Hunter (2018)

Director: David Tarleton

Writers:  Jason Kellerman

Stars: Jason Kellerman, Nick Searcy, Shannon Brown, Adria Dawn, Rachel Cerda

After the death of his mother and sister, Hunter (Jason Kellerman) suddenly finds himself relegated to a life of paranoia and loneliness on the icy winter streets of Chicago. Dreaming of the life he’s lost, he’s increasingly haunted by horrifying memories and visions of the shadowy figures that took so much from him.

He takes refuge in a local homeless shelter, and is enrolled in a program that rehabilitates the homeless through talk therapy. Running the program, Danielle (Rachel Cerda) attempts to help him grapple with his history, and explain the personal demons which continue to terrify him.

After another homeless friend of Hunter’s goes missing, seemingly at the hands of those shadowy figures, Hunter’s fears become suddenly much more immediate. As he grows increasingly bold in his search for answers, and his newfound resolve brings him closer and closer to the truth, the dangerous figures he’s pursing begin to mount their forces against him. As his personal demons seek to exploit his weaknesses to threaten all he holds dear, with the lives of those he loves once again at stake, he must find the courage to rise above the victim, become the Hunter.

Hunter is an award-winning supernatural thriller directed by David Tarleton and written by Jason Kellerman, who also plays the film’s title character Hunter. Despite an impressive start where we see Hunter fighting in the Octagon, we soon see that Hunter has lot more to offer than just another action-packed thriller.  

One of the films strengths is in the visual execution which is used to accentuate the emotional tone of the scene. In a flashback to his past, the loud violent excitement of the crowd as Hunter fights in the octagon is full of the energy.  It is a complete contrast the present day it offers a bleaker reality with the cold, grey solitude where he feels alone, despite the noise and hustle on the streets around him.

The most memorable visual for me however is the way Hunters mental instability is depicted. The erratic editing between his violent visions and instability of the camera work creates his surreal confusion as he begins to question himself and the reality of what he sees around him. At first this does come across as a bit confusing especially with some of his early visions which initially are not explained, but as the story unfolds a much darker past is gradually uncovered as it begins to connect with the events in the present.

The film has some strong performances from the cast including Rachel Cerda as Danni, a volunteer who is trying to work with Hunter to get him off the streets, and Ryan Heindl as the often-conflicted Luke. It is however Jason Kellerman who really stands out in the film, offering more than just a central focus to the film, he delivers an array of emotions throughout with a convincing contrast in personalities. In the past he is convincing as a cage fighter, whose brutal fighting skills more than match his arrogant confidence on the outside the ring. Whereas in the present he brilliantly depicts a broken man on the streets who remains confused by a blurred reality, where he constantly questions what he sees, as he is haunted by his past.

Jason delivers an excellent portrayal of Hunter and embellishes the opportunity to play such a complex character which he created. However where the primary focus on Hunter remains one of the films strengths, it is also becomes one of the films weaknesses. The struggles of Hunter and both the events of both the past and present are skilfully incorporated into the murders that are currently happening in the shadows of the city. However, where there is so much emphasise on Hunter, it does leave some of the other elements in film underdeveloped. The murders in the city being one of the main elements as the events are often suggested, but I would liked to have seen this explored in more detail.

Another element which I would like to have seen more of is the action. I can understand why they wouldn’t want too much as it would take away from the tension of the film, but following the execution at the start of the film, it was a shame they didn’t incorporate a bit more throughout.

Hunter is a well thought out thriller, which for the most part delivers.
Admittedly there are some areas where I think the film could have been improved, especially with additional action scenes which would have helped with the pacing as a thriller – but thanks to an excellent performance from Jason Kellerman and some of the visual creativity from director David Tarleton, there is enough here to make Hunter worth taking a look.

Hunter will release on-demand and on all digital platforms February 12

Philip Rogers

Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!