Hunter, The

Synopsis
A mercenary employed by a highly secretive biotech-research company sets out into the wilds of Tasmania in search of the elusive Tasmanian tiger -- an animal assumed to be extinct by scientists, yet rumored to have been spotted in the area in recent years. Adapted from the novel by author Julia Leigh, THE HUNTER follows Martin (Willem Dafoe) as he ventures out on his mission and arrives at the home of Lucy Armstrong (Frances O'Connor), who has been heavily depressed since her husband vanished into the surrounding wilderness months ago, and who now lives alone with her young daughter Sass (Morgana Davies) and taciturn son Bike (Finn Woodlock) - who have volunteered to host him in their home during the course of his research excursion. Shortly after arriving in Tasmania, Martin is accompanied to the edge of the wilds by Jack Mindy (Sam Neill), an old friend of Lucy's who has kept watch over her family and balks at the newcomer's decision to navigate the rough terrain unaccompanied. In the wake of a clash with hostile local loggers, Martin gradually begins to learn more about Lucy's family and develops a tenuous friendship with her two young children. But later, just as Martin begins to feel as if his goal is finally within reach, an unexpected development sends his mission into a tailspin and causes him to question the motivations behind capturing such a strange and majestic creature.

Reviews
"[T]hanks to the visual rigor of director Nettheim and DP Robert Humphreys, the story gradually gives way to gorgeous-yet-ominous wide-screen atmospherics..." (Film Comment)

"[T]he film is really Dafoe's show, and he reminds once again why he is such a tremendous actor and also one so easy to underestimate and take for granted." (Los Angeles Times)

"THE HUNGER, filmed in Tasmania, has the faintly surreal look peculiar to Australian movies in which nature pulses with a mysterious, primordial shimmer." (New York Times)

3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he mist-shrouded landscapes have a certain allure, and Dafoe is charismatic as always.." (Total Film)

"Daniel Nettheim's handsome film becomes a more beguiling proposition entirely....The film factors ecology, identity and small-town conflict into the mix..." (Sight and Sound)

"Now in his mid-fifties, Dafoe’s rugged features mirror the craggy landscape he navigates so purposefully. It reminds us of how engrossing Dafoe can be on screen..." (Uncut)