have camera's following these people then the hunters have cell phone cameras chasing someone, how do they not see the camera man in the same space, then they have strangers giving them spare cars and stuff. People are so scared of violence right now, so I don't think there are as many hitchhiking's happening as much as the show claims it is. Plus as much as people know about cell phones and how they work, or how your parents can find you with one there are just too many mistakes that I really don't think real people would make. I know not everyone is very bright but this show makes you think almost every person is dumb. Then to win you have to sign into a website to get your get away plane... a site that is being watched by the hunters. All of you that thought you could get pointers on how to stay on the run, there is nothing to see here folks

It is a game, people!

[rattlechickenchains · 10/10 · 6 March 2017]

This show is SIMULATED! Don't get all bent out of shape about it. There is no way that the show has access to any of the resources that are simulated. But they know where the plate readers are IRL and they know when the fugitives passed that reader, so they can simulate that information and give the hunters access to it. The same with the surveillance footage. The time it would take to get warrants for half the stuff they do would exceed the 28 days, so much of what is going on is truncated for filming. The show producers no doubt have access to all of the fugitive information and they make the call of whether the hunters have done the work to gain access to it.

That being said, I loved it! Can't wait for season two and I might just apply to play game someday. The only thing that gave me pause was the running at the end. I can play hide and seek all day long, but I hate to run :P

garbage

[earlyritter · 3/10 · 4 March 2017]

This show is an interesting idea, we were really excited to see it and the first episode was interesting. Unfortunately the premise of the show cannot cover the nonsense that ensues. This is not portrayal of reality. The players are set up to fail. The rules place on them would make it easy for even a novice investigator to find them. It seem to be a forum for stroking the egos of the investigators on the show. Their time consists mostly of sitting in a room making arrogant comments about how great they are. They have seem to have every device that is needed ready to go at a moments notice. People in the forest, cool an ex machina drone and its pilot suddenly appear! Just like real life. Their interview techniques are rudimentary at best. They conduct interviews of the fugitives children? What planet are they on? Force their way into peoples houses without permission? Toss a guys house including the attic looking for the fugitives? To use a video game analogy. The fugitives are nerfed with stupid unrealistic rules, while the investigators are buffed with super powers and resources that seem unlimited and a scope of power that is unrestricted. It would not bother me so much if the investigators were not so arrogant about their own abilities, when all they are doing is using sytems already set up to track the people they are after. Oh and then at the end after all the running and hiding and evasion we find out it's really for nothing because the investigators get their final cheat by knowing exactly where the fugitives are going to be when they make their final escape.This show insults the intelligence of real life investigators and law enforcement because it makes the job look way too easy. It insults real fugitives because it makes it look like they are all stupid. It insults our intelligence by selling it as reality, when in truth its a crappy game show with stupid rules that seem made up on the fly.

I do not like the participants disadvantage in this show.

[hernandezsandra-72049 · 1 March 2017]

My comment is, if all investigators are that good, why don't they catch all the real fugitives? why the friends and relatives let in the investigators, if they do not have a court order? Do the Camera men carry track-able devices? because they can track relatives and friends, how they can not track the show members.

Awesome show

[tydawley · 10/10 · 26 January 2017]

100% real. Anyone doubting the authenticity of it needs to read the rules and learn some basic film production. Nothing fake about it at all. The shows contestants have signed release forms allowing the hunters to gain access to everything without a warrant or any court order as such would be needed in real life. The camera crews aren't filming live either. It's edited back into the show to give a viewer the perspective of the fugitives but they aren't actually there when the hunters are looking for them. There's a lot that goes into a TV show and those with basic knowledge know this show is real and how it's being filmed. The rest of the show is pretty self explanatory. It reminds me of Amazing Race but so much better and keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Hunted

[coti-09553 · 10/10 · 22 January 2017]

Hunted is on the march for its season premiere so far for the first episode it is Going well to be honest this show reminds me of the CW show capture that was on in 2013 which I like both by the way and like I said this is only the first episode of the series season and the episode already explains information that is needed to show without exactly disturbing or showing leaks until it is needed For the S&S episode 1/22 this episode is pretty gut wrenching to the core to show that this show is not phoney but not boring either so to it's extent they are trying to show that this reality show does good With all the ATM scenes and running and chasing scenes the are gritty and interesting also because it's the hunter's decision's to show up dodge people or risk it all and they usually do so to do it

All I'm saying right now is good job keep up the good work

Bait and switch

[jcmj996 · 2/10 · 2 March 2017]

The show starts out stating a set of rules. However, in the final episode they add new rules never stated before on air. CBS does say you could look this up on a website or such. Basically at the end, the runners are required to let the hunter pretty much know where they are, not to mention many other earlier set up rules that really limit the runners chances. Very disappointed.

Bring it back!

[derekhafer · 10/10 · 20 May 2019]

Fantastic reality TV, there should be more like this!

Yet again another fake "reality" show

[dadetail · 1/10 · 24 January 2017]

As a former security consultant... I had such high hopes for a GREAT idea of a competition.

