Night Hunter - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Night Hunter



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
Thrillers about kidnappers are a dime a dozen over the course of decades of cinema, and I’ve seen enough of them to garner a feel for the average caper. Initially I got some rather nasty feedback from other reviewers that I’m acquainted with over Night Hunter. Mostly to do with the fact that it was bland and boring and overly predictable. After getting the disc in hand and sitting down with it I find that I don’t have nearly so polarizing an opinion as many, as the thriller checked off enough check boxes to be a reasonably entertaining ride. However, I can definitely see the problems that frustrated them, as the movie IS predictable, bland and kind of a little bit boring if you’ve watched as many thrillers as I have and can tell the tropes coming a mile away.

Lt. Marshall (Henry Cavill) and his task force of detectives have the case of a lifetime in front of them. A vigilante ex-judge named Cooper (Ben Kingsley) has shown up in their net, and it just so happens that he’s using his young female ward as bait to lure in a sexual predator. This sexual predator turns out to be a bombshell, as the detectives use the vigilante’s tracking system to get the young girl back, but not before they discover evidence of DOZENS of abductions of young women that are connecting back to this killer. The only thing is, the killer (Brendan Fletcher) has some psychological issues and doesn’t seem to be all there. Despite their best efforts to track down and find the rest of the victims, the poor guy’s fragile mental state seems to by stymieing their progress. As the detectives slowly start to unravel Simon’s (the killer) past Marshall and his coworker Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) pull back the layers of a scheme that goes far beyond what the mentally challenged killer seems to be capable of.

Sadly, if you’ve watched the trailer there’s not a whole lot left to the movie. It pretty much summarizes the film quite succinctly, leaving only a few twists in the last act to really draw out the production and “shock” the viewer. That being said, the “twist” is kind of a no brainer to figure out, as it’s the most commonly used thriller trope when dealing with a supposedly mentally handicapped villain. I won’t spoil it for you if you’re not the type to think too much about these types of things, but needless to say that each step in the movie was telegraphed pretty heavily.

Cavill’s career seems to have dive bombed after playing Superman in The Man of Steel, and while the big hulking hunk of British man meat is a solid enough actor, he just can’t seem to anything but a typecast persona, leading to more and more droll roles over the last couple of years. It was nice to see him in a role other than super hero or action star, but his stoic and glowering imagery that he’s built up for himself over the years is replicated on screen once again. Just as a cop this time. The rest of the cast is staggeringly big with some really accomplished actors like Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci and Nathan Fillion (who plays a very minor role I might add). All of them do a commendable job, but it’s really Brendan Fletcher (who’s not even named on the cover of the film) who steals the show as Simon the killer. He absolutely upstages everyone around him, turning in a stellar performance as the film’s psychopath. Unfortunately it's the bland direction and script writing of David Raymond that really brings the whole production down. The actors can pretty much sleep walk through the production and turn out a solid performance, but Raymond's script is just a bit too predictable and just a bit mealy mouthed to really effectively utilize the talent he has at his disposal.






Rating:

Rated R for disturbing and violent content, language throughout, and some sexual references




Video:

Shot digitally, Night Hunter’s 2.39:1 framing looks very appealing, despite being bathed in shadows 95% of the time. I couldn’t find any information on the exact cameras used, nor the resolution of the master, but Paramount’s Blu-ray release is clean and clear of any major discrepancies. The dim lighting and cool blue/green tinge to the image makes it looks a bit soft at times, but there is still some goodly detail to enjoy, especially around faces and clothing. Backdrops are solid, especially the ice lake near the end of the movie, and the cool blues and greens tend to make the brighter daytime sequences seems a bit aged as a result. Blacks are deep and punchy, and outside of some black crush, really show no major flaws. The low budget thriller isn’t going to stun and shock people on the Blu-ray, but it does everything well enough to earn a solid thumbs up.








Audio:

Using 5.1 Dolby TrueHD (again, a bit surprising as Paramount’s non Atmos mixes are usually DTS-HD MA), Night Hunter does exactly the same thing as the video score here. It pleases the ear and satisfies all of the basic requirements without going overboard. The dialog is above reproach, clear and intelligible from every angle, and the surrounds create some solidly nuanced background noises (such as the ice cracking under their feet, or the sounds of city traffic as the cop cars make the transfer). The bass is noticeable enough, but never powerfully present, and all other typical check boxes for a good track are checked out.







Extras:

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Final Score: ​

Night Hunter was not nearly as bad as other people had told me, but it still isn’t a great film either. David Raymond’s rather rote thriller is just that….rote and bland. It follows all of the typical kidnapping thriller motifs down to a T, even giving us the most obvious and over used twist of them all when it comes to mentally challenged criminals. The performances are all solid enough, but the actors just aren’t given a whole lot to work with as the scrip is more than a little bland and predictable. The Blu-ray is just “good” as well, giving us commendable audio/video scores, but zero extras and only one audio track. All in all, Night Hunter is not a BAD film, it’s just a forgettable one that works as a rental only.

Technical Specifications:

Starring: Henry Cavill, Ben Kingsley, Alexandra Daddario, Stanley Tucci, Nathan Fillion, Brendan Fletcher
Directed by: David Raymond
Written by: David Raymond
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
Studio: Paramount
Rated: R
Runtime: 99 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: October 15th, 2019

Recommendation: Very Fun Watch

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. Never heard of this movie till now. Will check it out.