ncstebb-00587 I just stumbled onto this in a streaming service I subscribe to and I have to say I loved it. I've never reviewed a movie before but I feel compelled to do in this case because of how much I loved it and because the discussions I've read on it make me think that the movie has been misunderstood and underrated.Firstly I really like the slow burning character driven nature of the move. The name of the movie tells it all, it's about Defoe's character, not the company, not the conspiracy, not the toxin or the tiger. It's not a movie that is trying to be too clever either. It gives us hints about what could be going on but it doesn't spell it all out, because the details aren't important and the viewer can fill them in or simply wonder about them as they like.Mild spoilers follow...I've worked in Tasmania as a geologist and I think the snippets of tension between environmentalists and forestry (and other) workers, is really accurate. The beauty of the landscape isn't fully captured either, but I think this is intentional as the starkness of the presentation is in keeping with the tone of the film and reflects the nature of Defoe's character. I once had a very similar experience to one depicted in the film, I was doing field work in the Kimberley, Western Australia for a university and some workers on the massive cattle station we were in came to our campsite at night and fired a shot over our tents. So the fear and animosity depicted between scientists and workers is real and accurate.Bigger spoilers to follow....I loved Sam Neil's character, I thought he was really authentic as the local whose knowledge of the area and its people were useful to the company. He seemed to be looking for some affirmation first as a useful guide and also as the one looking after Lucy's family (I doubt he was aware of how drugging Lucy contributed to the objectives of the company, perhaps for him it just helped maintain his position of importance to the family). Like I said before, the details probably weren't critical to the story being told.Defoe's character too was excellent. Not the one dimensional tough guy hit man of your action movies, he liked to take a bath and took time to clean the bath in Lucy's home so he could use it. I thought the solitary nature of his character was something he worked to maintain because it was an occupational necessity. I thought the scene where he was about to go on a picnic with the family was significant. He felt for the family and was angry that the company had (almost certainly) brought about so much suffering for them in pursuing its goals, but critically at this stage he had still covered up the murder and was willing to steel himself against the hurt he would cause them by abandoning the picnic in order to get on with his job. But then came the death of Lucy and her daughter and the attempt on his own life. At this stage I was glued to my seat, waiting to see how he would react. It was well set up with his last conversation with Jack Minty (Neil), when he said that the company would keep sending hunters until they got what they wanted. The ending was well executed, for a moment we thought he might spare the tiger (as our inner greenies wanted him to), then we thought he'd reverted to type and finished his job. But the final scene made it clear... To massively over simplify the complex motivations of the character, his anger at what had been done to the boy grew too large and he committed an act of vengeance against the company.I found the ending very satisfying and powerful and the story and characters well developed and meaningful. Perhaps there were a few small holes in the presentation, the moments of action, but these are what you expect from a film focused on telling a story with a minimal budget and for me it's silly to consider them as detracting from what is, overall, a superb film.

Ibby Levin I had the pleasure of stumbling onto this while on a Willem Dafoe marathon, It definitely surpassed my expectations in the sense that I went in thinking it would be another typical shallow hunter/wilderness special. It was more than that with a refreshingly original main story with a sub plot that kept me thinking. with gloomy visuals of the environment and town, it really compliments the overall tone of the movie. Dafoe's acting is so natural and really draws you in with subtle facial expressions (you'll notice when he is alone) definitely recommend for a rainy night in by yourself or with people with similar taste.

Leofwine_draca For me, this is Willem Dafoe's best film. The whole movie belongs to him: he's in virtually every scene, and the abstract, spare nature of the script allows the director to focus his camera on the star's craggy features, capturing the look and spirit of a haunted but determined man who must do the right thing despite the odds stacked against him.Admittedly, THE HUNTER isn't for all tastes: it's slow indeed, and the essential narrative has a few plot holes and unbelievable bits here and there. But I loved it to bits. The atmosphere building is spot on, and rural Tasmania is brought to life in a wonderful way. The likes of Sam Neill and Dan Wyllie may play stereotypes, but they're entertaining ones, and Frances O'Connor is excellent as a damaged character.Much of the running time consists of Dafoe stalking through a deserted landscape, and these scenes are exquisitely beautiful with some of the best cinematography I've seen in an Australian movie. The ending is inevitable but tragic nonetheless. A fantastic film overall.

Elizabeth Rose Using the idea of tracking the last Tassie Tiger to tell a larger tale could have failed badly, but in this case, it was handled with such subtlety, it lets the viewer tease out the story for him or herself, making it a far better movie. In some respects, it reminds me of *The Constant Gardener* in the sense of pitting human conspiratorial greed vs. nature and local populations. But it also tells an amazing story of human relationships by showing a parallel between the endangered/extinct animal and several different characters. (I urge you to keep an open mind about the symbolism, it is multi-layered.) It unfolds carefully, but builds suspense from the beginning. It lets the viewer ascertain the characters and their motivations for him or herself. The acting was pitch perfect all around, the cinematography was beautiful, and the score was perfect. If you keep your expectations reasonable (e.g., don't expect an action-heavy movie), you will be impressed by a real thriller that will leave you breathless with the climax and with a lump in your throat at the denouement.