The reason I checked that there could be spoilers... because if I tell you how stupidly fake this is... that spoils it for brain dead reality fake show addicts.

Stupid, stupid, stupid... fake, fake, fake....

So disappointing... C'mon hollywierd.... you used to be creative! I didn't read any of the credits... but considering how poor this was... it wouldn't surprise me if Kardashians or some other trust fund knuckle heads put this together.

WOW THIS IS IT IS DONE TO THE REST OF THE WORLD BIGGER AND BETTER With A TWIST

[Top1c3xot1c · 10/10 · 28 June 2023]

WOW THIS IS IT IS DONE TO THE REST OF THE WORLD BIGGER AND BETTER With A TWIST. As I watched every episode worldwide i Preceded that Everything was small scale very quickly and cheaply. 250k per couple who made it to the end. You must withdraw the money from an actual bank much more realistic. Everyone gets a different escape route on their own plane. Debit card can make withdrawal of 100 per transaction making the money more scarce there is more money on it. Police need lights. Your physically incapable of just coming in to Contact with other vehicles unlike real circumstances. Thus the hunter can just pull up behind you blocking you in. I would continuing reverse and driving forward without touching the hunters if possible. What a glorious time even the episode is extended by two episodes. Even after six seasons United Kingdom has not improved their format !

*SPOILERS* Lots of potential, but badly lacking execution and obvious plot holes.

[Atdmovies · 4/10 · 14 July 2017]

When I first heard about Hunted, I decided to not bother with the UK version and instead go straight to the US release.

So, where to start...

Well you get introduced to all these "best of the best" hunters, whom the show talks up to be top of their field. It's however not until you do a little fact checking yourself that cracks appear in these over exaggerated bios of the hunters/central command characters. I haven't checked all of them, but as someone who works in the field of cyber security, I can tell you that some of the stuff these "hunters" have done, is absolute rubbish and "hollywood" cyber security, not reality.

Then there's the plot holes. At first they seem insignificant and minor, and some of the blatantly dumb stuff the fugitives do, defies logic.

IT Consultants who don't secure erase data - really? IT experts with non encrypted data on laptops - really? Mobile phone owners who don't encrypt the data and factory wipe - really? Lunches at Taco Bell and not expecting to get caught - really?

This is before we start talking about them being followed by a camera crew, and sound guy, making their ability to hide VASTLY reduced.

But it's not until episode 4 that a real clanger of a plot hole rears its ugly head, and throws the entire show into doubt.

Two fugitives are on the run. They visit a friend, and as hunters close in, ask for help to escape. They do NOT know the friend of a friend.

Friend of a friend offers them a camper and a kayak (like you'd give 2 random guys, plus film crew that). They kayak out on the water apparently all day (all whilst being trailed by a film crew mind you), get supplies and paddle back (still being trailed by film crew).

But the plot hole is about to drop. Mr Computer Geek Man with his fancy hat has uncovered their internet history from a laptop, and a google search for "can you kayak from blah to blah". Now the fugitives would have had absolutely no idea they would get a kayak. Nor would they have expected to come across a kayak. It would make no sense to Google search that, however this is the "break through" that leads to their capture.

This means that the "hunters" have prior knowledge and clear plans for (most likely) what every fugitive is actually doing BEFORE they go on the run.

In addition to this, in order to obtain permission from land owners to film (and not get shot for trespass), they would need prior permission.

So from a minor oversight in production, major cracks appear in what is real and what is not.

It is a real shame because the show has potential, but once a crack like this appears in a plot, the entire show gets thrown into question.

If they can fix these oversights, the show could be something brilliant, but the hunters should be private detectives/investigators/bounty hunters, operating within the confines of the law, alongside specialists in the industry (e.g cyber security).

Anyone with half a brain knows that tracking a cell phone or accessing CCTV (traffic or otherwise), takes weeks to gain access to, not minutes.

I'm huntin' for the channel changer!

[ikrhumba · 26 January 2017]

Spoiler alert! This is a joke!

Let's see....give some idiotic people 1 hour to prepare (if it were me, I'd have a bag at the ready), only allow them to withdraw limited money with the show's plastic from ATMs, and then break every law to track them down. I understand signing away your right to privacy for the show, but what about other individuals (edited out, of course) caught in the information dragnet of street cams, etc.? Looking at the first episode, regarding the tall couple, I would have asked the bus driver to let me off a few blocks before the terminal. There's not a shred of reality in this. In reality, the agencies would have to (I hope) get court orders for most of their tracking activities.

Pure crap!

cheaters

[dwarner-53221 · 1 March 2017]

You guys cheat. You want a real time get away try it the real way and try to find someone without you cheating. I can make sure you can't catch me. It seams that you have to do certain things to make it easy for you guys to track them. You make it seem to easy on your part to catch the weak.

Dangerous? or just faked?

[shadow405 · 5 March 2017]

Four people run out of two separate banks carrying 'clear' bags full of cash. If this show is on the level the producers were damn lucky those four were white, someone else could have been shot. Hell, they could have been shot.

STOP INSULTING US!