Reading all these conflicting comments is hilarious..."It's bashing liberals, this is awesome!" "No! This movie is horrible because it's for liberals and makes conservatives look bad!" "NO, it's bad because it makes liberals look bad!!" Well, in reality, it's a satirical movie about how people on both sides of the political spectrum can be garbage humans. The movie has liberals killing conservatives, then conservatives killing liberals. Both parties are exaggerated with all the typical dumb stereotypes, and both sides are equally made fun of with characters that act like idiots. Anyone who thinks this movie is "sticking it to those darn liberals/conservatives!" are the exact people this movie is making fun of.
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Nobody will confuse this film with cinematic greatness. There's no grandeur. No towering monologues. The camera work, sound and special effects are all good, sometimes very good, but nothing great. The script is good, and necessarily hammy at times.
What this movie does exceptionally well is make fun of nearly everyone who gets caught up in today's divisive politics. The liberals are over the top. The conservatives are over the top. Cliché after cliché, and they all seem silly. And they should: Clichés only become real after they are manifested too often in the world.
The more subtle point is Crystal, the protagonist of the story. She represents the rest of us. Just an average person caught in the middle. She doesn't have a side. She doesn't deserve the injustice of her circumstances. She trudges on against the adversity. She's endowed with her own, potent wisdom, jaded by a world-weary point of view. She's just trying to survive. She's bemused by the insanity of the game, yet sober because her well-being is at stake.
Crystal is an avatar for the average American who simply wants to survive, avoid ruin, and maybe have a chance at happiness, despite the crazy people with megaphones and power trying to do them in. -
schadeev14 May 2020It took me a while to watch this based on reviews and all the political nonsense, but I am so happy I changed my mind. One of the most entertaining movies I've seen in the last year. While there are political undertones and references, they're not over played and it adds to the entertainment. I highly recommend this movie. It's good for some laughs, and isn't light on the action.
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Coventry25 October 2020If there's one horror/thriller premise that already got turned into plenty of movies, it's the "hunting humans for fun/sports" idea. There are far too many titles to list, but some of my personal favorites include the 1932 original "The Most Dangerous Game", but also "Blood Camp Thatcher", "Deadly Prey", "The Woman Hunt" and "Surviving the Game". There's always room for anther favorite, though. In fact, there's even room for another twenty favorites, as long as they deliver suspense, gore, fresh & inventive killings and insane characters. Craig Zobel's "The Hunt" is definitely a new favorite!
This film's strongest assets are the eccentric but strong female lead, versus the overall "worthlessness" of the rest of the characters. By this I mean that literally everyone can die at any given moment - and many of them will - regardless of how significant or insignificant their roles have been up until then. I love that. The strong female lead speaks for itself. The woman is quite petrifying, unpredictable, not very eloquent, nihilistic, and deadlier than a whole army of vengeful liberal democrats with guns. She's also quite weird, since she shamelessly pees in front of people and narrates disturbing variants of classic children's stories.
Admittedly, I found the political "satire" very exaggerated and far over the top. Many taboo subjects, like refugees and the free possession of firearms, are inevitably included and the views of both "obnoxious" democrats and "imbecilic" republicans are shoved down our throats, only to conclude that all extremist opinions are deplorable. Yeah, fine, please blow away some more people Mrs. Gilpin! The obvious thing to enjoy here is the extreme violence, the gore and Betty's stoic face. -
It had similar vibes of Ready Or Not, ideas and themes of The Purge and the unpredictability of The Cabin In The Woods. The first act is pretty strong and it really throws you off course as to who you think the main protagonist will be. That just set me up nicely for not having a clue of where it could go next. It moves at a good pace, the violence is brutal but cartoonish in its execution, the gags are solid and go down brave but potentially dangerous routes. I was fine with them. But it wouldn't surprise if some might offend the SJW cinema-goers. While the end was the most formulaic part of the film. The journey getting there made it a worthwhile watch.
