4* out of 10*
First off: I mildly enjoyed watching this film and I was not bored. I am a sucker for cat-and-mouse-movies set in the wilderness. This one has an intriguing setting, some good scenery, mostly competent direction and acting and some good suspense. However, after it completely falls apart in the second half, I started to question the film - which became a very very frustrating exercise. Here is why:
The film is almost a complete carbon copy of Wind River: Remote setting in the wilderness in a Native American reserve: Check.
Lonesome hunter, who retreated from the world after losing his child: Check.
Estranged ex-wife with a new man: Check.
Female sheriff, who needs to prove herself: Check.
Dead girl in the wild: Check.
Vigilante justice: Check.
Only the wintery setting and the emotional depth of that fantastic film were missing. It's a miracle, the film-makers haven't been sued yet. Well, I can forgive derivative film-making as long as it is good.
Unfortunately, this film lacks any logic or coherent story-telling, which completely ruined the viewing experience. Here are most of its flaws:
Why did NCW stop hunting after his daughter disappeared but he never stopped drinking, which was the reason he lost her in the first place? Don't know.
Why was he already heavily drinking before his daughter disappeared? Don't know, never gets explored.
Where was the killer during the last 5 years since NCW's daughter disappeared? The town doesn't' seem to have a serial killer problem. Don't know.
Why can he drive, shoot, fight and basically do everything perfectly fine, when he is supposed to be wasted all the time? Don't know.
How do you survive an arrow to the heart, stitch yourself up and are able to get right back on the hunt and then carry a woman through the woods for several hours straight? Don't know.
Why did he have to carry her at all? She seemed to be able to walk before. Don't know.
Why does he NEVER try to get help or inform the police when he sees girls being hunted in the forest and especially not after he directly encounters the killer? Don't know.
Why is he sometimes a skilled stalker and hunter and sometimes behaves like a complete moron who has never set foot in the woods or held a gun? Using a shotgun in the woods or entering the killer's house without any caution and making noise. Don't' know.
Annabelle Wallis with her plastic-surgery-botox-L. A.-face is completely miscast as a backwater-town-sheriff.
NCW not only gets shot by an arrow to the heart. He also gets severely beaten AND shot in the guts but just keeps on going. This guy is invincible.
Sheriff steps in a freaking bear-trap. Instead of having her leg amputated and/or spending several weeks in a hospital she is back on her feet walking half an hour later!!!
Why do people pursuing someone always shout their names giving them the opportunity to run away (local native cop with the brother)? Don't know.
What happened to the brother in the barn as a kid? Could have made for an interesting motivation for his and the sheriff's actions... Don't know, never gets explored.
Wallis shoots NCW to protect who she thinks is her brother (WHY would she do that??!?). Why does she not get suspended, let alone investigated after NCW tells the police what she did?!?!!? She gets to keep her gun and to lead the investigation. Alone this flaw was enough to sink the whole film. Let alone, them reconciling and teaming up to get the killer afterwards. Well, I guess it was necessary that she owed him one, so she had to let him go after he got his unlawful vigilante revenge.
Now for the finale and the reveal of the killer:
The doctor of all people. It is just a cheap plot device and lazy writing, if you reveal someone as the killer who was never on the suspect list and to whom we have NO emotional connection. Completely no pay-off for the viewer.
All the victims' vocal chords had been perfectly surgically removed. Why did they never investigate surgeons or medical professionals? Don't know.
Why were the scars apparently old and all perfectly healed, when he killed the girls? Don't know.
Why did he even silence the girls? Don't know, absolutely no connection to the killer's daughter's death.
So his teenage daughter was killed by a drunk driver. Did this make him hunt drunkards? No. Why hunt teenage girls? Don't know. Would have made much more sense if he hunted NCW - who happens to be a drunk.
Why did the killer save NCW's life when he knew he was on his trail? Don't know.
How did the doctor become such a skilled hunter? Don't know.
Why on earth did he use an atlatl? Don't know. Guess, it's a cool weapon.
What was that ridiculous grass suit? Don't know. Must be almost impossible to move or see in that thing. Looks scary, I guess.
Why did the neighbour lend his car to the doctor when it is shown that he obviously has his own truck? Don't know. Yeah, I do know. It's called a red herring.
