The Hunter
User Score
7.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14

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  1. pinattar
    Jun 22, 2012
    9
    this is a really great movie. great acting from Dafoe, writing, directing. the cinematography is especially stunning, they filmed on location and used wide pans of Tasmanias' landscape. the tone and atmosphere was also very well done, because of the lack of dialogue and the look of the movie you get a very mysterious fell throughout, also every scene has Dafoe in it (if a remember correctly), so we only see what he sees. there were however some problems with the kids character, i didn't feel like they were thoughtfully written, they seemed incomplete, particularly how they were so upbeat seeing that their father had been missing for weeks and there mother wasn't altogether there. but one could argue that we only see what the hunter sees, which might not be an accurate representation of the charterers. all in all, i think this is a great movie if you don't mind slow movies with many scenes featuring only one actor and little dialogue, if you don't then you'll find this movie very boring. basically if you enjoyed The American with George Clooney (which is very similar to this) then you will enjoy this movie. ps. there is a scene after the end credits that answers a question (but also creates another).… Expand
  2. StevenF
    Feb 17, 2013
    9
    It's rare to to watch a film that reaches into the soul of the viewer to nip and prod at the insecurities and emotional journeys that have been taken, but The Hunter, through a metaphorical sight, does exactly that.
    Willem Dafoe delivers an unforgettably incredible and gripping performance under his cover alias of Martin David, a sort of undercover mercenary who has been hired and sent to     the one of the last remaining great wilderness, Tasmania, by a mysterious company looking for the last remaining Tasmanian tiger, believed to be extinct.
    As we kick off with Martin receiving a frosty reception from the town folk, he is met with the hospitality of a mother and her two children, who have been reeling after the disappearance of their father.
    Martin sets off into the sprawling forestry, and this is truly where the film finds its feet, this is a test of survival, and a personal battle of wits and questions of life choices as Martin is increasingly the victim of mysterious anomalies within the secluded land
    He grows increasingly close to the family he is staying with, as they are dealing with their missing husband/father, and hardship from the people in the town due to their lifestyle.
    The cinematography of The Hunter is on a scale that could match any epic blockbuster, its beautiful panning shots with a widescreen view of the Tasmanian wilderness, along with the quieter and isolated moments involving Dafoe and his gun are some of the best scenes of the film, and thus solidifying Dafoe's performance as flawless even more.
    The film ultimately paints an abstract picture, basically meaning that we are not quite sure who is right and who is wrong, what is good and what isn't. It isn't a straight-up catch your prey film, but one with a thoughtful and emotional, detailed and gritty story, that buy the time the climax rolls around, Dafoe is menacing as a man now out to survive, out to live, but most of all, out to finish his work and make peace with whatever demons have haunted him. The drama between the family and the wilderness truly sets this film apart from any other, with stellar supporting performances from Frances O'Connor and Sam Neill, a journey that will leave many surprised at the scope of this film, but the underrated brilliance of its depth, easily one of the best films to arrive in the last few years with one of the most memorable standalone performances from Dafoe.
    Tragic but thrilling, gritty, cold, but easily captivating.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
63 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    May 17, 2012
    50
    The Hunter becomes turgid with corporate conspiracies, hired assassins, and offscreen tragedies, and the appealing leanness of the early scenes gets lost.
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  2. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Joe Williams
    Apr 27, 2012
    88
    To keep serious cinema from going extinct, this could be sold as "The Hunger Games" cross-bred with "The Lorax," but it's better and more mature than either of those hit movies.
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  3. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    Apr 14, 2012
    63
    The Hunter works best as a travelogue and a thought-piece about the ugly, shadowy side of resurrecting dead species.
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