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Leofwine_draca11 October 2021A familiar but efficient action comedy with an extremely brisk pacing and some good satire aimed squarely at American politics. There's an anything goes policy here with every political position a target and that makes for good humour, at least as far as I'm concerned. It's noticeably violent, kicking off with lots of shock deaths and scenes, before turning into a female-led revenge thriller towards the climax. Aside from Hilary Swank, most of the cast are unknown but they do a pretty good job here. It's not an amazing film but it did entertain me throughout.
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This movie was written to basically call everyone an idiot if they base their whole lives around politically based ideological garbage. It's saying that regardless of being far right or far left you're still basically the same breed of moron and that it's the people living in the middle, who are actually trudging away just living our lives, are the actual badasses. Well not me specifically, but the general "we". The people who ignore the extremes of politics and just get things done. This movie portrays that in the least subtle way possible and I thought it was pretty hilarious.
There is almost no plot to this movie, which I'm sure will turn people off, but that's honestly what I liked about it because as commentary it speaks to political discourse that we see every day. It's all crap on both sides. Just buzz words and stupid conspiracy theories with both sides trying to paint each other into a box with very specific ideologies. Then we have the protagonist, a woman we know nothing about, nothing is ever explained about her, and she just takes over everything. It's all a very hamfisted analogy for modern society but I thought it was hilarious.
The plot is dumb, the characters are disposable, you never know what's going to happen next, everyone is insulted by the end, and Betty Gilpin does a hilarious job of just being bizarre. She also shows off some of her skills she's developed from starring on GLOW and her body is crazy tight in this. This is overall just a silly, ridiculous, popcorn flick with gratuitous violence...which is exactly what we need in an overly charged political era. It's a 6 because it's no masterpiece or anything, but it's plenty enjoyable. -
Her-Excellency21 March 2020Much more enjoyable than expected.
The beginning of it is funny enough, but it is the ensuing few scenes which are riotously HILARIOUS and make it worth watching- I literally laughed until I cried.
Toward the middle of the film, there is a wide gap where the laugh-out-loud moments are slowed and further and further apart, but still bring a smile or giggle here and there. The ending while good, is overshadowed by a preceding fight scene that is one for the books. It was really, really well done.
The best part of the entire movie though, and what makes it stand out, is that if a person watching has more than two brain cells, the dialogue is spot-on close-to-perfect in mocking BOTH SIDES of the political divide. And here, is what I think people are missing: NEITHER side is depicted as being 'better' than the other. Or worse. It has fun at the expense of everyone and it doesn't do it in any overtly mean way, but in a way where we can nod and nod and nod and laugh ... at ourselves ... no matter who we are or where we stand.
Lastly, a horror film - it is not. Somewhat gory, yes. A "horror" film? no.
8.6/10 -
phollyjunk21 March 2020I know that none of the bad reviewers even watched this movie. It's not really a left or right movie but it shows how bad both of those sides are and the hero actually seems to be like most of us, somewhere in the middle. I hope people will give it a watch before passing judgment on it.
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ferguson-612 March 2020Greetings again from the darkness. Let's face it. It was a brilliant marketing strategy. In the wake of mass shootings, the release date of this film was delayed when its subject matter was deemed controversial, even scandalous The film's new marketing slogan became, "The most talked about movie of the year is one that no one's actually seen." Of course, it wasn't really true, as very few were actually talking about it. But that's what made it genius marketing ... they created interest amidst controversy that has since proven unnecessary. Director Craig Zobel (Z FOR ZACHARIAH, 2015) has delivered the least controversial, non-polarizing film of the year. It basically laughs at extremes on the left and right, and reminds us how laughing at something can often take away its power. And regardless of your "side", you'll find some laughs here.
If you've seen the trailer, you know that the premise has a group of liberal elites hunting a hand-selected group of social media-active MAGA deplorables. It's a twist on Richard Connell's 1924 short story "The Most Dangerous Game", although the modern day rich aren't hunting for sport, but rather for political affiliation - gun lovers and climate change deniers. That may sound politically charged, but in fact, it plays as more comedy than comeuppance. Sure, the violence is over-the-top and often quite graphic, but this is a skewering of both red and blue.
