Hunter Hunter

Undeniably well-made and brutally effective, this gory thriller soon becomes sour and ugly due to its ruthless depiction of violence toward animals; it also ultimately lacks a real point or theme. Hunter Hunter is neatly constructed to build dark tension, using sound design and an unknown lurking in the woods that could be anywhere, at any time. Certain elements are kept deliberately off-camera to increase the sense of uncertainty, and the various plot turns are a step above the run-of-the-mill. The title indicates the movie's attempted theme, that the hunter becomes the hunted, while the story's final half-hour offers a few more twists on an old chestnut.

But it really boils down to revenge, and the movie has little to say about the subject other than that it happens. It likewise has very little to say about why the story might be set in 1990, or what it means to "live off the grid." It might be a story about humanity's folly, about how people might unwisely consider themselves to be smarter than nature, but once that point is made, Hunter Hunter still goes on for a while longer. The final nail in the coffin is the constant depiction of animal-killing, plus dead, dying, and mutilated animals. That might not bother everyone, but the movie's cruelty also extends to humans. It's a lot to ask.