THE HUNT (2020)
Region Code: A
Rating: R
Duration: 90 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English Dolby Digital 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2:40.1)
Director: Craig Zobel
Cast: Ike Barinholtz, Betty Gilpin, Justin Hartley, Glenn Howerton, Emma Roberts, Ethan Supleeand Hilary SwankCostume Designer:David Tabbert
In the bitingly subversive political satire The Hunt (2020) a group of right-wing "deplorables" are kidnapped by an secret society of "liberal elites" and hunted for sport, in retaliation for a bit of cancel-culture shock that has affected the careers of the elite. At the start we have a group of right-leaning folks who wake-up after being drugged in a forest clearing, they find themselves gagged with no idea of why and where they are where they now find themselves. In the middle of the clearing they discover a wooden crate containing a cache of weapons, and while they're unsure of what's happening to them they have the good sense to see that having a weapon better than not having one. As soon as they arm themselves the group comes under fire from a sniper's nest located at the top of nearby ridge.
The film does a great job of keeping you off-kilter for the first 20-minutes or so, you're unsure who the lead character is going end up being. Things are moving fast, there are some familiar actor faces that make it seem like they're gonna be around awhile, but they're dead. This sort not only brought to mind Psycho and Scream, but of the unsung horror-comedy film Feast (2005), introducing a hero characters and them knocking them off, defying expectation. Eventually the action leads to a mom and pop convenience store where our true hero character is revelaed, a sort of unassuming gal named Crystal (Betty Gilpin, Coffee & Kareem) who despite her tiny stature starts kicking-ass in short order, and she never lets up.
The last four years here in the U.S. have been divisive, the chasm between liberals and the right-wing has never been as deep and craggy as we've seen lately, the country is literally tearing itself apart along party lines. This film is the antidote to that, this is the pressure release I needed, a film that pokes fun at all that, not one side or the other, both sides sort of equally, and it pokes 'em all right in the damn eye and laughs about it, saying "see how dang silly you all are?, and I loved that about it.
It also helps that the film is ultra-violent with all sort of carnage transpiring, we have brains being splattered, punji stcik pits, broadhead arrows piercing flesh, disembodied legs flying through the air, explosions, and all sorts of fun gory stuff, it's a non-stop political thrill ride laced with gore and biting humor, and if you have not seen it you best get on it.
Audio/Video: The Hunt (2020) arrives on Blu-ray from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment framed in the original 2.40:1 widescreen in 1080p HD. Not surprisingly the digitally shot movie looks flawless with not a speck out of place, the colors are a bit drab by design but skin tones look solid and black levels deliver deep shadows with good detail. The image is crisp and well-defined throughout, offering plenty of details in the close-ups of textures and faces.
Audio is powerfully delivered by an English DTS-HD MA 7.1 with optional English subtitles. Dialogiue is crisp and clean, the score is deep, and the action-sequences are well designed with the sound of zinging bullets, flung arrows and the sound of bloodletting, not to mention a late-in-the-game brawl that has things breaking left and right to great effect.
Extras are slim, but we do get 3 featurettes adding up to a total of ll-minutes, with input from producer Jason Blum, director/executive producer Craig Zobel, co-writer/producer Damon Lindelof, co-writer/executive producer Nick Cuse, production designer Matthew Munn as well as actors Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank, and Ike Barinholtz and more. A 5-min making of, a pair of 3-min featurettes exploring the death scenes and a preeminent fight sequence, all with some cool behind-the-scenes footage.
The 2-disc DVD/BD arrives in a standard keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork, inside there's a digital Movies Anywhere redemption code for the film. It comes housed with a slipcover (0-card) with embossed lettering on the movie logo spine and front cover.
Special Features:
- Crafting the Hunt - Filmmakers and cast discuss how costumes and props were used to highlight the political commentary of this slaughterous thriller. (5 min)
- Death Scene Breakdowns - The Hunt’s talented special effects and make-up teams give you an inside look on how they carried out some of the goriest death sequences. (3 min)
The film does a great job of keeping you off-kilter for the first 20-minutes or so, you're unsure who the lead character is going end up being. Things are moving fast, there are some familiar actor faces that make it seem like they're gonna be around awhile, but they're dead. This sort not only brought to mind Psycho and Scream, but of the unsung horror-comedy film Feast (2005), introducing a hero characters and them knocking them off, defying expectation. Eventually the action leads to a mom and pop convenience store where our true hero character is revelaed, a sort of unassuming gal named Crystal (Betty Gilpin, Coffee & Kareem) who despite her tiny stature starts kicking-ass in short order, and she never lets up.
Audio/Video: The Hunt (2020) arrives on Blu-ray from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment framed in the original 2.40:1 widescreen in 1080p HD. Not surprisingly the digitally shot movie looks flawless with not a speck out of place, the colors are a bit drab by design but skin tones look solid and black levels deliver deep shadows with good detail. The image is crisp and well-defined throughout, offering plenty of details in the close-ups of textures and faces.
Audio is powerfully delivered by an English DTS-HD MA 7.1 with optional English subtitles. Dialogiue is crisp and clean, the score is deep, and the action-sequences are well designed with the sound of zinging bullets, flung arrows and the sound of bloodletting, not to mention a late-in-the-game brawl that has things breaking left and right to great effect.
Extras are slim, but we do get 3 featurettes adding up to a total of ll-minutes, with input from producer Jason Blum, director/executive producer Craig Zobel, co-writer/producer Damon Lindelof, co-writer/executive producer Nick Cuse, production designer Matthew Munn as well as actors Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank, and Ike Barinholtz and more. A 5-min making of, a pair of 3-min featurettes exploring the death scenes and a preeminent fight sequence, all with some cool behind-the-scenes footage.
The 2-disc DVD/BD arrives in a standard keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork, inside there's a digital Movies Anywhere redemption code for the film. It comes housed with a slipcover (0-card) with embossed lettering on the movie logo spine and front cover.
Special Features:
- Crafting the Hunt - Filmmakers and cast discuss how costumes and props were used to highlight the political commentary of this slaughterous thriller. (5 min)
- Death Scene Breakdowns - The Hunt’s talented special effects and make-up teams give you an inside look on how they carried out some of the goriest death sequences. (3 min)
- Athena vs Crystal: Hunter or Hunted? – Go behind the scenes to check out the intense training and choreography actresses Betty Gilpin and Hilary Swank had to master in order to execute this epic fight scene. (3 min)
The Hunt (2020) is a fantastically sly political action-thriller that's not just bloody but bloody fun from start to finish, it's already on my short list for the best of 2020, it's that good. No matter what side of the political spectrum your on there's a lot to love about this film, highly recommended.
The Hunt (2020) is a fantastically sly political action-thriller that's not just bloody but bloody fun from start to finish, it's already on my short list for the best of 2020, it's that good. No matter what side of the political spectrum your on there's a lot to love about this film, highly recommended.
More screenshots from the Blu-ray:
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