Preventing the project from falling into B-movie muck is a standout performance from Betty Gilpin ("Glow") as Crystal. She's a Rambo-type who speaks (with a southern drawl) only when necessary, and seems to have learned a lot while serving in Afghanistan. Most of the time she looks like she has "a pinch between her cheek and gum" (a tip of the Stetson to Walt Garrison), and she also hums to herself and tosses down some unusual facial expressions. This is a seriously oddball performance that is the film's highlight.
One of the best sequences of the film comes quite early as the dozen or so 'deplorables' slowly wake-up and find themselves gagged in a field. A container of weapons leads to an early massacre that allows the filmmaker to tease us with numerous familiar faces taking turns as the heir-apparent lead. Some of the faces that pop up include Ike Barinholtz, Wayne Duvall, Ethan Suplee, Emma Roberts, Christopher Berry, Sturgill Simpson, Kate Nowlin, Amy Madigan, Reed Birney, Glenn Howerton, Hannah Alline (flight attendant), and Usman Ally.
Of course we know this is headed to a showdown between Crystal and Athena (2-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank), the ringleader of the hunting party. A fight scene reminiscent of the KILL BILL movies (sans Samurai swords) takes place at Athena's "manor", and it is stunningly staged and executed. Unfortunately this scene also highlights the mostly inadequate dialogue that exists throughout the film. Some of the quips click, but many fall flat - surprising since the co-writers Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof have previously collaborated on "Watchmen" and "The Leftovers."
Blumhouse Productions keeps cranking out these offbeat genre films, and this one likely benefits from a misplaced scandal, and it strives for self-importance by comparing itself to George Orwell's "Animal House" and with an obscure reference to TEARS OF THE SUN (2013). It's not at the level of last year's gem READY OR NOT, and it missed the opportunity to make some political points, but it's a hoot to watch and as an added bonus, Hilary Swank teaches us the proper way to make a grilled cheese sandwich! -
nicolaj-72 May 2022I'm open minded so I stuck it out. I wish I'd bailed. So many reviews on here and so mixed that I read a lot. I was hoping.....It has a few good moments but Hillary Swank doesn't show up until near the end and the ending isn't that good. Yeah, don't waste your time.
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grakky10 March 2021I love Betty Gilpin, this is the first time experience her acting talents and yup I want more :) She's very good in action scenes and her facial animations are awesome. Give.her.more.work. 👍🏼
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curbicon13 March 2020The witt with this movie comes from the fact that the smart ones play stupid and the stupid ones play smart. Imagine The Hunger Games with a bit of Hide and Seek. And that's what this movie is. The liberals play the bad guys, and the conservatives play the good guys. Which was anything BUT how the right wing media outlets portrayed it as. The acting from the protagonist Betty Gilpin is one of the best things about this movie! She took her role and absolutely ran with it. Where the film does fall flat is from it's extremely predictable plotline. Which copies from various thriller films made in the past. Overall I liked this movie! It was dark comedy with a strong politically charged twist.
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This movie is improperly categorized. It's entirely satire/comedy, and because of that, the violence is over the top. It pokes fun at both the "ruling class"/elites who think they know what's best for the masses, and the those who rebuke that idea and want to live in the land of the free.
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kaibo1713 March 2020This movie was awesome! It's listed as horror, but there was plenty of action and comedic moments as well... will be watching this again soon!
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richardwworkman6 January 2021It's Battle Royal, meets Hunger Games meets Dodgeball meets Qanon.
I'm not sure how seriously anyone should take this film, the comedy cartoon violence is closer to Tex Avery than Texas Chainsaw massacre.
The underpaying theme of America's divided social class, conspiracy theory nut jobs and elitist middle class aren't really explored any any significant depth and perhaps that's the point.
Escapist violence with a sick sense of humour. Watchable nonsense. -
southdavid20 March 2020How interesting that so much controversy would be generated by a film an inherently, and deliberately, silly as this one.
