Movie Report Card: The Hunt

Date: 3/13/20
Title: The Hunt
Director: Craig Zobel
Starring: Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank, Ike Barinholtz, Ethan Suplee, Wayne Duvall, Emma Roberts

GRADES

ACTING: 85
DIRECTING: 85
SCREENPLAY: 70
EDITING: 80
CINEMATOGRAPHY: 75
SOUNDTRACK: 75

FINAL: 78/B-

COMMENTS

The Hunt is not a great movie. However, it is wildly entertaining. It's vile, raucous, gory, funny, perplexing, and fun to watch. The biggest thing anchoring the film down, is in its screenplay. I get what they were trying to do. The problem is the writers aren't nearly as smart, as they want you to think. They try so hard to give you deeper themes here. None of it quite adds up to what I believe they were intending. Not surprising since, Damon Lindelof, is involved. He basically made a career of that (see Lost for evidence). However, kudos to director Craig Zobel, and stars, Betty Gilpin, and Hilary Swank. They are the ones that sell this entire thing. They are the ones doing the heavy lifting here. They are the ones who have made something worth a damn to watch. Betty Gilpin is phenomenal in this thing. She kicks ass, and has a wicked sense of humor. You really root for her here. Swank, is deliciously devious, as well. I couldn't help but want a movie starring Gilpin's Crystal, and Samara Weaving's Grace from Ready Or Not, after The Hunt. Those two characters in one movie, would be amazing to watch. Overall, The Hunt is worth a viewing for its zaniness. I laughed a lot, and had a good time. And the performances from Gilpin, and Swank, are worth a look.