The Hunt

Happy to file this one under 'Films I Evidently Didn't Get'. <b>[Edit: I can't lie, I'm absolutely waffling below. Apologies in advance and totally feel free to ignore, I just typed whatever came into my head because I'm simply so unsure about this. I've articulated myself awfully I'm positive, way too many paragraphs and all that but hey-ho.]</b> I don't even know where to start with <em>'The Hunt'</em>, I'm finding it difficult to seperate my thoughts. On the one hand I dislike a lot about this, from the writing to the pacing to the supposed message of it and from the clearly phenomenal acting. I usually solely focus on my own opinions and type up my review before reading others', but every now and then a film comes along that I just don't get and when it's one with surprisingly (to me) high acclaim I have to read other reviews to see if I've just simply missed something glaringly obvious - which is, even now, entirely possible, don't get me wrong. However, the vibe of a handful of reviews on here I've seen is either hate the kid(s) or hate the people for believing the kid(s)... surely that's not the point of the film? I'm aware this is perhaps too UK-centric a reference, but if that is the case it is giving major Tory/Brexit/GB News vibes. As in, it's (hate this word, but...) some sorta 'wokery', we must get rid of cancel culture and all that stupid rhetoric. Pre-reading reviews, I just simply didn't understand what the film was trying to say... and even by stating whatever, why it went around the houses for nearly two hours and then proceded to not even wrap it up. I personally found it exhausting to watch, I admittedly don't tend to enjoy films that attempt these sorta 'smart' open-ended endings. If all the film is trying to say is that people can sometimes be falsely accused and have their lifes ruined by mob mentality, then fine... but I'm not sure using child abuse is quite the way to portray that idea. It's hardly a regular real life occurrence of children (very young children, at that) ruining grown mens lifes with sexual assault claims, is it? That's what I mean with what I said three paragraphs back, it's like you see on social media when a well known person is alleged to have done something serious and you get that section of people who immediately hate the likely victim for no reason. Now, perhaps I'm unsure about this 2012 release as I'm judging through my 2023 eyes, as in the aforementioned online rhetoric has murked the waters in terms of what the film is actually trying to say. Nowadays it's closely associated with those who use the terms 'woke', 'snowflake' etc. and that makes me feel uncomfortable, I can't lie. Now, even all that aside, solely as film I still didn't really enjoy it either. The way parts are written and characters act annoyed me, e.g. the shop scene. From them all willing to fight Lucas one second to the next when they're all scared because he head-butted someone; and how they didn't see that coming, or Lucas himself didn't see the initial punch coming. I acknowledge that's a random example, but it kinda typifies how odd the film felt to me at most moments. As I said, I do have one positive and that is the acting - which is truly top notch, frustratingly so if anything as it makes it difficult for me to rate the film. Mads Mikkelsen is truly outstanding, one of the best performances I've seen from him thus far. Thomas Bo Larsen is quality as well. No-one on the cast puts a foot wrong in truth, even youngster Annika Wedderkopp or the more experienced Anne Louise Hassing. I get severely awkward when I'm rating a film so much lower than the majority, which doesn't happen all that often at all but when it does it makes me cringe. I'm just being honest in how I feel though, even if it's totally possible that I've just got the wrong end of the stick completely. If I have, so be it.

Although this is set amidst a small rural community, it could just as easily transfer to any society where a small white lie can lead to a misunderstanding that brings out the vigilante in any of us. That’s the situation that primary school teacher “Lucas” (Mads Mikkelsen) finds himself in when the young daughter of his childhood friend “Theo” (Thomas Bo Larsen) makes a remark that turns this otherwise peaceable community into something distinctly hostile. You can probably guess that nature of the accusation, and perhaps comprehend just why people closed ranks and gave “Lucas” little opportunity to address the issue, especially as there were no obvious methods of corroborating either person’s version of events about which the worst is assumed of this hitherto liked and respected man. To add to the woes of the teacher, he is simultaneously trying to re-establish a relationship with his teenage son “Marcus” (Lasse Fogelstrøm) who is, himself, a friend of the accuser and her family. Over the best part of two hours we now see just how effective the whole process of ostracism can be. The refusal to engage, the denial of facilities and services, the overwhelming pressures of being guilty - regardless of authoritative investigation or chance for explanation or vindication. How can he get back in? Mikkelsen delivers compellingly here and the story and the dialogue becomes more desperate, harrowing even, as the story builds to a tense and unpredictable conclusion. Larsen displays a conflicted friend/father effectively and Fogelstrøm likewise as a conflicted son, and Thomas Vinterberg contrives to deliver a meticulously paced and shocking indictment of the effects of this exclusion in both a violent but mainly psychological fashion. It’s a tough watch, this film - but well worth it and it does beg the question about what might our own behaviour be in similar circumstances.

Viewers beware: this is not an easy or light watch. Mads Mikkelsen absolutely kills it as a somewhat lonely single man, who suddenly finds love and welcomes his son to live with him. That's all I'll reveal in the review, no spoilers here. But again, this isn't a light film, nor should it be. This tackles the subject matter with the poise it deserves, with stunning performances from Mads as well as the entire supporting cast. The script and cinematography lend themselves perfectly to the task at hand, delivering a well-crafted portrayal of love, friendship, and ruin. Excellent.