The Hunter

2012

The Hunter

Critics Consensus

The Hunter occasionally suffers from predictability, but Willem Dafoe gives a terrific performance as an obsessive hunter on the trail of a mysterious beast.

73%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 92

62%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 16,166
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Movie Info

The Hunter is the story of Martin, a skilled and ruthless mercenary sent into the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for a tiger believed to be extinct. Hired by an anonymous company that wants the tiger's genetic material, Martin arrives in Tasmania posing as a scientist. He proceeds to set up base camp at a broken-down farmhouse, where he stays with a family whose father has gone missing. Usually a loner, Martin becomes increasingly close to the family; however, as his attachment to the family grows, Martin is led down a path of unforeseen dangers, complicating his deadly mission. -- (C) Official Site

Cast

Willem Dafoe
as Martin
Frances O'Connor (II)
as Lucy
Sam Neill
as Jack
Morgana Davies
as Sass
Finn Woodlock
as Bike
Jacek Koman
as Middleman
Callan Mulvey
as Rival Hunter
John Brumpton
as Publican
Dan Wylie
as Pool Player
Sullivan Stapleton
as Doug
Jamie Timony
as Free
Dan Spielman
as Simon
Maia Thomas
as Shakti
Marc Watson-Paul
as Jarrah
Mark Hennessy
as Martin Stunt Double
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Critic Reviews for The Hunter

All Critics (92) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (67) | Rotten (25)

  • Its mostly observant temper keeps us from being greatly moved, but it holds us with its acute, almost laboratory dissection of its people's beings.

    Jun 19, 2013 | Full Review…

    Stanley Kauffmann

    The New Republic
    Top Critic

  • Dafoe is eminently watchable, and for the most part it's a distinctive, atmospheric movie that cherishes the persistence of mystery.

    Jul 5, 2012 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

    Steve Rose

    Guardian
    Top Critic

  • Unfocussed and thematically overburdened. More could have been said with less.

    Jul 5, 2012 | Rating: 2/5

    Matthew Thrift

    Little White Lies
    Top Critic

  • A movie with more plot than it can comfortably handle.

    May 17, 2012 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

    Ty Burr

    Boston Globe
    Top Critic

  • With a rucksack of gadgets, Dafoe makes a believably cunning tracker, and when he finally confronts his prey, the mutual respect feeds a poignant parable.

    Apr 27, 2012 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

    Joe Williams

    St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Top Critic

  • Not much happens in "The Hunter." And what little does happen, happens very slowly. And then is repeated.

    Apr 19, 2012 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

    Soren Andersen

    Seattle Times
    Top Critic
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Audience Reviews for The Hunter

  • Sep 13, 2015
    Pretty solid. Good story and writing, and pretty good acting all around, especially by Defoe. I appreciate the lessons, both positive and negative, that this film attempts to convey to the viewer. Whether or not it gets them across as effectively is another story, but I like that it at least tries lol.
    Stephen S Super Reviewer
  • Jul 30, 2015
    A slow, albeit fascinating and beautifully filmed movie for almost 90 minutes. Unfortunately, the solution in the last 15 minutes is so devastatingly saddening (without making much sense), that it's hard to say you enjoyed what you've been watching or feel like revisiting again. Which is sad because the story, chemistry between the characters and the landscape as an alien surrounding works great for the longest time. Especially Dafoe is outstanding as always. Man, if only this ended differently. It pains me to think about it.
    Jens S Super Reviewer
  • Aug 23, 2014
    It sends a unique moral message that some mysteries should never be solved.
    Max G Super Reviewer
  • Apr 11, 2014
    An intriguing, though somewhat underdeveloped story of a mercenary hunter (Willem Dafoe) tasked with the mission of finding and killing the last remaining Tasmanian devil in the wilderness of Australia. He also becomes involved with the family he is staying with, whose father has gone missing. There are a lot of interesting elements here, and the ending in particular is powerful and moving, but ultimately this movie is a frustrating concoction of family drama mixed with man vs. nature. The scenes with Dafoe out in the wilderness are fantastic, while his moments with the family seem like a slight distraction from the main meat of the story. Dafoe, as always, is phenomenal and does a lot with his very thinly detailed character, and the cinematography is absolutely breathtaking. In the end though, it just feels slightly underdone, which is a shame because there is a lot of great material here.
    Dan S Super Reviewer
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