The Hunt

So readers know, I saw this at a press only screening earlier this yar before the COVID epidemic took ahold of our country.

This version, titled “The Hunt” comes out as the latest from the Universal Pictures assembly line that is Blumhouse Pictures. They were involved with the “The Purge” franchise. They also did the surprisingly well-told “Happy Death Day” movies and last year’s awesome “Glass,” which finished the trilogy director M. Night Shyamalan started with “Unbreakable” in 2000.

Usually, I do not like horror movies, but this one falls into the category of something I do like: sardonic tales that are very tongue in cheek and not to be taken too seriously.

When it comes down to it, is just an old-fashioned update of “The Most Dangerous Game,” wherein human beings are hunted down as the ultimate prey. It was a short story originally written by Richard Connell. It ran in Collier’s magazine in 1924.

The main stars in “The Hunt,” are Betty Gillipn (“Stuber,” “Isn’t It Romantic”) as well as two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank (“Million Dollar Baby,” “Boy’s Don’t Cry”) The duo engage in a plethora of witty banter as well as plenty of scenes with the duo fighting fisticuffs aplenty.

The top billed stars of “The Hunt,” are Emma Roberts and Ike Barinholtz, but the duo exit stage left before even the end of the first act.

Also enjoyable is Ethan Suplee from director Kevin Smith’s underrated “Mallrats” (1995) wherein his character as a tough time with a “Magic Eye” painting and can’t find the hidden object in the portrait. Everyone but hi can see the hidden fisherman but him. Suplee looks slimmer and healthier in this movie.

Also supporting is Amy Madigan from Walter Hill’s “Streets of Fire” (1984). In this one she co-owns a small store with her husband off of the beaten path.

On a side note, but not the give anything away, there is a lot of dead bodies in “The Hunt,” but most of the deaths are taken as very tongue-in-cheek.

The best line was in “True Lies” wherein Arnold Schwarzeneggger’s Harry Tasker states “They were all bad.”

“The Hunt” should not be taken too seriously since the people in the flick are not actual people you would not like to know in real life. They are truly evil personas you would not like to hang around with, hence just passers-by in the everyday world.

“The Hunt” serves as a solid 90 minute time-waster that almost delivers in said departments, even though you will even remember seeing them the first time.

Grade: C+
(Review by Ricky Miller)