Unsettling, forthright and thought-provoking, The Hunt is also brilliantly titled. The film opens and closes with a group of friends on an annual hunting trip in rural Denmark. In between, this cerebral psychological thriller (* * * * out of four; rated R; opens Friday in select cities) explores a wholly different, profoundly rattling predatory activity: a witch hunt. Mads Mikkelsen is terrific as Lucas, a high school teacher who loses his job when the school closes. He endures a harsh divorce and starts over as a kindergarten assistant. He’s just the kind of calm, fair-minded, fun-loving presence most parents would want overseeing their young children. Lucas is also the kind of man upon whom adults can depend. His best friend, Theo (Thomas Bo Larsen), lives next door with his wife and two children. The youngest is Klara (Annika Wedderkopp), a sensitive 5-year-old with a vivid imagination. When her parents are arguing, she sits gravely outside the house, her face a mask of forlorn trepidation. Sensing her discomfort, Lucas warmly offers to walk her to school. Theo is grateful for the intervention. Lucas’ sole companion at home is his beloved dog, Fanny. For months, he’s been battling over custody of his teenage son, Marcus (Lasse Fogelstrom), and when he learns that Marcus is moving in with him, he’s clearly elated. His personal life is improving all around, as he also begins a romance with Nadja (Alexandra Rapaport), a co-worker. But in one afternoon, everything changes when Lucas is falsely accused of sexual abuse by a casually fibbing child. He is quickly labeled a predator and ostracized. Danish director/co-writer Thomas Vinterberg masterfully probes the nature of public opinion and the tendency of people to jump to the worst conclusions. Along with co-writer Tobias Lindholm, Vinterberg artfully explores how a lie can mushroom and become construed as fact amid gossip, innuendo and catastrophic thinking. Vinterberg wrote and directed 1998’s The Celebration, a haunting film that dealt with a family’s secrets and lies. The Hunt explores similar territory but within a broader context. Strangely, no one in Lucas’ tightly knit community seems to care much about getting to the truth. They easily assume the worst. Why are people so quick to believe that such heinous evil lurks in the hearts of men? Is it simply herd mentality, or is something more complicated at play? These are the sorts of questions that arise when watching Vinterberg’s engrossing, nuanced and morally complex tale. Performances are top-notch across the board. Currently the title character on NBC’s Hannibal, Mikkelsen is often cast in villainous roles. He plays against type superbly, running the gamut from easygoing warmth to bursts of rage to agonized isolation. Mikkelsen’s every note rings true, and it’s easy to see why he won best actor at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival for this performance. The movie works its way toward a resolution that seemingly reaffirms the audience’s faith in human decency. The misunderstanding appears to be cleared up, Lucas is vindicated, and his even-keeled life is restored. Or is it? The question is left open to debate. It’s that emotional and intellectual engagement that makes The Hunt such an indelibly powerful film.
