'The Huntsman' Review
- Connor Petrey
- 30 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Release Date: 02/10/26 [VOD]
Genre: Mystery. Thriller.
MPAA: Rated NR.
Distributor: Epic Pictures.
The Verdict: A Maybe
The Huntsman excels in its opening act, revealing a grim narrative where the mystery of “why” a serial killer does what they do is locked behind a coma. That idea is relinquished relatively quickly though as accused serial killer, Lincoln (Garret Dillahunt, Deadwood) is awoken suddenly by assigned nurse, Max (Shane Ashmore, X-Men).
We see a darkness literally looming over Lincoln as he comes back to consciousness. He instantly locks in on Max as someone he can trust and seals the deal when he has his wife, Jolene (Elizabeth Mitchell, The Purge: Election Year) hire him to be his at home practitioner. From the moment Lincoln wakes up, the film begins to showcase imagery revolving around the murders he is accused of which will only open up new wounds later on.
Lincoln is an accused murderer who has been shot in the head and has just now woken up after some time of recovery, paining to remember what transpired. Jolene is his loving wife, who hates that people think her beloved is a killer and uses her pain in her art at their country home. Max happens to be the nurse that finds a way to wake Lincoln up, showing aggression toward the man as he tries to either kill him or force him awake.
Here lies the questions: Will Lincoln retain his memory and be willing to confess? Will Jolene open up about her mysterious newborn that Lincoln can’t seem to remember? Is there a deeper meaning behind the hiring of Max? The questions go on and on and the unfortunate thing is not all of them are answered by the film’s close.
What the film does succeed at is its atmosphere and the subdued, suspicious performances of our three main characters. You’ll constantly ask yourself if the answer is truly shrouded by mystery or as obvious as it appears. Apart from a singular scene, we are only witness to the aftermath of the killings and the orchestrated crime scenes are simple, yet brutal.
Law enforcement is shed in a poor light in this film, pointing the finger at any person of interest and then in an unfortunate reality eliminating the suspect before anything can be found out. One of the leads on the case seemingly knows Max, their relationship is only revealed at the end with evidence between them suggesting multiple options.
The Huntsman is undeniably full of high tension and while it absolutely nails the intrigue at the launch of the film, the film squanders it by opening too many questions longing to be answered. Everyone is relatively monotone in their delivery to one another, seemingly choosing words with caution. It adds an extra layer of suspense to what is truly going on.
The film is well lit, well directed, well acted, but it’s in the writing that the film struggles slightly to abolish so many questions and make the reveal of what is truly going on more satisfying than it winds up being. One of the biggest questions lies in the final moments of the film - what is the motivation behind what is happening and is it malicious or loving - I suppose that is up to the viewer to decide.