Today,
RTL is showing a horror thriller as a TV premiere that almost didn’t make it to the cinema. It would have been a shame for the very entertaining The Hunt. We explain the discussion surrounding the film.
Seldom has a film been more hotly debated before its release than The Hunt. The satirical horror thriller made it to cinemas in 2020 after much resistance and a long postponement, but went down there. Today it is shown for the first time on German free TV. RTL will show The Hunt on Sunday at 11.35 pm – probably uncut, despite the FSK 18 rating. And it’s worth tuning in, because The Hunt convinces with many twists, funny ideas and a great leading actress (Betty Gilpin).
We explain the controversy surrounding The Hunt and its wild release history.
What is The Hunt about?
Twelve people who have never met before come to each other in a clearing. They are given access to weapons, and at the same time they are shot at. One by one, the (supposed) main characters die without them even knowing what is going on. Little by little, the secret is revealed.
Who the main character is remains unclear to the audience for a long time, which is one of the great attractions of The Hunt: anyone can die at any time. The perfect starting point for the already paranoid setting somewhere in an anonymous wilderness. The manhunt is given additional spice by the political subtext.
Publication was in danger: why is The Hunt controversial?
The Hunt deliberately works with stereotypes: Democrats and Republicans:inside go at each other in the film. This theme was dynamite in the divided political landscape of the USA, which has taken on sensitive proportions in the Trump era. Discussions began well before its release. All that was known about the plot at the time was that two political groups would be fighting or hunting each other.
After two terrorist attacks with firearms in the USA, the launch was even completely cancelled and The Hunt was no longer publicly advertised. The tense climate and the discussion about gun violence were not to be further fuelled. In the meantime, the release was completely on the back burner .
It seemed conceivable that the world would never get to see The Hunt. The context was too politically charged. When the film was finally released in the winter of 2020, those responsible affirmed that nothing about it had been changed.
