Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill and Frances O'Connor star in the Australian psychological thriller The Hunter. The film tells the story of Martin, a mercenary-for-hire who is out to kill the last known Tasmanian tiger in the world. His reasoning behind such a malicious act? The creature's organs are worth a pretty penny, and a company has commissioned him to do it. But no such mission can be completed without a complication, and for Martin that roadblock comes in the form of a mother and her children with whom he lodges with during his journey.
A movie like this shows how versatile an actor truly is. For The Hunter that actor is William Dafoe. While the film didn't feature much dialogue it does focus on the human emotion and its interaction with nature. I can't recall having ever seen an Australian film, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with all that was offered here.
What will catch most people's eye is the visual appeal of the film. The fact that the movie is shot in Tasmania brings a much needed realization to the story. Director Daniel Nettheim did a really nice job in meshing the environment with his actors to create a more realistic feature that really hits home on an emotional level.
It should be noted that at times this film does get slow. The story takes its time in developing its plot, occasionally at the expense of the viewers. If you have a passion for the environment then The Hunter is the perfect film. Others will likely see it as a standard indie release that lacks much originality and purpose. Either way the film is worth checking out.
