I don't know if I could conjure up a more horrible predicament for someone to find themselves in than the two protagonists of this story. Marcus Trenton (Martin McCann) and Vaughn Carter (Jack Lowden) rekindle their childhood association with a hunting trip in Scotland, and almost right out of the gate find themselves in an impossible situation. Setting his gun sight on a deer, the reluctant Vaughn hesitates somewhat and pulls the trigger of his rifle just as the animal moves to reveal a young boy directly in the line of fire. When the boy's father comes upon the scene and reacts to the horror of his dead son, Marcus shoots him from a distance to protect his friend from being killed in retaliation. The cover up involves burying the bodies in the woods and attempting to appear normal upon heading back to the small village where they are staying.
Under other circumstances, the killing of the young boy would have been considered a terrible accident, and the shooting of his father might be considered a self defense move, but there's no way any part of this argument would fly in a close knit community down on it's luck from lack of employment and general poverty. Additionally, Marcus doesn't help his cause when he entertains a woman from the village with cocaine and sex, a volatile combination that would have been bad enough on its own if the horror in the forest hadn't happened.
The entire scenario creates an uncertain aspect for the viewer, because even when the men are discovered to have participated in the tragic hunting event, you don't really know what to expect in the way of punishment by the villagers. Led by a rational thinking leader of the small circle of relatives and friends of the dead victims, a solution is reached that appeases his neighbors, and spells doom for one, if not both men. For that though, you'll have to catch the movie, currently playing as a Netflix original as I write this. I thought it was a well written, nervy thriller that leaves one unsettled with it's final resolution and uncomfortable closing scene.
Under other circumstances, the killing of the young boy would have been considered a terrible accident, and the shooting of his father might be considered a self defense move, but there's no way any part of this argument would fly in a close knit community down on it's luck from lack of employment and general poverty. Additionally, Marcus doesn't help his cause when he entertains a woman from the village with cocaine and sex, a volatile combination that would have been bad enough on its own if the horror in the forest hadn't happened.
The entire scenario creates an uncertain aspect for the viewer, because even when the men are discovered to have participated in the tragic hunting event, you don't really know what to expect in the way of punishment by the villagers. Led by a rational thinking leader of the small circle of relatives and friends of the dead victims, a solution is reached that appeases his neighbors, and spells doom for one, if not both men. For that though, you'll have to catch the movie, currently playing as a Netflix original as I write this. I thought it was a well written, nervy thriller that leaves one unsettled with it's final resolution and uncomfortable closing scene.