What are the limits of friendship? The Hunt explores this question when a misinterpretation of facts unleashes a chain of consequences in a small town in Denmark. Lucas, a newly divorced father and kindergarten teacher, is tested to the limits of his emotional endurance as he slowly becomes an object of suspicion and mistrust among his coworkers, the townspeople, and even his closest friends. The plot builds to a level of exquisitely wrought tension that keeps you holding out for some kind of relief as Lucas reaches his edge.
This film has many strengths but what stood out most for me was Mads Mikkelsen’s portrayal of Lucas. I was first drawn to Mikkelsen as the baddie Le Chiffre in the remake of Casino Royale. The Hunt gives Mikkelsen a lot more screen time to shine as he walks the line between integrity and desperation.