The Hunt (2013) - ★★★★½

*This was a speedy 5 minute review*

Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Writer: Tobias Lindholm
Stars: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Annika Wedderkopp, Lasse Fogelstrom

A man wrongly accused of paedophilia suffers the fury of his own town.

People have an overwhelming desire to believe that children always tell the truth. Unfortunately, sometimes they lie. The Hunt is a thought provoking and effective film. It makes a point of showing how ridiculous people can be when they are worried for their children. It draws one to ponder what they would do in a similar situation.

The genius in this movie is that it makes you question who is to blame. You can’t blame Klara, she is a young girl who comes from a dysfunctional home. People would not listen to her when she said she lied, so is it their fault? Well no, not fully. It's completely understandable for parents to react with disgust and anger at these allegations, they just didn't act with reason. You can’t blame Lucas, who did nothing wrong whatsoever.

So who is to blame? With no one to blame, The Hunt leaves us to sit back and watch what happens. Obviously one should take Lucas’ side in the matter because he is innocent, however, that does not make everyone else wrong to suspect him of paedophilia.

Annika Wedderkopp gave a stunning performance.

The strongest aspect of the film is Mads Mikkelsen's performance. The raw and powerful emotion on his face... especially in that church scene... was phenomenal. So far, he's my favourite for Best Actor 2013. Good luck to him!

The Hunt changed my opinion on the subject several times. I ended up with this conclusion. If you aren't certain of the truth, then you cannot condemn a person based on the allegation. It all comes down to the age old saying, "no jury can declare a man guilty, unless it's sure." A sad little girl didn't understand what she was saying. As a result, a man's life was damaged irreparably. The Hunt is a riveting, important film. One of the best films made in 2013.