SXSW2024 - HUNTING DAZE (2024)
It seems with each passing year we get more and more interesting genre films at independent film festivals like SXSW. For 2024, there are a slew of films from horror to sci-fi that give us a glimpse at what the potential future breakout indie films of the year might be. While there are no guarantees, the history of the festival's programming is certain to deliver some films that will challenge genre norms and tell diverse new stories from the blossoming filmmakers who will be staples of our cinematic future. No stranger to unique genre films is Canada, the country with the nicest people and some of the gnarliest horror. In her first feature-film debut, Hunting Daze, writer/director/producer Annick Blanc seeks to carry that spirit of Candian horror to interesting and isolating lengths while layering on some psychological lucidity. Is this horror hybrid a hunt worth hauling in or leaving behind?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Nina, a young and headstrong exotic dancer, finds herself stranded in the far North. She convinces her recent customers, five men on a bachelor hunting trip, to put her up for a few days. In this masculine microsociety, by turns hilarious and philosophical, Nina starts to feel a sense of belonging she never has before. But a mysterious stranger’s arrival changes the course of this improvised holiday forever.
HOW IS IT?
Hunting Daze is the kind of move you can’t describe simply. Is it a horror movie? Perhaps. Is it a comedy? In a way, yes. Is it riddled with subtext? Unquestionably. But is it entertaining? Absolutely! “Hunting Daze” is a psychological thriller meet survival movie that is about the growth of a woman breaking free from her bondage and the ways in which power dynamics in groups make good people do bad things. “Hunting Daze” will have you thinking about it long after its brisk runtime pondering what some things mean, and how you feel about it, but you absolutely won’t forget it.
The initial premise of “Hunting Daze” is the kind of thing that feels ripped right out of a horror movie. A vulnerable dancer is left with no choice but to crash the bachelor party she just worked. Most horror fans will immediately go to the worst-case scenario here, and filmmaker Annick Blanc plays things so close to the hand throughout that you’re never really quite sure what is going to happen, but you can be sure it won’t be what you expect. It is hard to talk in detail about the plot and how it evolves because some of it defies simple explanations, like the arrival of Dudos and how easily he falls in with this group. In a sense, “Hunting Daze” is almost an anti-horror movie for the first half of the film as it consistently sets up a familiar situation and instead of making the outcome bad, it flips it around to be one of acceptance, values, and camaraderie…that is until it isn’t. A pivotal moment midway through “Hunting Daze” changes the trajectory of the film, but still toys with the tone to balance the playful and peculiar all the same.
What makes “Hunting Daze” so engaging are the performances and the location cinematography. On the former, the group of men all represent almost distinct archetypes of the kinds of guys you might see at a stag party, but in a very authentic way that is disarming. These are likable people who unfortunately are weak-willed, which is counter to Nina’s fierce “chip on her shoulder” attitude due to the world constantly letting her down. While horror movies have conditioned us to find it hard to buy the premise that these men would simply treat Nina as one of their own when they do it doesn’t feel strange or out of place. And as they become closer it becomes more apparent that this is Nina’s story, and everyone else is just here to support her. With respect to the location, it is simply majestic. Blanc and cinematographer Vincent Gonneville capture the quiet beauty, isolation, and rhythm of the forest in a way that makes the location as much a character as the actors are. While there is an ethereal and dream-like quality to the film, which may be hard for some to latch onto, the pacing keeps things interesting without ever lingering too long on one idea or one situation. Finally, what is most impressive about “Hunting Daze” is how much it takes genre tropes and either lampoons them outright or puts them on obvious display for some polite mockery. “Hunting Daze” is a kaleidoscope of different ideas, conventions, and commentary that work in concert together for a beautiful visual and narrative experience.
LAST RITES
Hunting Daze is a genre-bending mashup that uses familiar tropes and turns them upside down creating a viewing experience that is engulfing, engaging, and above all entertaining. The beautiful locations juxtaposed with very grounded and authentic performances bring the lucidity and lunacy of Hunting Daze to vibrant life and will leave you with more to ponder than you may expect.
THE GORY DETAILS
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Hunting Daze was one of the feature premieres at this year's SXSW and is awaiting distribution. We will provide more details on a wider release when there is more information!
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