Survival horror stories strike a unique sense of terror in viewers because they tug at the heart of what horrifies a lot of us. We’re blessed not to need to live out a survival tale, but to know that one unknowingly wrong vacation or work trip to a remote resort could end up being the trip that leads you to a horror film’s front door; well, that’s unnerving.
Movies like Frozen (not the version with Anna and Elsa), The Shallows, Descent, and You’re Next all showcase the core of human strength, what we’re willing to go through, and what we’re willing to put others through when our lives are on the line.
Another movie that tells an even more terrifying story of survival is The Hunt, a somewhat controversial film released in 2020.
Starring Betty Gilpin, J. C. MacKenzie, Hilary Swank, Ethan Suplee, Justin Hartley, Teri Wyble, and Ike Barinholtz, the premise for the film is as follows:
Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don’t know where they are, or how they got there. They don’t know they’ve been chosen – for a very specific purpose – The Hunt.
The movie made headlines before it was even released, in part due to Universal’s decision to cancel the film’s release after two mass shootings happened in the United States; knowing the premise of the film, Universal made this statement about their decision.
“While Universal Pictures had already paused the marketing campaign for The Hunt, after thoughtful consideration, the studio has decided to cancel our plans to release the film. We stand by our filmmakers and will continue to distribute films in partnership with bold and visionary creators, like those associated with this satirical social thriller, but we understand that now is not the right time to release this film.”
The otherwise unremarkable flick was released in theaters months later, on March 13th of 2020, with the initial premiere scheduled for September 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the studio released the movie to streaming on March 20th.
You can rent The Hunt through Amazon if you want to add the film to your Halloween watch list.
