Good idea, poorly executed and marketed. 

Well it has been a while but I am back and raring to go! I have found some comfort in the escape of watching films during lock down, but I missed the experience of going to the cinema. I have my own little ritual to my cinema trips. I arrive early, treat myself to a coffee, and start basing my ideas on the trailer and posters I’ve seen.  

Normally you can get a pretty good idea about a movie based on the content before the release. So I first saw these posters:

So these were my assumptions and notes:

• People are being hunted in the woods
• Eerie images – thriller / horror film
• Key words as violence and sick

Then I saw the trailer:

• People wake up gagged in the woods
• They are armed
• They get hunted
• Some get away and hunt the hunters
• Explosions, blood and guts – thriller / horror genre

And then I watched it…..

First things first THIS IS NOT A HORROR FILM!!! This is a satirical political action film. This was my main problem with the film. I went in expecting one thing, and came out with something completely different. I’m going to be honest, I wanted to see some real horror and thriller moments and thats why I watched it but I was left unfulfilled.

Ok I admit there are blood and guts so i’m happy with that but the story was lacking. It is basically an US verses THEM mentality. Which is apparently what they were going for. Producer Jason Blum said “It was read as a satire, no different from The Joker or other movies that are violent. It was read as a movie that didn’t take sides…The audience is smart enough to know that what they’re seeing is a satire”.

So my issue is why not market it as a satire! I think it would have done better if it was marketed with the proper intention.

The one thing I did like was the wardrobe choices. Between the “Elite” and the “Deplorables”. You can see many stereotypes on both sides. Big shout out to David Tabbert, the costume designer. You saved this film for me.

Elite:

• Fox hunting gear
• Suits
• Waistcoats
• Professional

 

Deplorables:

• Plaid shirts
• Gun toting Redneck
• Yoga pants
• Ugg boots
• Safari hunter
• Caps

Overall I think it was an interesting idea, but its been marketed wrongly, and come out at the wrong time. As Crystal says in the film I think it “Depends on whether they’re smart pretending to be idiots or idiots pretending to be smart.” I think its a little of column A and a little from column B. There are always going to be conspiracies but having the link between ManorGate being very close to PizzaGate and the whole Epstein fiasco, I think it is very poorly timed.

2/5

 

 

Director: Craig Zobel

Cast: Betty Gilin, Hilary Swank, Ike Barinholtz, Emma Roberts

Crew: Jason Blum (Producer), Damon Lindelof (Writer)

Genre: Debatable

Rating: 15

References

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/universal-sets-release-hunt-controversy-1278642