By Jay of the Dead

I am always impressed when filmmakers return back to the basic, fundamental roots of what makes the art of motion pictures so potent. For instance, the well-meaning duo of Danish directors Lars von Trier (“Antichrist,” “The House That Jack Built”) and Thomas Vinterberg created the stringent “Dogme 95 Manifesto” in 1995.

Don’t worry. I won’t launch into a whole big thing, but for those who don’t know: In essence, Dogme 95 dictated that the cinema should be created by using the classic components of story, theme, performance, etc., while eschewing any reliance on the “vulgarity” of special effects or any other modern filmmaking technology. In short, the point was to “get back to the basics,” the bare bones heart of filmmaking, where the director remains free to be an artist without being henpecked by studio interference.

And that odd little preface brings me to a notable 2019 Horror film called “The Head Hunter,” formerly known as “The Head.” (Side note: “The Head Hunter” is an excellent title because its meanings are multi-faceted.) In fact, this film is not just notable for 2019; I would argue that it is also notable for the 2010s decade. “The Head Hunter” was released on April 5, 2019, and it just hit Redbox on May 7.

“In a world” of various cinematic gimmicks, rote remakes and reboots, CG fests, and other tiresome trends, we get a return to that old filmmakers’ chestnut of, “Show, don’t tell” with “The Head Hunter.” While it may not be as stringent as the stiff tenets of Dogme 95, this Horror story is told almost entirely through its imagery, not through dialogue. It has a soundtrack and sound design, but very few words are spoken. One reason for this is we’re following a lone-wolf, solo character. The other reason, I gathered, was because he’s probably “a man of few words.” In this way, “The Head Hunter” is similar to a silent film.

I hesitate to tell you all of this because, in my experience, I’ve noticed that many Horror fans (myself included) tend to be a little impatient. (If the new “Suspiria” — or the original one, for that matter — made you want to hurt yourself, then you’re probably among the less patient viewers that I’m referring to.)

“The Head Hunter” is a tale of revenge, set in a medieval, fantasy world where many various species of monsters exist. (Think “Game of Thrones” or Middle Earth.) The titular head hunter seems to be a “pest exterminator,” of sorts, because he is paid to rid the world of monstrous nasties by beheading them. This is no easy task, by the way. It is fraught with danger and injuries. If there were a Medieval Dirty Jobs TV show, this head hunter would be featured… But like some sort of macabre trophy collector, the hunter displays the monster heads by piercing them on wooden spits that stick out of his wall. (Wouldn’t these rotting heads start to reek pretty quickly?)

Not a spoiler, here is finally the premise: When his small daughter is killed by a beastly freak, the head hunter is determined to add the monster’s head to his gruesome trophy wall.

Now that you’re interested and intrigued, let me give you a heads-up (tee he) on how to best temper your expectations, so you can prepare to enjoy this movie: As noted above, there’s very little dialogue. The film is also “deliberately paced” (read: slow). However, it has a short runtime of just 72 minutes. The color palette for this film is white, gray and black. It takes place in the wintertime, so the visuals portray a cold, stark tone to match its bleak story. According to IMDb trivia, “The Head Hunter” was shot in and around the remote village of Soutelo Mourisco in the countryside of northern Portugal. There’s a lot to be said for the ability of a film’s location to evoke a certain mood and tone. The primary location for “The Head Hunter” was a 200-year-old stone grain mill that was once used to grinding wheat into flour. Great location scouting!

And though the film, its costumes and creature designs all look great — really pretty convincing — you still get the sense that “The Head Hunter” had a fairly small budget based on how much “action” we’re shown. We see hardly any of the monster battle scenes (though, we often hear them). Mostly, we get what amounts to “aftermath” shots when we see each trophy head. This isn’t necessarily a complaint because to me all the magic is in the way the narrative unfolds and the creative and devious developments by co-writers Kevin Stewart and Jordan Downey. (The latter directed and did all the film’s special makeup effects.) But I mention that we don’t see much battle action just to prepare you, so you know what to expect.

My biggest complaint with “The Head Hunter” is that it was difficult for me to follow. Maybe other viewers will be more intuitive than I am. But I found it difficult to decipher action and various plot developments. However, this presented a very interesting byproduct for me: When it finally dawned on me what had transpired — particularly with two gruesome and disturbing developments — I was taken back by the disturbing nature of these revelations. (Worth the price of admission, if you ask me!) I’m sure that my second viewing will clarify some of my confusion.

The head hunter is played by Christopher Rygh in his first lead role. He is impressive because he must do many difficult things with this character. The daughter, played by Cora Kaufman, is a beautiful little girl and could have a future in the movies.

“The Head Hunter” is the kind of Horror gem that you’re grateful to discover and happy to share with others. I am definitely going to buy this film (probably today), so I can force it upon other people who underestimate its title and poster art. Director Jordan Downey has made a noteworthy Fantasy Horror film that deserves attention. And by the way, even though I’m not typically a Fantasy fan, this movie is still credible and realistic. I should also mention Troy Smith’s creature design and Erick H. Weir’s monster artwork and design.

Despite some of my complaints above, “The Head Hunter” is a remarkable Horror film. I’m rating it an 8 out of 10, and for me it’s a buy! You can also rent it on Amazon or from Redbox.

Rating and Recommendation:
The Head Hunter (2019)
Jason = 8 ( Buy it! )

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