A group of young activists set out to make an environmental statement by vandalizing a home superstore as it closes. But their plan goes terribly wrong when they become trapped inside and must face a deranged security guard with a gruesome passion for primitive hunting. As the night fills with violence and terror, the teenagers find themselves in a desperate fight for their lives.
The Hunted - An intense thriller that follows a group of refugees who, after surviving a shipwreck in the Mediterranean, are rescued and taken to a paradise island by wealthy Europeans who reveal themselves to be ruthless human hunters. The film has been praised for its incisive social criticism and exciting narrative, earning recognition at several international festivals for its originality and audacity.
In the line of violent dystopian works such as 'Battle Royale' or the more popular 'The Hunger Games', 'The Hunt' can be described as yet another movie with a parable about a society in misery. However, this one, directed by Craig Zobel (director of episodes of series like 'Westworld' or 'American Gods') and written by Damon Lindelof (creator of the successful television series 'Watchmen'), intends to be a satire of the deep social and political divide between the right and the left that exists in the United States (and, of course, also in Brazil), with heated debates about liberalism, conservatism and the role of the media. It may not be as deep and acidic as it seems, but with its extreme violence and a star-studded cast featuring Hilary Swank ('Boys Don't Cry'), Emma Roberts ('Nerve: A Game Without Rules') and Betty Gilpin ('GLOW'), the result is still a fun feature film with a B-movie feel. Moreover, this is a Blumhouse production - famous for making successful low-budget horror films, in the vein of the remake of 'The Invisible Man' and 'Paranormal Activity'.
Sometimes a horror movie is better when it's not taken too seriously, as is the case with 'Ready or Not'. The premise is clear (and a bit bloody): lots of sharp comedy - and the result is satisfying. Samara Weaving's performance as Grace is remarkable, and in this simple dynamic of prey to hunter, the actress manages to appropriate her character and make it authentic. The movie offers suspense, laughs and blood, but also sustains a social comment on the more privileged classes and their abyssal distance from the reality of the rest of the population.
A country where people can commit crimes at will, during one night, without any kind of condemnation. That is the premise of the inventive and entertaining 'The Purge', a feature film by James DeMonaco - which ended up generating three other films and a TV series. With a star-studded cast, including Ethan Hawke ('Before Sunrise') and Lena Headey ('Game of Thrones'), the feature film creates a tense and apprehensive atmosphere as it shows a family that is put at risk during this night of crime, also known as The Purge. There are some considerable narrative problems, in addition to a rhythm that breaks in the middle. However, the premise is still interesting enough to keep the viewer's attention for a surprising and quite violent ending.