In a small, foggy town in Denmark, kindergarten teacher Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) becomes the victim of a foggier rumour that threatens to destroy his career, his livelihood and his relationships to the people around him. As his community shuns him, believing that he is a pedophile and child abuser, Lucas must dig deep and find a place where he can redeem himself in the eyes of friends and family.
Thomas Vinterberg’s piercing and poignant drama, which could have been titled When Bad Things Happen to Good People, sees the brilliant Mikkelsen giving us the most penetrating performance by any male actor this year. As a warm and mild-mannered man falsely accused of child molestation, the actor submerges to layers of devastation that few people could mine. Anyone familiar with his sinister turns in NBC’s Hannibal and Casino Royale will marvel at his ability to descend into agony, hoping to find compassion in others when his good friends abandon him.
Also of note here is Tobias Lindholm’s (A Hijacking) script, which is fierce and pointed, authentically depicting the speed with which one false rumour can split people apart. He pits the kind protagonist at the whim of a notable villain: gossip.
A devastating scene near the end, set in a cathedral as Lucas pleads for absolution from a higher power and from the powerful community that has forsaken him, is a master-class of acting, writing and directing, and it all culminates in one of the most hauntingly ambiguous ending I have ever seen. The Hunt is a morally complex drama, heightened by a powerhouse lead performance that will stick with you long after the credits roll.
