The Hunt Review: An Emotional Tale
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The Hunt
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
9.5
Where to Watch The Hunt?
Released in 2012, The Hunt is the most recent movie on the Top 100 list so far. The movie tackles a powerful plot, and it is my favourite movie on the list to date. The Hunt mixes between Danish and English, so subtitles are a must, but the performance put on by Mads Mikkelsen makes it all worthwhile.
The Hunt begins with a small introduction to our main character, Lucas. Lucas is a recently divorced man who is working at a kindergarten in his town. This position is seemingly below him, but he enjoys the work and the simplicity of his life. Lucas wants one thing in life, and that is his son back.
His concerns flip on their head one day after Lucas is accused of a heinous crime involving some of the children at the kindergarten. The Hunt details Lucas’ battle against these accusations and his descent into madness. The movie is intense, but unlike A Clockwork Orange, the gore and disturbing details are kept to a minimum.
As these events encompass a large portion of the town, there are quite a few characters that appear and fade from this movie, but I’ll touch on a few.
Lucas is the lead, he’s the center of the movie, and the center of the accusations. Played by Mads Mikkelsen, Lucas has to fight tooth and nail for his reputation and his life. The accusations of misconduct with a child pretty much ruin his life, and no matter what he does or says, nobody believes him. Lucas shows great strength, and his character feels real. He is just an ordinary dude who has something terrible happen.
His dedication to his son through all these events speaks to his character. Even though his world is falling apart, he is still excited to see his son and cares deeply about his wellbeing. He focuses on taking care of his son and making sure he is safe, even while being arrested.
The entire movie hinges on Lucas, so his character being so great really pumps up the movie. Outside of Lucas, we have two main characters. Grethe is the head of the kindergarten and the woman who initially hears the accusation. She’s put in an impossible positon, but unlike some of the other characters, she doesn’t handle it well. She does some very questionable things that blow the situation out of proportion without having a good understanding as to why she’s doing it.
Her character is actually quite annoying, unlike some of the others. Lucas’ best friend Theo is also the father of the little girl who accuses Lucas. This puts him in an impossible situation where he has to take the side of his daughter. No father is going to believe their best friend over their daughter on a matter like this, but you can see the pain in his eyes. Like Lucas, Theo is a relatable character and the writers have crafted his character flawlessly. He feels real, and his pain comes through as real as well.
I find I struggle with dramas sometimes, losing interest in the plot. The Hunt has convinced me I just haven’t seen enough quality dramas. The story is powerful, it’s real, and it’s well executed. Slam those three things together and you get a very good movie. The unravelling of a mystery that isn’t really a mystery is fantastic, twists and turns coming all the time even though it’s all fabricated.
Lucas’ name is dragged through the mud, and as an audience, we know it’s fake, but there are multiple points during this movie that I started to second guess myself. Even though it’s so clearly fake, the movie does a great job of just telling the story. No titling in one direction, just dead even between both sides of the story.
It’s a great change of pace and it lets the audience wander down the rabbit hole themselves. The pacing of the movie is perfect, using just enough time on each element to craft a competent story without wasting time on fluff. The characters and the story are built together and it works well.
The cinematography is also great. Thomas Vinteerberg has created an atmosphere that feels so real it could be a documentary. The cameras capture everything, showing the events in detail, but the camera work feels natural. The atmosphere is built slowly, but by the time the movie gets going, the world is built.
The Hunt is a crazy, emotional ride, but it’s also an amazing movie. The ending puts everything in perspective and gives the audience so much to think about. I loved how real the movie feels as it adds an edge to the story. This could happen. This has happened, and it made me think. Not every movie has to be jammed full of action and excitement to have value, a lesson I’m learning slowly and steadily. This may be a pain to track down unless you are willing to rent it, but The Hunt is well worth your time.