The only film at the Gen Art Film Festival to feature no-name actors, “THE WILD HUNT” (written and directed by Alexandre Franchi) is one of those movies that you will either love (the gamers and fans of mythology and/or Shakespeare) or hate (everyone else). An import from Canada, the film uses mythology and role play to provide what feels like a social-psychological study on group dynamics. Much like the Milgram experiment, the followers and the leaders (in a medieval reenactment game) adhere to their respective roles and in doing so, the lines between fantasy and reality are blurred. This makes for interesting terrain to mine.
On some level, THE WILD HUNT successfully tells the story of role-play gone wrong. However, the tone of the film is off. The Hunt begs us to take it seriously but the plot is over the top ridiculous (dare I say laughable). It would be easier to accept if the characters were well-developed. They are not which makes it difficult to get emotionally invested in them and their relationships with one another. Unfortunately, the heart of the story depends on this development. By the surprise finale, the emotional disconnect lends itself to the question – what’s the point?
