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Wealthy people who live in stately manor homes are supposed to live refined, fashionable lives—attending elegant parties and partaking in the most sophisticated of leisurely activities. But that’s not the case for the aristocratic family in Hunted (originally titled Hounded), whose favorite pastime proves to be surprisingly sadistic.
Hunted takes the wrong job with four young thieves who are just trying to make some extra money. They’ve managed to do quite well with simple breaking and entering jobs, stealing valuable pieces for an antiques dealer. But their luck changes when they agree to break into Redwick Estate in search of a ceremonial knife. As they’re exploring the estate, searching for the knife, they’re caught and captured. And they soon find themselves left in a field, hunted for sport by the estate’s owners and their eager hounds.
What follows, then, is a vicious game of cat and mouse, with four posh hunters, mounted on their best horses, dressed in breeches and helmets and pristine red coats, on the hunt for their working class quarry. It’s all about the thrill of the hunt for these family members, who are made to be as unlikable as possible. They’re not just ruthless and blood-thirsty; they’re pompous and superior and elitist, too, looking down on the four young people that they lured onto their property.
The thieves, meanwhile, are just a group of kids who took the job because they needed the money—to pay tuition, to pay the rent, to make ends meet—and it landed them in this life-or-death situation. But while the hunters expected a simple, straightforward hunt, they got more than they bargained for from these clever (if rather generic) young crooks.
Obviously, it’s all a story about class warfare—but not one that’s especially new or innovative. Stories like this twisted tale have been told before—and in ways that are more entertaining. Though it has its moments of blood and gore, it’s surprisingly light on action and suspense—not to mention development. Viewers will be expected to hate the hunters, but they won’t feel especially connected to the prey. So although the set-up is intriguing, the action isn’t necessarily thrilling.
Hunted is a vicious analogy for the constant battle between the haves and the have-nots. But while it offers a little bit of gore, a lot of screaming, and plenty of peril, there isn’t much here to make it truly stand out.
You can track down Hunted in select theaters beginning on October 21, 2022—or on demand starting on October 25th.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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