Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 12 March 2020
Review: ‘The Hunt’ is a clunky swipe at

a divided America

By MARK KENNEDY directed the post-apoca- selected and then switches
Associated Press lyptic survivalist tale “Z for to the viewpoint of the six
Fittingly, few films in recent Zachariah,” takes the helm. hunters, who — thanks to a
memory arrive with a big- Originally scheduled to be calm and efficient Gilpin —
ger target on its back than released in September, are becoming the hunted.
“The Hunt.” Our quick ad- the film comes out now as (Universal Pictures via AP)
vice? Lower your weapons. political winds are blowing The concept of hunting hu-
The horror-thriller with a ever stronger. It really isn’t mans for sport has a long
healthy side of political sturdy enough not to be history, stretching back
commentary was pulled ripped to shreds. to Richard Connell’s 1924
This image released by Universal Pictures shows Betty Gilpin in a from release last summer The filmmakers have cre- short story “The Most Dan-
scene from "The Hunt." following backlash to its ated an uneasy and often gerous Game.” It’s reliable
Associated Press
trailer depicting a group of awkward mix of murder- grist for movies exploring
wealthy, liberal Americans ous violence and social the divide between rich
kidnapping and hunting commentary, with one ele- and poor, most recently
down red-state stereotypes ment often stepping on the in “The Hunger Games”
for fun. Some commenta- other. Not many films can franchise and last year’s
tors — including the presi- combine George Orwell “Ready or Not.” This time,
dent of the United States — references and a vicious the divide is exacerbated
were quick to criticize the stabbing with a meat ther- by the left-right divide the
film in the wake of several mometer. It’s all as subtle movie itself has added.
mass shooting despite nev- as a bear trap. A satirical feature film is
er seeing it, denouncing When the dust settles, “The hard to pull off and the film-
the notion of elitist Demo- Hunt” really stars Betty Gil- makers here have learned
crats brutally killing so- pin (from Netflix’s “GLOW”) that a trailer for a satirical
called “deplorables.” And, and Hilary Swank (“Million film is even harder. The
to be sure, it does depict Dollar Baby”). Each repre- balancing act is subtle for
that. But anyone who actu- sent opposite sides of the both and context is crucial.
ally watches the whole film political divide. Both are Jonathan Swift, one of the
will clearly be rooting for smart, dangerous and re- best at poking fun at soci-
the deplorables. sourceful. ety, called satire a tricky
It’s not the Right but the Left The film starts with a dozen mirror where you see what
that comes off far worse in people waking up in what you want: “Satire is a sort
“ The Hunt.” The hunters are appears to be a central Ar- of glass, wherein behold-
smug, NPR-listening, kimo- kansas clearing, deposited ers do generally discover
no-wearing, caviar-eating, there by ruthless, urban so- everybody’s face but their
anti-gun killers who seek phisticates. They’ve been own.”
approval on Twitter from drugged and gagged and “The Hunt” is not great sat-
Ava DuVernay and hide soon they are armed, pre- ire or even a great film. It’s
their venality in humanitar- sumably to make the hunt an unstylish and heavy-
ian causes. more exciting. handed horror-thriller that
“For the record, climate The victims bear all the turns into a revenge gore-
change is real!” one liberal markings of boilerplate fest as it mocks everyone
screams at a prone victim blue-collar red-staters — with a big clumsy paw. It
before smashing his head mom jeans, work boots balks at making any grand
open. Drinking a full sugar and vet caps, everyone conclusions about the state
soda is anathema for this grizzled and unfashionable. of America or how to heal
group, who are finicky and “We need to lean into the our divisions, unless there’s
smug. “Who has the hand stereotype,” one character a message in the red-state
sanitizer?” one asks while says during the movie and character played by Gilpin
waiting to kill fellow Ameri- the filmmakers have done cauterizing her torso wound
cans. that in spades. with a high-end, blue-state
Right-wingers are mocked Most members of the hunt- kitchen torch.
as well, to be sure. One ed group never learn each Toward the end, “The Hunt”
character brings up the other’s names and you warns us to be careful not
“deep state” and is con- shouldn’t get too attached to jump to conclusions
vinced that a group of either. To put it another about others or believe in
migrants he encounters way, actors Emma Roberts, dark internet conspiracies.
includes “crisis babies.” Justin Hartley, Ike Barinholtz That’s supremely ironic, giv-
Sean Hannity gets name- and Sturgill Simpson were en what happened to this
checked by another. probably paid by the hour. film. Anyway, it’s too late.
Gilpin in a scene from "The Mayhem ensues as the These are not healthy days
Hunt" (Patti Perret/Universal group is picked off one by for satire, no matter how
Pictures via AP) one, until Gilpin’s character clownish.
The script was written by emerges as the film’s gutsy “The Hunt,” a Universal
Damon Lindelof, who cre- heroine and takes the film Pictures release, is rated R
ated “Watchmen” and by the scruff of its neck. for strong bloody violence
“The Leftovers,” and Nick “The Hunt” later ham- and language throughout.
Cuse, a writer on both handedly tries to explain Running time: 90 minutes.
projects. Craig Zobel, who why the dozen victims were Two stars out of four.q