The Hunt Review: 8 Ups & 5 Downs

2. The Opening Cast Twist

The best messing the film does is setting us up to believe that Justin Hartley and Emma Roberts are going to be the stars. Of course they would be: he's the perfect answer to Lost star Matthew Fox (and has pulled in lots of accolades for This Is Us) and Roberts is literally a Scream Queen. But then everything changes. That's all you're getting, but it's all done bloody brilliantly.

In fact, the whole film is like an exercise in messing with casting expectations. Obviously Betty Gilpin was always going to be a big part of it because her star is in the ascendancy at the minute, but there are way more recognisable names in here than you'd think.

It's not like The Hunger Games packed out its tributes with recognisable names. And yet we have Ike Barinholtz, Emma Roberts, Gilpin, Ethan Suplee, It's Always Sunny's Glenn Howerton and Hartley in here. Plus a cameo by musician Sturgill Simpson.