Director Kyle Kauwika Harris’s latest suspense thriller, The Huntsman, arrives on VOD today, February 10, following a limited theatrical run over the weekend. Adapted from Judith Sanders’ acclaimed novel, the film has all the building blocks of a strong thriller, though the result feels more like a polished cop drama.
The film takes its name from the film’s killer, whose calling card is as grim as it is theatrical: victims are poisoned with an apple before having their hearts excised and placed in decorative boxes—a dark homage to The Huntsman in “Snow White.”
The primary suspect is Lincoln (Garret Dillahunt, “Fear the Walking Dead”), a man accused of murdering six women. When a botched legal process fails to secure a conviction, the husband of a victim takes matters into his own hands, shooting Lincoln outside the courthouse. The accused killer survives but falls into a coma, leaving the case in limbo.
The story kicks into gear when Max (Shawn Ashmore, “X-Men”), an ICU nurse and the lead detective’s brother, volunteers to care for the comatose Lincoln. When Lincoln miraculously awakens and is cleared to return home, his devoted wife, Jolene (Elizabeth Mitchell, “The Purge: Election Year”), enlists Max to continue his treatment as a private caregiver. Driven by faith in her husband’s innocence, Jolene pulls Max into their inner sanctum—only for his act of medical compassion to spiral into a maze of obsession. As the lines between duty and danger blur, Max discovers that the real horrors are much closer than he realized.
The film’s greatest asset is its ensemble. Mitchell is commanding and enigmatic, providing the role with the necessary gravity for her story arc. Dillahunt, meanwhile, delivers a transformative physical performance. His grueling, incremental return to “normal” shows his character’s evolution from a helpless patient to a potential predator.
Despite its grisly premise, “The Huntsman” often trades tension for the familiar rhythms of a whodunit cop drama. The 103-minute runtime is split between Max’s experience as a live-in nurse in the alleged killer’s home and the detectives’ external investigation. This dual perspective successfully peels back layers of the central mystery, exposing new twists and several heavy-handed red herrings.
“The Huntsman” is not a bad movie, but it definitely falls short of its potential. It’s a well-acted thriller that’s an engaging enough watch for fans of slow-burn cop drama, but those looking for a truly shocking twist may find this hunt ends exactly where they expected.
Where to watch “The Huntsman”:
