The Hunt

Mads Mikkelsen movies are the place to go to get wet. Sometimes it's also a pleasant surprise from another point of view. That’s what The Hunt is like. It’s a story about how our kids are getting a bit out of control. And it's not just the fundamentally democratic US that's in trouble, but the otherwise progressive Scandinavia is in the same mess. It may have started as a little film about male emancipation, but it broke down nicely into an appeal for herd restraint. (14/08/2013)

No matter what anybody might say, Mads Mikkelsen is the most interesting and the best contemporary European actor. Each of his characters on the screen is alive. Not only alive, they’re downright breathing through the screen. In my opinion, The Hunt is the best notch on his belt that must win everyone over. I get that he took advantage of the current situation of the Danish cinema which is full of the best screenwriters and directors, but he was simply destined to be born into this very era and he made the best possible use of it due to his personality. The Hunt is a difficult movie to watch. It’s actually about a topic that is hard to talk about and just as hard to film. It’s a taboo that stirred the pot in this movie. The amazing thing is that the screenwriter apparently analyzed the human nature all his life and showed exactly what we, as human beings, are capable of doing and what we are not capable of doing. After an absurd discovery, Mads transforms with each single second of this movie and the viewer drowns in a depression that will leave you restless. That’s exactly what movies are about. About emotions and feelings that each of us should think about regularly. The Hunt managed to do that, and I must say that it is one of the few movies that aren’t afraid to reveal the truth hidden somewhere in the corner of each of us. (01/11/2013)

Not very rational and lacking logic and common sense, though the Nordic small town full of ordinary workers who don't think much about anything seems to be very authentic. But I would definitely not put captivating performances and a fantastic atmosphere+screenplay over the sensible use of facts and brainpower. The accusation as well as the explanation are clichés of a heavy caliber.. Nevertheless, Vinterberg is still a great director because he can turn crap into something captivating with a number of scenes, where either you get goosebumps or at least put your hand in front of your mouth and be amazed. (23/02/2015)

People are like sheep! All you have to do is throw a victim at them and they persecute and abuse it without any substantiated and credible evidence, and you have to look for any hint of humanity. The Hunt is a chilling drama set in a small town where everyone knows each other, and nothing is solved as quickly as the dirt on other people. But the hunt is for a victim who doesn't want to give up easily and be falsely smeared, so she resists with all their might. In short, a very well made and dense thriller that lacks a more shocking touch and conclusion to get a full score, when compared to, for example, the similar 2009 film Deliver Us from Evil. (24/12/2014)

Little Klara deserves an educational blow with an axe to the nape of her neck. The film can arouse the emotions of the viewer, mainly the negative ones, but it didn’t fascinate me as much as I wanted. In a couple of scenes the script felt overworked (for instance, how the testimony of a girl retold word for word by other people changes from "something indefinite" to a "clear accusation of harassment" - nice, but I felt the very purpose of it). The ending is strong, even though my horror-oriented self waited all the time for a proper exploitation “hunt”. (01/02/2013)