Hunting Daze (2024)

User Review

• 

  ScreenZealots

  7 / 10

  With its mix of horror, pitch black drama, and psychological thriller, “Hunting Daze” delivers an unpredictable viewing experience. Writer / director Annick Blanc takes audiences on a disturbing journey into the darkest depths of human nature in her story about identity, belonging, and the consequences of reckless behavior. I like being surprised by a film, and this one did so effectively and often, subverting expectations at almost every turn.
  
  In a setup that feels like a horror movie, stripper Nina (Nahéma Ricci) finds herself stranded in the far North with a group of men on a bachelor hunting trip her only means of aid. In order to convince them to put her up for a few days, she agrees to an initiation game to prove she’s one of the boys. Nina can hold her own and is swiftly accepted into this masculine bro society. Just as she begins to finds a new sense of belonging, things take a dramatic turn when a mysterious stranger arrives, upsetting the balance (and possibly bringing with him a curse).
  
  Whatever you think will happen, think again. Blanc takes her tale to places you’ll never expect. The script features moments of surprisingly deep and eloquent writing, with a bleak story that lends a gritty darkness to the film (think a 70s-era vibe, story-wise). It’s refreshing that Blanc doesn’t write hollow caricatures of men, but instead depicts honest and raw masculinity with depth and complexity (especially after a careless act of horseplay leads to a serious accident). There are layers of nuance to the narrative, all bolstered by strong performances from the cast.
  
  Despite some periods of slow pacing, Blanc ramps up the tension by incorporating surreal elements into the story, especially when Nina is haunted by disturbing dreams (that may very well prove to be premonitions). When a series of creepy occurrences begin to unfold in reality, the film fully reaches and embraces an unsettling sense of dread.
  
  There’s a lot to unpack thematically in “Hunting Daze,” and it’s a film that works so well because of its always-evolving and inventive story.
  
  By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS

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