The film opens up with a man being captured, having his tongue removed (there is a bit of gore in The Hunt), and being let loose in a field to be hunted by masked men. Like I said, the story of humans hunting humans isn’t a new one. One of the most famous examples of this kind of story is Richard Connell’s "The Most Dangerous Game." The twist in this particular story is the identity of the main character.
Alex (Jellali Mouina) is a reporter for a tabloid newspaper and has been given an ultimatum if he doesn’t bring in something truly juicy. With his job on the line, he goes to his girlfriend Sarah (Sarah Lucide), a prostitute and call girl, with a wide range of clientele. She reluctantly tells Alex of one of her johns that is a powerful man in the government and likes to video some of his more extreme sessions.
When Alex breaks into the man’s house and tries to steal the tapes, he ends up on the phone with a mysterious voice that gives him a time and an address. Feeling that he has hit upon an unexpected story, Alex follows the instructions and ends up masked and in a room full of people who are all bent on hunting down three victims, each with a lockbox full of cash handcuffed to their wrists.
This strange contest has no rules, and Alex quickly learns that even includes attacking the other contestants. What starts off as a fight for self defense quickly becomes a series of horrific and bloody events. Can Alex survive the hunt? Will he walk away with all or even some of the money, or can he somehow get away from the whole situation without becoming just as depraved as the other masked men?
Overall, The Hunt wasn’t a bad film. Usually a story about humans hunting humans either follows the hunted, or occasionally, follows the hunters. This time, the main character is a hunter, but one thrust into the situation, an outsider coming into the competition in a very unexpected manner. If you don’t mind the subtitles and you aren’t tired of this type of storyline, then you might want to check out The Hunt, just don’t expect a Hollywood multi-million dollar experience.
