The Corner Penthouse

The Hunt (2020) is a film that just can't catch a break. Originally slated for a September 27, 2019 release, the film was pushed back to March 13, 2020 in the wake of a spate of mass shootings that shook the nation. Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March, severely limiting its theatrical run. The film finally got its proper physical disc home video release on June 9th, but that was in the shadow of police brutality that occurred just three weeks earlier. Well, after all of the controversy and bad luck surrounding this film, is it any good? Read on to find out...


The Hunt tells the tale of twelve strangers who wake up in a clearing. They don't know where they are, or how they got there. They don't know that they've been chosen for a very specific purpose: The Hunt. In this subversive satire, a group of elites gather for the very first time at a remote Manor house to hunt ordinary Americans for sport. But the elites' master plan is about to be derailed because one of The Hunted, Crystal Creasy (Betty Gilpin), knows The Hunters' game better than they do. She turns the tables on the killers, picking them off one by one as she makes her way toward Athena (Hilary Swank), the mysterious woman at the center of it all.


You may notice that I have not placed this review in the "Horror" category. That's because this is NOT a horror movie. As co-writer/producer Damon Lindelof describes it in one of the bonus features, the film is "an action-thriller with a very high body count". It's an ultra-violent black comedy with a heavy dose of social satire. Without going into spoilerific details, the story by Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof doesn't "take sides". It depicts conservatives and liberals as equally despicable...or likeable, depending on your viewpoint.


The film is pure escapist fun that also shines a satiric light on the extreme cultural divide that exists in the United States, and especially among online Netizens. Most of the characters are expendable - no, not those expendables - as evident by the fact that the writers purposely chose NOT to give most of them proper names. Check the end credits, and you'll find characters with weird names like "Staten Island" (Ike Barinholtz), "(Shut the F**k Up) Gary" (Ethan Suplee), "Yoga Pants" (Emma Roberts), and my favorite: "Dead Sexy" (Sylvia Grace Crim). The most confusing name is the one for the character played by Hannah Alline: "Flight Attendant / Not Stewardess / Kelly". Yeah, one minor character is given THREE names!


Betty Gilpin's portrayal of Crystal Creasy is simply a joy to watch. I've liked Betty since I first saw her as Debbie Eagan/Liberty Belle in Netflix's GLOW a few years ago, and she truly SHINES here. Make no mistake about it; this is Betty Gilpin's film! While the unstoppable nature of the character can make her seem unbelievable, the whole film has an air of hyper-realism to it, which allows the character to fit in nicely. I think Crystal can safely join the ranks of great female action heroes with Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor.


As long as you don't take the film super seriously, and you have a twisted sense of humor and an appetite for gore, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this movie.


The Hunt is presented in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio with a runtime of 1:30:02. Audio languages include English, English Descriptive, Spanish, and French. The film includes English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles. The first print run includes a beautiful embossed slipsleeve.


Here's a list of all of the bonus features that can be found on the Blu-ray disc. Bonus features play automatically after the film, preceded by a screen with the Universal logo atop a message stating, "Thank you for watching the feature presentation. Stay tuned for bonus features."

• Crafting The Hunt (5:04) - Filmmakers and cast discuss how costumes and props were used to highlight the political commentary of this slaughterous thriller.
• Death Scene Breakdowns (2:36) – The Hunt's talented special effects and make-up teams give you an inside look on how they carried out some of the goriest death sequences.
• Athena vs Crystal: Hunter or Hunted? (2:42) – Go behind the scenes to check out the intense training and choreography actresses Betty Gilpin and Hilary Swank had to master in order to execute this epic fight scene.

Also included in the Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack is a second DVD disc, which contains the movie and ALL of the bonus features listed above. The movie on the DVD is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio with an anamorphic widescreen transfer. Audio languages include English, English Descriptive, French, and Spanish. The film includes English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles.


A digital copy code voucher is also included in the standard two-disc Blu-ray case.


The Hunt is available on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and individual DVD.


All images were taken from the IMDB gallery of the film. The item was provided by Universal for review on this site.