'The Head Hunter' (2018)

'The Head Hunter' was one of those movies that I've been meaning to watch, for what seems like forever, but never seemed to get round to. And I really don't know why because on the face of it, it looked like just my kind of movie, a medieval fantasy with loads of monsters in it. I got paid, a few days ago, and realised that I had no excuse to put it off any longer, especially when the DVD was only £l.50 (or something like that). Even then, it still took me until earlier today to finally watch it... 'The Head Hunter' ended up being just the film that I was after, but not the one that I was expecting. I'll try and explain myself...

On the outskirts of a kingdom, in the shadows of a looming castle, a quiet but fierce medieval warrior protects the realm from monsters. The gruesome collection of trophy heads on the wall of his cabin is missing only one the monster that killed his daughter. He travels wild expanses on horseback, driven by a thirst for revenge. When his chance for vengeance arrives, its in a way far more horrifying than he ever imagined.

What a beautiful film 'The Head Hunter' is. Honestly, it just looks amazing and not only that, the film makers also make full use of those wide open spaces (in Portugal, I understand) to really bring the central theme of the film to centre stage. Namely, vengeance and what searching for it does to Father after his daughter is killed by the Creature. It's an empty world except when Father moves through it, possibly because of all the monsters that he hunts down while seeking to avenge his daughter? Everyone else seems to be hiding in their castles, so much so that we only see other people at a distance. It's all about Father and his quest; all that lovely scenery, in the background, helps us focus on what's really important here.

With a 'monster hunting' movie, you'd think that you'd see loads of monsters being killed here but you'd be wrong. For the most part, the fights happen off screen and all we see is the state that Father is left in afterwards. The monsters are a key part of the plot, in their own way, but are almost incidental at the same time. Again, it's all about Father and the Creature. Christopher Rygh is brilliant, as Father, by the way; showing intensity of purpose (by scowling fiercely) but also showing us how Father will not (cannot, even) stop until his task is complete. And this is where the horror comes in.

Thanks to a neat little bit of foreshadowing, right at the start, we know that Father's final fight won't be easy and we're proved right as without going into too much detail (no spoilers today), that fight becomes horribly personal. Again, you don't see much but you're left in no doubt that it has happened. There's also a little lesson here that plays out again in the finale; don't let vengeance consume you at the expense of everything else. If you miss the small stuff, the big stuff will end you... And it does. The last scene is chilling but also expected in a way. You know what's coming but the inevitability of it makes 'The Head Hunter' compelling viewing.

'The Head Hunter' is a little bit of a hidden gem then, at least from where I was sat. It looks beautiful and the plot is sharp as an arrowhead, or a monster's bite...