The first day of work can be daunting. New people, new responsibilities, and that alone is enough to make that first day challenging. However, Karen (Natalie Terrazzino), finds herself part of one of the most fucked up first days in history. As she works alone as the new night janitor, Karen becomes engulfed in a nightmare full of a series of malicious individuals and almost certain death. Their goal: Hunt Her, Kill Her–and Karen will have to do all that she can to survive.
The acting in Hunt Her, Kill Her is just alright–it’s nothing to write home about, and it’s ultimately nothing more than effective. With that being said, however, I feel that acting is often the least-important part of horror films. Viewers are typically able to suspend their disbelief, and come to the understanding that everything else plays a more pivotal role than the acting in these settings. Hunt Her, Kill Her is a great example of that. Once again, the acting is adequate–enough to entertain and guide viewers through the story, but beyond that it doesn’t do much else. It also never cripples the film–which, in a lot of ways, is all that you’re looking for in a film of this nature.
Hunt Her, Kill Her is a film that relies heavily on suspense–and without it, the film can’t find success. It seems that every second, at literally every turn, Karen finds herself on the verge of death, and the film is developed in a way that allows that suspense to come to life constantly and effectively. Suspense isn’t something that typically stresses me out throughout the course of a film, but Directors Greg Swinson and Ryan Thiessen do such a spectacular job of developing it, that I was often on the edge of my seat. This comes from a combination of lighting, cinematography, and the score. These things work together throughout Hunt Her, Kill Her and do such a wonderful job of creating suspense–reeling in viewers and enticing them from beginning to end.
There is a lot to like about Hunt Her, Kill Her, but what impressed me the most was the use of light to frame Karen. The entirety of the film is incredibly dark, but the light that is often used to frame Karen, to make her the center of attention, is incredibly well executed. Again, Hunt Her, Kill Her is a dark film–and even sitting in a pitch-black room like I did, there are instances throughout that are difficult to see. Karen, however, is never lost–constantly being pulled to the front of the screen, allowing viewers to follow her journey with ease.
Independent horror films are either hit or miss, rarely existing somewhere in the middle. Hunt Her, Kill Her is an example of a film that works incredibly well, with writers and directors finding their way early and never relenting throughout the duration. The average acting is negated by way of the enticing score, never-ending suspense, and wonderful cinematography. Hunt Her, Kill Her is executed so well–and I enjoyed nearly every second of it.
Directed by Greg Swinson & Ryan Thiessen.
Written by Greg Swinson.
Starring Natalie Terrazzino, JC Oakley III, Larry Bunton, Philip Zimny, Trevor Tucker, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
