The struggle to survive in uncertain times is nothing new, but 2020 has made us all aware of the “wolves” just outside the door. IFC’s “Hunter Hunter” seeks to explore this battle between nature, people, and mysteries better left unsettled. The horror thriller forgoes overt special effects, instead opting for an authentic sense of what it means to be prey.
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What constitutes a monster is left to writer and director Shawn Linden. The creator—best known for “In Plain Sight”—takes on the usual final girl mystique while winding the narrative into strange cinematic contortions. Caught in the middle of the story is a mother/daughter pair faced with what man and nature inflict on others. Camille Sullivan and Summer H. Howell assume the pivotal roles; Howell herself is no stranger to the genre with a role in 2017’s “Cult of Chucky.” The horror pedigree doesn’t stop with the young actress, “Final Destination” star Devon Sawa appears as a desperate father intent on his own quest. The “Terminator” franchise is also represented with Nick Stahl taking on a key role.
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The film’s official synopsis:
“Hunter Hunter” follows a family living in the remote wilderness earning a living as fur trappers. Joseph Mersault (Devon Sawa), his wife Anne (Camille Sullivan), and their daughter return of a rogue wolf is hunting their traps and think the return of a rogue wolf is hunting their traps. Determined to catch the predator in the act, Joseph leaves his family behind to track the wolf. Anne and Renée grow increasingly anxious during Joseph’s prolonged absence and struggle to survive without him. When they hear a strange noise outside their cabin, Anne hopes it is Joseph but instead finds a man named Lou (Nick Stahl), who has been severely injured and left for dead. The longer Lou stays and Joseph is away, the more paranoid Anne becomes, and the idea of a mysterious predator in the woods slowly becomes a threat much closer to home.”
The dangerous world of “Hunter Hunter” comes to theaters, on-demand, and digital services on December 18. Watch the new trailer below.
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