Hunting Lands (2018) User Reviews

Solid effort

[Call-Me-Mr-Smith · 4/10 · 14 October 2019]

Well crafted little movie, slow-paced but competently delivered. The story was probably the weakest link, being reduced to bare bones, leaving undeveloped characters, faulty dialogues and moments of yawn. However, this kinda fits into the overall vibe this move exudes, so the overall experience was mildly rewarding. I'd rate it somewhere between 4 and 5, and the final score reflects some unnecessary upvoting.

What was that??

[katslzoo · 5/10 · 26 November 2019]

While the actors were very good...the plot stinks. Too much driving and trailing and hunting for it to end like it did!!

All about Lance...

[coflorida · 5/10 · 25 July 2020]

That's what I felt like the film focused on.

I know he drinks in morning, midday, and night I know he sexual harassing co-worker in morning... making out with another girl in movie midday... and hooks up with another bimbo at night.

I'll connect my own dots... he left his wife for dead... wanting his freedom to drink and man-whore around... but it would have been nice if it was said or explained...why he did what he did.

And Frank... playing judge jury and executioner.... didn't make him root worthy at all... He pretty much only knew of Lance within a day of following him... which is pretty much the entire film..

Entire flick leaves unsatisfying feeling with no one to root for...

The acting was pretty good tho.

It ends

[gratefulzugore · 2/10 · 17 October 2019]

Starts out okay but doesn't really explain anything, lots of questions, no answers. It just ends. Lots of room to "read into" the plot but no real answers.

Did the man try to kill the woman? Probably. Why did he dump her? Probably thought she was dead. However...

What if... She was actually the perpetrator and while the car sales man thought he killed her while defending himself?

What if she is a serial killer and now turns her homicidal desires to our hero?

What I'd our hero killed an innocent man?

We are somewhat led to champion out hero but he is a killer, murderer. No attempt to call police or ambulance, now there is a body to deal with and our hero may well be on the path to prison. That is.... If the psycho serial killer woman doesn't murder him first.

Who knows? Certainly not the audience.

Wilcox is someone to watch out for

[Polnaszek5 · 22 January 2020]

The first twenty minutes are exquisite, like 10 star worthy material. Impeccable sound work and editing, abnormal camera angles that makes the viewer immediately on edge, as well as an unrelenting atmosphere completely led by the stellar cinematography. Plus NO DIALOGUE! All rests upon the shoulders of the location.

Not to say that the rest of the movie doesn't have more of this cool stuff, but it definitely should've been a short not a full length joint as before the climax where it really picks up again you start feeling the time. Not to mention the dialogue isn't anything to write home about either, except for the physical performance from lead Marshall Cook. The mannerisms he gives his character is great, despite at the end where we don't get many resolutions with his awkward placed backstory. Though that isn't really the point of the movie anyway, it's all about isolation.

So on board with whatever Zachary Willcox will do next. According he has another movie in post-production called; Found Your Righteous, which from the plot synopsis alone is maybe my most anticipated flick for this year.

Boooooooooring!

[j2k_ · 3/10 · 20 November 2019]

This film had quite a promising start, but at the end of the first act, the story stiltifies to a glacial pace and becomes so crushingly dull the 83 minute runtime feels like 83 hours.

We watch our man (who's a little wooden in his hadful of speaking scenes, but otherwise quite credible) follow his target around in a pick-up for a dialogue-less eon to seemingly no end whatsoever. .. and the finale does absoluey nothing to resolve the plot. For such a simple story to not even be resolved is just a confounding finger in the eye to all those viewers who showed so much patience and determination slogging their way to the end.

Just a Waste of Time

[HadiAriyan07 · 1/10 · 14 November 2021]

It's a low budget, under 90 minutes, no dialogue, no characterization, weak script and all around boring movie of a story we seen a million times already.

Interesting film.

[katcocat · 7/10 · 17 November 2019]

I found this film to be very interesting. The cinematography was incredible but what really sets it apart is the lack of dialogue. Huge portions of the film have no dialogue at all yet still grip the viewer and tell a clear story. Its very clever. The ending was too abrupt for me. I'd have preferred more resolution. Perhaps though, that would have let the entire film down. Excellent performances from the two leads and great direction too. Well worth watching.

Bad guy overacting ruined it

[rneoman · 5/10 · 22 February 2020]

It was going great until we observe the bad guy over act in every scene he appears in. Outside the dealership was almost Charlie Chaplin like.

This film could have been better ...

[tkarlmann · 7/10 · 18 November 2019]

Good is how I describe the film. So as not to spoil the film for you -- don't read any further.





Spoiler!!! Loved the scenery, acting; but the story seemed single-minded to me. Our main character just wanted vengeance on this evil man who wronged a woman, and left her for dead in the cold wilderness. Our hero follows the evil man around incessantly. I kept wishing he would pick up her clothes, which the Bad Guy throws away -- but he didn't. Instead the hero invites our Bad Guy hunting, then in the closing scene he ... well, watch the film. I wish there was more about the woman, but that was not on the man's mind. So the film was sort of single-minded for me; and I was left unsatisfied with the ending.

Strikingly gloomy and beautifully shot, Hunting Lands comes highly recommended.

[JasonMcFiggins · 8/10 · 23 May 2019]

Very voyeuristic and quiet, Hunting Lands is a highly compelling watch steeped in film noir. The crisp and clean feeling of the cold snow is skillfully contrasted with damaged, lost characters and shabby dwellings like seedy motels, small used car lots and townie bars. One sequence plays out like a silent film as body language tells the story while quiet, foreboding strings play over the action. The Hunting Lands title doesn't just refer to the woods where main character Frank lives. A large part of the film takes place on the streets of a small town as Frank is trailing his suspect, Lance. Lance is played by Joe Raffa, who exudes a nervous energy and looks perfectly smarmy behind his thick mustache, working mans tie, and LL Bean scarf. Because he is watched from a distance for half the film, Raffa's performance is largely silent, relying on physicality to portray his character and he is absolutely superb in the role. Strikingly gloomy and beautifully shot, Hunting Lands comes highly recommended.

Great cinematography but no payoff

[alexscothern-25708 · 6/10 · 23 January 2020]

The film builds tension well, there's a lot of great camera work, but the story is weak and unbelievable. Aside from the main actor, all other acting was poor including the overly-animated antagonist. The ending is silly and leaves you feeling like you invested much and received very little.

This movie was seriously good for me to watch.

[stevojaxon · 9/10 · 17 December 2019]

I like this very much. There was familiarity without cliché. Tension without hyperbole. A story that was credible. Skill in delivery. Actors who were committed. To put together this film with so little dialogue is a real achievement. I can imagine how restrained Zack Wilcox was when everyone got into his ear about how to do this film. Thank goodness he trusted his instinct. Perhaps the thing I liked about this story was the honesty about the presentation. There was no overt judgement coming across and no attempt to define a hero. The ending was masterfully handled.