The horror stars Hilary Swank and Betty Gilpin. The plot follows 12 strangers who are haunted by ‘global elites’ – being interpreted as a political commentary on wealthy individuals.
The release of the film was delayed following political backlash and themes surrounding mass shootings in the US.
Due to be released on September 27, 2019, the film was delayed after the tragic El Paso and Dayton shootings on August 4. The studio called its decision to delay the release, ‘thoughtful consideration’.
Controversy escalated however after Donald Trump denounced the industry for making movies he claimed were intended to ‘inflame and cause chaos’.
Critics of the film noted that the it uses the term ‘deplorables’, a phrase used by Hillary Clinton in the 2016 campaign, used to describe half of Trump’s fans.
This led many to assume the film was a narrative of liverals hunting conservatives.
Despite the backlash, director Craig Zobel has maintained the film is satire and not a serious political statement. He described it as ‘fun, funny, and not super dark.’
Universal announced the film would be re-released with a fresh tag line: “The most talked about movie nobody has ever seen.”
The Hunt is now available to stream on Netflix.
