The Hunt stars talented Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen as a man named Lucas, a well-liked inhabitant of a small town who finds himself as the target of sexual allegations against a young girl - allegations that we, as the audience, know to be completely untrue. The film serves as a brilliant commentary on the nature of mass hysteria, as - one by one - everyone turns against Lucas and his once enjoyable existence tainted forever. The film was released to much critical acclaim back in 2012, but remains somewhat under-seen for a couple of reasons: firstly, the subject matter will strike some as a little off-putting, given its inherently controversial nature. Secondly, its standing as a Danish movie is likely to bother others. Both reasons are unjustified, of course: this is a brilliantly candid drama that deserves to be seen by as many as possible - an essential cautionary tale for all.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