A group seemingly unconnected Americans, of various ages and genders, awake to find themselves on a strange compound with the only clue to their situation being a large crate nearby. The crate contains a variety of weapons. Once armed, the people are then picked off by an unseen enemy.
I don't know why I'm being so coy in my synopsis, as you'll know from any of the advertising that the film is about "liberal elites" hunting "deplorables". What you won't get is the tone of the film, which is pretty much a comedy. A black comedy at times admittedly, but occasionally just an out and out comedy. The film I'd most compare it too is "Cabin in The Woods" - as it takes a similarly well worn premise and manages to do some different and new things with it. However, "The Hunt" doesn't have "Cabin's" rewatchability. Once you know the plot, I can't really see another reason to come back to it.
I'd also say, the trailer for the film really does the movie a disservice, as it gives away a couple of the films secrets, including revealing who the lead "Liberal" is played by - which the movie goes to great lengths to keep concealed. The deaths are nicely done though, and often come out of nowhere, with a wonderful practical feel to the effects and it's a funny film, occasionally laugh out loud so. Betty Gilphin is great, as ever, in this.
The controversy that'd dogged the film seems pretty silly once you've seen it. - although the advertising has played into it too - so they only have themselves to blame. I felt the film not only attacks both sides in equal measure but has an overall message of once you scratch the surface there being more that unites us than divides us.
It's a solid, entertaining film - just not one with much replay value. -
j-c-6304526 March 2020I expected nothing from this film I went there without waiting. It was good entertainment. I liked the satire, the humor and the fight scenes. Other than that, the acting has nothing breathtaking, but hey it's a horror movie.
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Neon_Gold19 May 2020This movie is an equal opportunity offender and it's hilarious. It pokes fun at everyone and says "don't worry you can laugh, even if it's at your own expense".
I think the controversy around it makes it even funnier because I didn't find anything to be offended about in this movie because it's a satire, it's saying things with a wink and making fun of the characters saying these things. (I think anyway).
Betty Gilpin is great in this and she really knew what movie she was in.
It also has a way of keeping you on your toes especially at the start and was kind of refreshing. -
The makers of The Hunt most feel prophetic. The pre-release uproar over it could serve as a companion piece. Some of the conservatives who prejudged this one might have a hard time swallowing the message of this film as its theme mirrors such ignorance (truly a lack of knowledge; it isn't a jab) among conservatives and liberals alike. Which is a shame bc they probably would have enjoyed seeing the jabs themselves and liberals. The latter group gets the brunt of the caricatures and satire, but it's pretty evenhanded.
As for the film itself, well, it's a mixed bag. The script and its star are the real highlights here. I won't mention the latter anymore bc part of the fun is not knowing who the protagonist is. The only major problem of the film is the directing. It almost feels like two different movies. The first half is clumsy and rarely hits any of the marks it is going for. Thankfully, the script and some of the actors can get us through this part. Then halfway through something magical happens. We get a scene that is just three actors sitting in chairs talking. And all of sudden the film seems to know what it is. A coherent tone and visual style shine through to the end. And to top it off we are treated to one of the best female on female fights since Kill Bill.
All it all, it's good fun that takes swipes as where we are as a society. And it's much better than all the low scores from the conservative hit squad. -
sirjrcalvin14 March 2020This film caught my eye last year when is stirred up controversy for being "hyper-violent" and full of "dangerous social stances." At least, that's what the media outlets claimed. Controversy is usually something I am drawn to, so I vowed to see this when it came out.
I went in, expecting something hyper-violent, with some controversial, thought-provoking commentary on the political state of the country, or the skewed idealism of being extreme anything, etc. I expected some sort of point, even if it was a bad one.
Unfortunately, the film delivered only violence. If that's enough to entertain you, you'll enjoy the movie. If you expect any more that that, you'll walk away wondering how that could have been worth the ticket price.
What bothered me is that there were no characters in the movie. Instead, we got caricatures of extreme liberals and extreme conservatives killing each other for an hour and a half with no actual reason or point for it. We follow Crystal, (our protagonist?), as a silent, untouchable super soldier, which is perhaps an attempt to mock the Mary-Sue trope? None of the characters ever represented real people. Every single person in this movie had as much nuance and depth as a political Reddit comment.
