THE HUNT: The Most Dangerous Game is Trying to Make Good Political Satire

Rating: 🐷🐷

Trailer

I had been itching to sink my teeth into The Hunt for a long time, and thanks to the lovely folks at Galaxy Highland and Hyperreal, I was able to take a bite out of Blumhouse’s latest offering, and let me tell you, it left a really sour taste in my mouth. In theory, this movie should have had the makings of an enjoyable Baillee MaCloud Perkins movie experience. Satire? Check. Dark humor? Check. Badass final girl? Check. However, the execution (pun not intended) was just off. 

Full disclosure, Blumhouse has always been hit or miss for me. When they release something on point, it’s ON POINT, but when they release something off, it’s OFF. The Hunt definitely isn’t the worst thing in their catalog, not by a long shot, but it’s definitely one of the weaker ones. If you haven’t guessed by the trailer, the entire premise pits Liberals and Conservatives against one another in a politically-centered take on The Most Dangerous Game. The satire is so heavy-handed that it appears as though the lid completely came off the shaker when they were trying to mix it in, and no one bothered to tweak the rest of the recipe. 

Betty Gilpin’s Crystal carries the entire movie, complete with a thick Southern accent, ruthless attitude, and such winning lines as, “YOU FUCKED UP, BITCH!” Gilpin even had me laughing into my t-shirt in the theater with the jackrabbit story. Glenn Howerton will always be a crowd pleaser. There are some great cameos from stars like Emma Roberts and Justin Hartley. Overall, the movie is fine, but there are two dynamic shots I want to talk about. 

During the first few minutes, there’s an almost faux tracking shot that follows the demise of all but three of the hunted, and it’s genuinely great. We’re lead to believe an individual is a main character, only to have them killed in a few beats. It effortlessly helps move the plot forward  and keeps the audience entertained, and I think it’s an excellent device and decision. The second is during the final fight scene where we follow two characters along the walls and windows from the interior of the house, and it reminded me a lot of the fight between Uma Thurman and Vivica A. Fox in Kill Bill: Vol. 1. Unfortunately, two beautiful shots does not a good movie make. 

The satire is too much, and there are times the characters all but look at the audience, break the fourth wall, and ask, “Get it?”  Blumhouse knows how to release good horror comedies and satires under its production like The Purge, Black Christmas, the Happy Death Day series, etc... The Invisible Man makes a powerful statement. Get Out was even released under Blumhouse before Monkey Paw Productions came to be. Blumhouse can obviously choose great films to release under its umbrella, so I’m not entirely sure where to lay the blame here. I’m still willing to give Craig Zobel a chance, and there’s definitely a rewatch of Compliance in my future, but The Hunt just isn’t a good movie. 

Do I think a movie like this is important right now? Yes. Do I think satire is a good way to present commentary on the current state of affairs? Absolutely. Do I think The Hunt will go down in history as the film to accomplish these goals? No. As always though, I’ll leave you to make your own decisions. Just remember, when it comes to satire, it’s easy for things to snowball quickly. 

The Hunt is now available for purchase on VOD for $19.99.