Watch The Hunt For Free

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Good start, but then it gets ruined

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

I spotted this Danish film because of the star of Casino Royale, then I read what it was about, it definitely sounded like a worthwhile watch. Basically Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) is a well-liked kindergarten teacher in a close-knit Danish community, his hobby is going deer hunting (hence the title). He is divorced and struggles to maintain a relationship with his teenage son, Marcus (Lasse Fogelstrøm), who eventually comes to live with him, and his co-worker Nadja (Alexandra Rapaport) is making advances towards him, eventually becoming his girlfriend. Seven-year-old Klara (Annika Wedderkopp) is one of Lucas' students, she is the daughter of his best friend Theo (Thomas Bo Larsen). She has a crush on Lucas and one day puts a heart-shaped ornament into his coat pocket, she then gives Lucas a kiss on the lips, but he rebuffs it, this hurts her feelings. In anger, drawing on a memory of a pornographic picture her older brother showed her, she makes a comment to the kindergarten director. Klara has a run-away imagination and concocts a lie about her teacher, saying that he indecently exposed himself to her, the directors asks leading questions, but the little girl's answers are unclear. The adults have a meeting to discuss Lucas, the director convinces them of this story of sexual abuse, dismissing Klara's later contradictions as denial, this story soon sweeps across the community. Before Lucas has even been able to understand what is happening, or defend himself, he is shunned by the community as a paedophile and sexual predator, and quickly becomes an outcast of the town. His friendship with Theo and his relationship with Nadja are destroyed, and his son Marcus is publicly ostracised. The teachers ask other kindergarten students leading questions, who also say they have been abused, claiming they have been in Lucas' basement, but this supports his innocence, as he has no basement. Lucas is arrested, but released without charge, but the community are still suspicious of him, and soon the ostracism turns into violence. Lucas' dog Fanny is killed, and a large stone is thrown through his kitchen window, and when he goes grocery shopping, he is attacked by store employees. On Christmas Eve, Lucas confronts Theo during a public church service, while the children are carol singing, but this also turns into a violent exchange. Theo overhears Klara apologising to Lucas for the consequences she has caused, he realises he is innocent, he visits him, bringing food and alcohol, to make a peace offering. A year later, tensions in the community have calmed down, Lucas and Nadja are in a relationship again, and Marcus has been accepted into the local hunting society as an adult. During a hunting expedition, an unseen person apparently shoots at Lucas and misses him, he is unable to see who it is in the sunlight, the attacker, real or metaphorical, disappear, so Lucas is still fearful of his reputation. Also starring Susse Wold as Grethe, Anne Louise Hassing as Agnes, Lars Ranthe as Bruun and Sebastian Bull Sarning as Torsten. Mikkelsen gives an excellent performance as the completely innocent teacher who has been plunged into a nightmare of mass hysteria, a man not without faults, but he never loses our sympathy, it really is a reminder how misinformation, all from one innocent little lie, can snowball into something a massive misunderstanding with severe consequences, a most plausible and tense drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, it was nominated the BAFTA for Best Film not in the English Language, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. Very good!

This movie contains very difficult subject matter that instills feelings of gut wrenching injustice from mob mentality; the human tendency to rush to judgement and condemnation especially when peers/community comes to conclusions based upon intense emotion. This is far from a feel good movie. Plot, casting, performance, and direction are near perfect. Expect to be thinking about this film days after viewing.

Such a delicate subject dealt in very matured manner is amazing . Kudos.

Just absolute breathtaking!! You can't sit back and relax - ur simply just glued to the screen for 1,5 hour! Absolute best movie from Mads Mikkelsen so far!!