Whilst the USA’s love affair with guns is well documented, less is made of the popularity of hunting in North America. Whilst you expect it from their southern cousins, this practice, hobby or sport is still very popular in Canada; with over one million people heading into nature every year. This could be due to the sheer remoteness of the place and the disparity between population and landmass. That and a long history of exploration and frontier living. This is the setting for Shawn Linden’s new film Hunter Hunter.
Joseph (Devon Sawa) and Anne (Camille Sullivan) decided to turn their backs on the world and live in the remote wilderness. The couple struggle to make a living as fur trappers and she worries that their daughter (Summer H. Howell) is being deprived of a normal childhood. When a rogue wolf returns and starts taking the bait from their traps, Joe becomes obsessed with hunting it down. He goes deep into the forest, leaving mother and daughter alone.
Hunter Hunter toys with its audience. We’re transported into the wilds where human and animal live is perilous equilibrium. With the balance between hunter and prey constantly shifting. Danger stalks between the trees, creating a palpable tension and a sense of isolation and remoteness. Linden cleverly keeps us guessing until the very end. There’s a lot going on in Hunter Hunter, but you’re liable to be snared in its trap.
Hunter Hunter is out in select US cinemas, on digital and on demand from 18 December.
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