Director: Sarah Gyllenstierna
Writers: Sarah Gyllenstierna, Mats Wägeus
Stars: Ardalan Esmaili, Jens Hultén, Magnus Krepper
Synopsis: The story is about three friends who spend a long weekend in a remote cabin, intending to hunt deep in the Swedish woods. However, one day all animals vanish without a trace and the forest turns eerily quiet
For an activity such as hunting, it feels like people’s opinions on it can fall very firmly into one of two possible categories. There are those who are firmly opposed to it, and those who have gone hunting. Whether brought from a young age or discovered later in life and used as a means to feed oneself, hunting doesn’t really feel like an activity that you just stumble into. There’s a rather large barrier of entry, and that’s before even considering how the implications it has on an individual both morally and psychologically. As somebody who has always considered themselves in the former category, I cannot deny my intense fascination behind one of the most inherently compelling stories ever created. I’m referring to “The Most Dangerous Game”, a 1924 short story by Richard Connell. Undoubtedly one of the most influential stories ever written, Sarah Gyllenstierna’s Hunters on a White Field finds itself entering into the halls of the many stories who owe some gratitude to the now century-old tale of a man being hunted by another man.
But the ways in which Gyllenstierna’s debut feature go about capturing such a familiar story is what’s most exciting. Beginning as a gripping drama, Gyllenstierna leaves her audience entranced for a large chunk of the film before completely abandoning all that in favor of goosebump-raising tension and genuine thrill. And the shift occurs in such a way that would completely derail a lesser film. Yet the tone of Hunters on a White Field remains steadfast throughout, regardless of whatever genre it feels Gyllenstierna is dipping her toe into.
The film begins with two men in a convertible. With the top down, they yelp towards the heavens out of excitement at the isolation they are headed towards. Gregor (Magnus Krepper) and Alex (Ardalan Esmaili) are headed to the home of Henrik’s (Jens Hultén) brother for an annual hunting trip. While Gregor and Henrik have made this trip a yearly tradition, this is Alex’s first time joining. He has just received his hunting license, and it would appear as if he is being inducted into this established posse. Gregor and Alex work together, and Henrik’s life seems a bit more up in the air. He very much feels like a person who always seems to be traveling from place to place. And while you may admire on some level how he’s able to experience all that life has to offer in the great outdoors, you’re often left with the confused question as to how he’s able to afford such a life. While the details are vague, we at least know that Gregor and Alex work some sort of corporate job. It’s referred to in the most standard of office jargon, but the how and what of this trio of lives doesn’t matter in the slightest. In fact, they could literally be anybody. These characters merely serve as a vessel for Gyllenstierna. When out here, isolated from all of society, all that matters is the why. Why have these men made such a tradition of this retreat into nature? Are they really that in touch with the world around them? Based on how they carry themselves and where the film takes them, it feels like the actual answer is much simpler: ego.
From the opening moments alone, it’s made clear that these men are putting on a bit of a front. The very disregard for nature is made painfully obvious from their actions alone. So to hear them digress into these long-winded details of how to follow the “rules of hunting” which they have created should instantly clue audiences into Gyllenstierna’s angle. These men, on some level, are frauds. They don’t go on this trip to connect with the larger world around them. If that were the case, a weekend-long hike would likely provide just as much fulfillment. This destination, and activity, is chosen for a very specific reason. One can imagine how Gregor handles himself in the office. He appears to be the oldest of the three, and one gets the sense that he feels no control over his life 51 weeks out of the year. It’s only when he finds himself alone with Henrik on this yearly excursion that he gets the chance to “be himself.” On this trip, all we see is their pride taking over their bodies and minds completely. They treat Alex as if he’s a child, teaching him the way of the woods through tough love and light hazing. All in the name of harmless fun, right? Only this weekend isn’t harmless. It quickly devolves into something menacing. It takes on a dark shadow of what hunting represented thousands of years ago. Gyllenstierna even addresses this comparison to ancestral times directly with Gregor’s hobby.
About a third of the way through the film, Gregor takes out his collection of ancient arrowheads and hunting tools. Upon first viewing, he does seem rather passionate about these pieces he has collected over the years. But when taking in the entire film upon its conclusion, it’s comical to think about a scenario in which even these are phony. He merely collects replicas in the hopes of impressing those around him with his hunting prowess. Whatever the actual case may be regarding the authenticity of such items, it’s what these men do in the presence of them that really cracks Hunters on a White Field wide open. Gregor and Henrik begin rough housing with a small axe and arrowhead, respectively. They circle one another, pointing out how skilled these hunters of the past must have been. But slowly, their speech devolves into mere grunts and shouts. The actors play it out as more of a mockery than actual reverence. Tools once used to genuinely feed and protect a hunter are now being used for something warping the name of hunting out of genuine necessity. And in turn, this mockery leads to a quick bout of real violence. It’s a shocking moment, played a bit for tension, but again, feels like a seed that Gyllenstierna is smartly planting. And this is just one of many that aim to dictate exactly what this film, and its characters, are barreling towards.
I once again return to all the ways in which these individuals unintentionally reveal their true selves. Some moments are much more blatantly chilling, but they are placed earlier in the film. For example, Henrik makes a rather unsettling comment about his sister-in-law when the trio are preparing for their first hunt the following morning. Alex is clearly a bit taken aback by the comment, but it’s lightly brushed off as being part of Gregor’s twisted sense of humor. Repeatedly in the first half of the film, we see any instance of discomfort chalked up to “nerves”, and of the few times Alex directly addresses such blatant remarks, it’s essentially understood as “locker room talk.” And over time, we are shown how even Alex, seemingly the most relatable of the three, becomes slowly warped by what his companions are putting him through. The way he carries himself. The way in which he speaks. He changes before our very eyes, but Gyllenstierna directs it in such a way that it’s more of a menacing turn over time as opposed to a sudden one. Any sudden jolt she hopes to achieve is all saved for the final act, which takes such a stark turn in tone and delivery that it’s almost a miracle that it works. But again, we have been in the hands of a filmmaker who set us off on this path from nearly the first frame. Once the surprise and adrenaline wears off, and we begin to accept where we are being taken as an audience, the thrill and excitement of it all rushes into our minds next.
Hunters on a White Field captures the male ego in such a way that feels potent. Even if it leans into some exaggerated tendencies, it feels wildly realistic. What’s most impressive about this is the jump Gyllenstierna expects her audience to take in order to be hit with the full impact of such a conclusion. And the reason it works? The confidence that radiates off the screen. The film completely commits to its new role as an intense psychological thriller. At one point, you expect it to teeter over into full-blown body horror. It becomes much more grimy, covered in dirt, sweat, and blood. These hunters, having lost their ability to display their supremacy over nature itself, turn to something more menacing. When left unchecked, their most sinister behavior that lives hidden behind societal fear breaks loose. And it‘s in that escape that Hunters on a White Field is at its most compelling and exciting.
Hunters on a White Field celebrated its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in the International Narrative Competition section. Tickets for screenings and more information on the film can be found right here.
