Directed by Patrik Syversen
Review based upon a theatrical preview in 2008
A brutal slasher flick, “Manhunt” plays like a hybrid of “The Evil Dead” (in terms of the fast guerrilla style of filmmaking) and the previous Scandinavian hit “Cold Prey”. However, while it may borrow elements of many other genre efforts, “Manhunt” has enough originality and enthusiasm to make it a journey well worth seeking out.
Directed by first-timer Patrik Syversen, the film begins in a similar vein to “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” but rapidly moves into something akin to a flipside of “Hostel”. Set firmly in the 1970’s, the flick opens with a group of friends in a camper van travelling to a remote hiking trail. En-route they pick up a rather nervous hitchhiker who seems desperate to escape from a group of rather unsavoury locals. Jorgen (Jorn Bjorn Fuller Gee) agrees to give the woman a lift, but as a result of this rather rash decision the group find themselves beaten unconscious and dragged into the middle of a remote forest.
When Jorgen, girlfriend Camilla (Henriette Brusgaard) and Roger (Lasse Valdal) awake tied to a tree, they hear the distinctive sound of a hunting horn and realise that they are in fact being used as human prey for a sadistic hunt. Running for their lives in a desperate bid to escape their hunters, the friends encounter all manner of traps and unpleasant surprises before realising that in order to survive their ordeal the hunted must become the hunters…
“Manhunt” is an engaging and chilling experience, aided and abetted by some genuinely gruesome gore effects and a hand-held style that draws the audience into the situation and keeps them involved throughout. The characters are both interesting and engaging; the performances totally believable and well defined. Syversen directs the movie with a frenetic style that keeps things tense and far from predictable, and the brutal murder of one of the lead characters early into the narrative
only serves to heighten the feeling that no one is safe. It is this capriciousness that makes “Manhunt” stand out from many similar flicks, making it a wholly satisfying ride.There are many strong moments in this film, which have resulted in it being cited as one of the most violent chillers to ever emerge from Scandinavia. Syversen clearly has a very dark imagination and uses it to full effect here, with all manner of bloody booby traps being hurled at his protagonists throughout the relatively short 80 minute running time. One of the most memorable involves a particularly shocking twist in the latter stages, where the potential freedom for one character comes at a very high price, thanks to a particularly inventive use of a large mallet.
Whilst budgetary constraints will inevitably lead to “Manhunt” being compared to “The Evil Dead”, the big difference here is actually the way in which both cast and crew have used the financial constraints to work in their favour. As Syversen enthusiastically pointed out to the audience after this screening, several shots within the movie are over-exposed as a result of the time limits during shooting. Whereas for some films this would be a glaring issue, because “Manhunt” is set squarely in the 1970’s it actually serves to enhance the period feel of the piece. This works in combination with the lack of mobile telephones and technology (deliberate, as the director made very clear) to increase tension as well as the overall sense of peril.
One of the other big advantages here can be seen when comparing “Manhunt” to other recent genre entries such as “The Strangers” and “Mirrors”. This low-budget shocker is filled with completely believable performances, l
argely due to the fact that on a shoestring production like this every member of the cast and crew give all they have to the project. The same cannot be said about glossier flicks from Hollywood, where unfortunately the level of commitment is rarely the same. At points during “Manhunt” it is obvious that the grief shown on screen is genuine, and this is caused through the harrowing conditions experienced on-set. This “Blair Witch” method of direction may not be easy for the cast, but it makes for great horror and adds another layer to the feeling of dread within this film.Thanks to a very sharp script, writer and director Syverson has concocted a thoroughly believable and gruesome chiller that deserves to repeat it’s international success in the UK. A strongly recommended slice of genre entertainment, that is best summarised as the hunting aspect hinted at in the “Hostel” franchise, but with more a lot more character and impact. “Manhunt” is another example of an international horror that purely and simply gets it absolutely right.
7 out of 10
A slasher movie with a distinctly Scandinavian feel... a strong genre entry, and much better than Hollywood's current finest could muster
