There comes a time in a warrior's life when he or she must live up to their title. For one man, that time is now. Ever since Father (Christopher Rygh) lost his Daughter (Cora Kaufman) to a monster, he has hacked and slashed everything in his path of finding the one responsible. In that time he has amassed a collection of monster-iffic heads that would make Proximo proud. Anyone get that joke? Bueller? Part horror, part fantasy, and a runtime of 72 minutes, The Head Hunter, is a must see for cinephiles with an ending you won't see coming.
Writers and also producers Jordan Downey and Kevin Stewart manage to keep this story interesting at every turn. Interesting would be an understatement. Kevin Stewart also did the cinematography which is some of the best work I've seen in a long time. His exteriors in Portugal and Mammoth Lake were truly breathtaking. And those of you that read my reviews or listen to my podcast know that I don't make statements like that very often. Jordan Downey also did the editing. At an elite level I might add. One of my favorite transitions coming around the 25 minute mark. A perfect score, given the subject matter, composed by Nick Soole. With his contribution, I either felt for the character or "felt" the atmospheric tension about to rain down. Sound designer, Eric Wegener, also deserves your respect. In a film where a lot takes place off-screen, Eric keeps you engaged down to the wire.
As much as I would like to spoil some of the movie for you, I won't, but I have to say the creature design by Troy Smith was absolutely amazing. From the spiked boots to the phenomenal helmet, costume designers, Andre Braving and Sebastian Stolt deserve a round of applause. Arguably one of the strongest aspects of the film is compliments of "thehorrordome.com" and I'll leave it at that.
One of my favorite horror films of recent memory. I've said too much for my taste. PLEASE make this the next thing you watch!
The Head Hunter is now streaming on Amazon, and is also available on DVD from Vertical Entertainment.