MANHUNT– nothing to do with the controversial video game of the same name – is yet ANOTHER entry in the 'survival horror' genre that's flourished since THE Texas CHAIN SAW MASSACRE came out in 1974. More recently, the genre has seen a rebirth with the likes of WILDERNESS, EDEN LAKE, SEVERANCE and many others, and the distinction this film has is that it's Norwegian. Nothing else is remarkable. This is a lean, pared-down, unpleasant little film detailing a bunch of campers who run afoul of some hunting nutters. And that's all there is to it.
The direction is all right, the performances pretty good. Visually, there's a muted colour palette that turns the woodland setting into a drab grey and brown mix, presumably to add to the earthy feel. The atmosphere is pretty good. I enjoy these films that link with the primeval in some way and the forest is always a perfect backdrop for true horror. I don't think any film has managed to surpass THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT yet, but this is another beast entirely. It's a bit like THEM without the set-up and with extra gore.
The gore itself is a big talking point and it is explicit. There are impalings, stabbings, guts, and plenty of blood, as well as one of the most painful gunshot wounds I've seen on a film. Thankfully, it's all shown rather briefly rather than being dwelt upon in detail, but it does leave a nasty taste in the mouth, as was undoubtedly the intention. The sleazy scene in which one of the bad guys forces the barrel of his sawn-off shotgun into a blonde girl's mouth is the worst part of the film, threatening to turn the whole production into a misogynistic mess. The ending is fairly intense, although not a patch on EDEN LAKE's, and the director pays his dues to THE LONG GOOD Friday in a BIG way. So, MANHUNT isn't going to set the world on fire, but it's a perfectly serviceable kind of film that delivers plenty of shocks and gross moments during its short running time. I enjoyed the experience, but I'm not in a hurry to see it again.
The direction is all right, the performances pretty good. Visually, there's a muted colour palette that turns the woodland setting into a drab grey and brown mix, presumably to add to the earthy feel. The atmosphere is pretty good. I enjoy these films that link with the primeval in some way and the forest is always a perfect backdrop for true horror. I don't think any film has managed to surpass THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT yet, but this is another beast entirely. It's a bit like THEM without the set-up and with extra gore.
The gore itself is a big talking point and it is explicit. There are impalings, stabbings, guts, and plenty of blood, as well as one of the most painful gunshot wounds I've seen on a film. Thankfully, it's all shown rather briefly rather than being dwelt upon in detail, but it does leave a nasty taste in the mouth, as was undoubtedly the intention. The sleazy scene in which one of the bad guys forces the barrel of his sawn-off shotgun into a blonde girl's mouth is the worst part of the film, threatening to turn the whole production into a misogynistic mess. The ending is fairly intense, although not a patch on EDEN LAKE's, and the director pays his dues to THE LONG GOOD Friday in a BIG way. So, MANHUNT isn't going to set the world on fire, but it's a perfectly serviceable kind of film that delivers plenty of shocks and gross moments during its short running time. I enjoyed the experience, but I'm not in a hurry to see it again.