The Hunt

The devastating impact of a child's accusation of sexual misconduct—puncturing the genial façade of small-town life—is the subject of Thomas Vinterberg's searing drama, which stars Mads Mikkelsen as Lucas, who is employed at a preschool. Lucas is a favorite of all the kids, especially little Klara, the 4-year-old daughter of Lucas's best friend. When Klara impulsively kisses Lucas during playtime and he gently suggests that it wasn't the right thing to do, she mutters a few words that adults interpret to mean as Lucas exposed himself to her. And even when she retracts the allegation, the grown-ups chalk the recantation up to psychological repression. Before long, Lucas is fired, finds himself under police investigation, and is treated as a pariah (even physically attacked, as is his supportive adolescent son). Although it falters a bit by adding a dreamlike coda involving the initiation of Lucas's son as a member of the town's deer-hunting club, The Hunt is a powerful and sensitive film that dramatizes the harm that can come from misunderstanding a child's angry outburst, while also exposing the darkness found at the heart of an apparently idyllic community. Marked by a stunning lead performance from Mikkelsen as a man shunned by the only society he knows, for reasons he cannot comprehend, this is highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include outtakes and deleted and extended scenes (13 min. total), a "making-of" featurette (7 min.), an alternate ending (2 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a powerful film.] (F. Swietek)