First off: I mildly enjoyed watching this film and I was not bored. I am a sucker for cat-and-mouse-movies set in the wilderness. This one has an intriguing setting, some good scenery, mostly competent direction and acting and some good suspense. However, after it completely falls apart in the second half, I started to question the film - which became a very very frustrating exercise. Here is why:
The film is almost a complete carbon copy of Wind River: Remote setting in the wilderness in a Native American reserve: Check.
Lonesome hunter, who retreated from the world after losing his child: Check.
Estranged ex-wife with a new man: Check.
Female sheriff, who needs to prove herself: Check.
Dead girl in the wild: Check.
Vigilante justice: Check.
Only the wintery setting and the emotional depth of that fantastic film were missing. It's a miracle, the film-makers haven't been sued yet. Well, I can forgive derivative film-making as long as it is good.
Unfortunately, this film lacks any logic or coherent story-telling, which completely ruined the viewing experience. Here are most of its flaws:
Why did NCW stop hunting after his daughter disappeared but he never stopped drinking, which was the reason he lost her in the first place? Don't know.
Why was he already heavily drinking before his daughter disappeared? Don't know, never gets explored.
Where was the killer during the last 5 years since NCW's daughter disappeared? The town doesn't' seem to have a serial killer problem. Don't know.
Why can he drive, shoot, fight and basically do everything perfectly fine, when he is supposed to be wasted all the time? Don't know.
How do you survive an arrow to the heart, stitch yourself up and are able to get right back on the hunt and then carry a woman through the woods for several hours straight? Don't know.
Why did he have to carry her at all? She seemed to be able to walk before. Don't know.
Why does he NEVER try to get help or inform the police when he sees girls being hunted in the forest and especially not after he directly encounters the killer? Don't know.
Why is he sometimes a skilled stalker and hunter and sometimes behaves like a complete moron who has never set foot in the woods or held a gun? Using a shotgun in the woods or entering the killer's house without any caution and making noise. Don't' know.
Annabelle Wallis with her plastic-surgery-botox-L. A.-face is completely miscast as a backwater-town-sheriff.
NCW not only gets shot by an arrow to the heart. He also gets severely beaten AND shot in the guts but just keeps on going. This guy is invincible.
Sheriff steps in a freaking bear-trap. Instead of having her leg amputated and/or spending several weeks in a hospital she is back on her feet walking half an hour later!!!
Why do people pursuing someone always shout their names giving them the opportunity to run away (local native cop with the brother)? Don't know.
What happened to the brother in the barn as a kid? Could have made for an interesting motivation for his and the sheriff's actions... Don't know, never gets explored.
Wallis shoots NCW to protect who she thinks is her brother (WHY would she do that??!?). Why does she not get suspended, let alone investigated after NCW tells the police what she did?!?!!? She gets to keep her gun and to lead the investigation. Alone this flaw was enough to sink the whole film. Let alone, them reconciling and teaming up to get the killer afterwards. Well, I guess it was necessary that she owed him one, so she had to let him go after he got his unlawful vigilante revenge.
Now for the finale and the reveal of the killer:
The doctor of all people. It is just a cheap plot device and lazy writing, if you reveal someone as the killer who was never on the suspect list and to whom we have NO emotional connection. Completely no pay-off for the viewer.
All the victims' vocal chords had been perfectly surgically removed. Why did they never investigate surgeons or medical professionals? Don't know.
Why were the scars apparently old and all perfectly healed, when he killed the girls? Don't know.
Why did he even silence the girls? Don't know, absolutely no connection to the killer's daughter's death.
So his teenage daughter was killed by a drunk driver. Did this make him hunt drunkards? No. Why hunt teenage girls? Don't know. Would have made much more sense if he hunted NCW - who happens to be a drunk.
Why did the killer save NCW's life when he knew he was on his trail? Don't know.
How did the doctor become such a skilled hunter? Don't know.
Why on earth did he use an atlatl? Don't know. Guess, it's a cool weapon.
What was that ridiculous grass suit? Don't know. Must be almost impossible to move or see in that thing. Looks scary, I guess.
Why did the neighbour lend his car to the doctor when it is shown that he obviously has his own truck? Don't know. Yeah, I do know. It's called a red herring.