94% The Hunt

All Critics (84) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (79) | Rotten (5)

Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen delivers an astonishingly restrained and expressive central performance in The Hunt, an engrossing psycho-social drama by Thomas Vinterberg.

An intense, hard to watch drama, of a man's life torn apart by his fellow citizens. The performance is skilled enough that it won the top acting award at last year's Cannesfestival.

Mikkelsen's performance is what makes a good movie even better.

[A] harrowing but flawed study of an innocent man accused of pedophilia.

It leaves us not only with an unforgettable final image, but also the troubling thought that witch hunts, like war, will always be with us - all the more so in the modern era of instant communication.

It is a devastating film to watch, a heedful one, and a tragic reminder that no matter how well a life has been conducted, the mere whiff of such scandalous behavior is condemnation enough.

It's a powerful and thought-provoking movie.

Mikkelsen is one of Europe's most respected actors, yet he's best known in the United States for playing evil characters... So it's interesting -- and rewarding -- to see what Mikkelsen can do as an innocent, well-meaning leading man.

"The Hunt" is a fantastic showcase for Mikkelsen, who shows he can play a cannibalistic serial killer on TV and a persecuted kindergarten teacher in the movies, and be just as believable as both.

The Hunt will have you balling up a fist and shedding a few tears as the tale unfolds, providing an exquisitely unpleasant conflict that's simply riveting to study.

Fittingly for a film that deals with actions that can't be undone, The Hunt leaves you with a sickening feeling that's almost impossible to shake.

Although the scenario is exaggerated for dramatic effect and it stumbles somewhat in the final act, the unsettling film is a provocative and timely examination of persecution and the perils of public perception.

An uncommonly thoughtful, and thought-provoking, entry in the social-issue drama subgenre, anchored by Mikkelsen's gripping performance.

A subtle piece of moral drama crowned by a truly beautiful performance from Mikkelsen, The Hunt puts every one of us in the crosshairs.

Child molestation is indeed horrific. Sometimes, the response to same can be equally disconcerting. The Hunt argues that all too well.

Mads Mikkelsen displays remarkable range as a subdued kindergarten teacher confronting sex-abuse charges in a small Danish town.

Mikkelsen and a terrific ensemble navigate complex emotions and moral quandaries in a terrain where a satisfying resolution is as hard to come by as a child who never tells a lie.

...incredible acting by Mikkelsson, (but) what is unforgettable is the acting of the young girl who makes the allegation, Annika Wedderkopp. It's remarkable that someone so young could give such a performance.

The characters... are not symbolic. They're real people, leading imperfect lives... but we can relate to their feelings, and their actions at every turn of this searing drama.

Vinterberg's best filmmaking since his Dogme '95 entry "The Celebration."

Mikkelsen, one of his country's finest actors, in collaboration with Thomas Vinterberg, one of its finest directors, delivers what may be his strongest performance yet.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hunt_2013/

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