The entire film feels like it was written and shot in about an hour. Would recommend renting if you want an hour and a half of violence. If you are looking for more than that, skip this one entirely. -
Major spoilers alert.
This film is great escapist fun that also satirizes the our bizarrely extreme cultural divide. It is refreshing to be able to bring gonzo humor and over the top gore as a way to step back from the mindless anger and group think. On top of that, Betty Gilpin's brilliantly played Crystal Creasy is something unique to film. While ostensibly written as a familiar Mary Sue able to kick any ass and beat down any threat, Crystal is a sardonic participant in a mad mad world. Highly intelligent yet without affectations, she really does not give a damn why everyone is trying to kill her. She is also the one character in the movie who does not comfortably fit into the extreme left or right stereotypes in spite of all the superficial appearances to the contrary.
I also credit the writers Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof for being willing to subversively skewer their own. Their sharpest barbs are reserved for their fellow Elites while the Deplorables are mostly just one dimensional cartoonish characters rarely provided with more depth than the aptly hilariously named Yoga Pants or Shut Up Gary.
On the other hand, the elite hunters characters are fleshed out with many little details and conceits familiar to those who travel in similar circles. Athena babbles on tritely and unoriginally about the singular importance of cutting tomatoes with a bread knife and using Gruyere in her grilled cheese sandwich speech which takes place in the mansion she keeps insisting is NOT A MANOR! She and her compatriots toss off Animal Farm Snowball references as a sort of intellectual adornment, insult, and shibboleth while revealing that they understand next to nothing about a book they were probably once forced to read in some boring English class.
The film's conflict originates with one of the Elite characters being found out sleeping with his wife's oncologist which leads to his dismissal from his charitable foundation. Another talks about his dubious devotion to a peasant lover he has inconveniently knocked up. They all look down on the hired hand Sargent Dale who is only allowed the smallest modicum of respect for having a small part in the Bruce Willis movie Tears of the Sun - "why is the sun crying?". Even the choice of having the action set in Croatia in something of a inside joke as that has recently been a preferred destination for the fashionable set seeking to avoid the common company of the hoi polloi.
The movie starts with a turtle and ends with a hare mirroring the awesomely twisted and violent bedtime story that Crystal says her mother used to tell her. That story serves as a sort of explanation of her uniquely detached outlook and her singular ability to spot deadly threats based on the smallest of tells.
At the film's conclusion, Crystal echos the story arc of the Napoleon Animal Farm character. She transforms from her deplorable self by donning Athena's signature red bottomed stiletto pumps, slipping into her stylish black dress, commandeering her plane, while tossing back Athena's prized champagne and caviar.
Why it's a Cinderella story!
Highly recommended if you have a sense of humor and can enjoy a stupid fun movie. -
cheeks220231 July 2021I could not believe how much I loved her in this movie. Her character alone is worth the watch. Some good kill scenes and a fun ride throughout.
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iffydoughnut11 March 2020All of you NEED to stop by the theater (be sure to avoid Covid-19) and watch this, because it is amazing! I don't think you understand. This social satire dark comedy psychological thriller is clever and takes good turns at the most. Betty Gilpin and Hilary Swank's performance is perfect and makes the experience even better. Yes, many characters are killed off quickly, but it all helps the story develop. You see, the writers have you think the movie is one thing, but it then changes frequently. It is a great must watch.
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Yee_Reviews11 March 2020Good: Great idea on paper, yet never fully reaches its full potential and does not fully develop, lacking a full cohesive story. The acting is average all around with Betty Gilpin being the standout of a strong female lead. There is humor to be had, but not much with just a lot of quick quips here and there. The film starts off great, but then fizzles away with pacing issues...
Bad: The writing is messy, and the middle drags. The story just does not add up to much and lacks depth and production.
Overall: The movie tries to be political but never quite works out. The advertisements and political uproars are unnecessary. The film has a unique idea, but the low budget world does not come together.
2.5/5