A coma patient who has been accused of murdering six women is looked after by an ICU nurse who has personal motives.
Slow-burning, flawed, yet enjoyable entertainment. The Huntsman wastes no time plunging into its inciting incident: the brutal murder of a woman. From there, the opening credits cleverly advance the narrative – arrest, trial, headlines, ICU – before the film properly resumes. We are gradually introduced to the players and their motives… or at least we think we are.
Based on the novel by Judith Sanders, co-writer/director Kyle Kauwira Harris crafts a whodunit mystery/thriller that repeatedly shifts the viewer’s footing. Just when you feel confident about who is responsible, the film nudges your assumptions off balance. It’s a familiar structural game, but one that remains effective when handled with care.
It’s difficult to discuss specifics without spoiling key turns, so focusing on craft is safer ground. The central cast – Shawn Ashmore, Elizabeth Mitchell, Jessy Schram, and Garret Dillahunt – deliver committed performances that anchor the film’s shifting suspicions. Visually, the photography employs solid camera movement, considered angles, and moody lighting to generate a suitably haunting atmosphere.
The editing establishes an appropriate rhythm, though this is firmly a slow-burn experience – and your mileage will depend on your patience for that mode of storytelling. One questionable choice is the near-constant musical presence. Minimal as the score may be, it sometimes feels overly insistent, as though compensating for moments where the imagery should be trusted to carry emotional weight on its own.
Where the film succeeds most is in its scripting engine: the persistent question of the killer’s identity keeps curiosity alive. However, deliberate pacing can occasionally risk viewer disengagement. A tighter trim might have sharpened both the narrative tension and the final cut.
Verdict: Worth a watch. This is the kind of independent thriller that earns a chance, even if it doesn’t fully maximise its potential. Some twists are more predictable than others, and the ending is slightly confusing – but it ultimately delivers dark, twisted, and safely contained late-night entertainment.
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