In 2003, William Friedkin made The Hunted which stars Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro. And it’s kind of like The Bourne Identity released a year before, but sadly not as good (I think, the first Bourne is the best – it’s one of my favourite movies).
However, in writing about films you should see and trying to avoid the obvious ones, The Hunted is a good film and deserves a much bigger audience.
So, what’s to like? Like a lot of Friedkin’s films, this is an action packed extended chase. From the wilderness to the city Jones hunts down his rogue former pupil Del Toro (Jones trained him to be a killer in the army). It’s got a little bit of First Blood about it too. The action is well directed and Jones turns in a great chilly performance, full of phlegm and moody posturing.
Del Toro is less good, but the scenes of fighting and hand to hand combat are excellent. The film has a slow start that doesn’t really work, but patient viewers will be rewarded with a grade A action flick. The photography and editing are excellent too.
It’s not Bourne, but it’s not too far off either. The trailer is below…
So, 30 films to go…
Matthew Cooper has written for Emmerdale, Eastenders, Hollyoaks and Family Affairs. He was winner of the first ever Lloyds Bank Channel Four Film Challenge and the Oscar Moore Screenplay Prize. His first short film starred a then unknown Ewan McGregor and was picked up by Channel Four when Matthew was 19 years old. He’s been a script writer for hire, filmmaker for hire and script consultant for over 20 years.