Leofwine_draca
THE HUNTERS is a crime thriller about a Swedish cop who returns to his home town to discover a hotbed of crime and deceit as he pursues a reindeer poaching gang. This stars WALLANDER actor Rolf Lassgard and it does feel very much like a Henning Mankell story, by which I mean it's a classic slice of Scandi-crime dripping with atmosphere and suspense.The story that plays out is very nearly as icy as the chilly background in which the tale takes place. Certainly it's an exploration of the dark side of the human soul, with a typical police procedural in the first half giving way to something much more sinister and murderous in the second. Rolf Lassgard and Lennart Jahkel are excellent in the lead roles as a pair of brothers driven apart by living at opposite ends of the moral spectrum.The only reason I'm not a massive fan of this genre is that I don't like the way that the criminals are never made to really pay for their crimes, due to the limitations of the justice system (which are all too apparent here). I prefer the sort of film where the protagonist goes outside of the law in order to bring the bad guys some true justice. Still, THE HUNTERS trades crowd-pleasing vengeance for chilly realism, offering no easy answers or a perfect ending; it's as dark and quietly devastating as it gets.
Bene Cumb
All (relatively) closed circles like distant villages, churches, schools have something to hide, but if guns and/or money is involved (often boosted by greed and booze), then felonies are eager to happen. And if there is a need to cover up a small one, then bigger ones are likely to happen - particularly if there is someone near by to hide it from...Such is the framework of events in Jägarna - after a police officer from Stockholm moves back to his small hometown in Norrland in northern Sweden and begins to deal with a long-running case of illegal hunting. When someone outside starts digging, consequences can be fatal... And by the end of the day, there is no winner at all. Such hints progress throughout the film, and its ending is a proof of that. It seems that the protagonist Erik (credibly played by Rolf Lassgård) had no idea where his actions would lead him to. As for the rest of the cast, all are good as well, although I shrug my shoulders when I read that Lennart Jähkel received Guldbagge Award and Lassgård did not; by the way, Lassgård-Stormare confrontation in Jägarna 2 was more convincing to me.Jägarna is a decent film, where the interaction of good directing, acting and stunning Nordic nature provide a valuable experience. However, most women and some men would probably dislike its naturalism and harsh depiction of deer hunting.
Christopher Laursen
"Jagarna" was brought to Canadian audiences via the Showcase TV network during a Scandinavian film festival -- and thank goodness it was! What an amazing character-driven story which not only delves into a poaching conspiracy but the emotionally-charged relationship between two brothers. Pure brilliance and highly recommended. An all-time favorite.
svaerker
I don't like swedish movies, although there are exceptions (first Beck series etc.). 'Jägarna' almost made me fall to sleep in my chair, the script was un-original, un-inspiring and unbelieveable. Technically the movie was ok, but the script was just plain stupid.I can't say any more, as I don't remember. I couldn't even recommend my worst enemy to see this vile piece of trash, so stay away from it.2/10
AD
