The Hunt

THE GIST: A bunch of strangers wake up in the woods, gagged, and barely have time to meet one another when bullets start flying. They run, only to be chased. They don't know that they've been chosen to play a very particular role: the prey.

The Hunt was supposed to be released last fall, but the umpteenth mass shooting forced the studio to pull the plug. When it finally was released, back in March, it saw its run cut short by the pandemic that forced all theaters to shut down nationwide. I guess it's cursed.

The movie per se isn't great but certainly enjoyable, if you can stomach the premise of a bunch of ultra-rich Americans selecting from a stash of "deplorables" their next victims for sport, free of consequences.

To be honest, there is a clear undertone of slapstick from the beginning, almost to spell out to the audience that this is a farce. Still, I'm sure there are many people who wouldn't find this funny or necessary or justifiable at all.

And yet, its extreme tones do drive home the point that we now live in a society where, if you have money and power, the sky's pretty much the limit for you. Just look at what Donald Trump is getting away with on any regular day...

THE BOTTOM LINE: The movie is not more violent than what we're used to seeing on both the big and small screens; the message at its core is valuable; there's a kick-ass heroine; and it is made fairly well. Up to you.

Grade: 6