Glenn Howerton Joined A Star-Studded Cast In This Controversial Horror Movie

"The Hunt" was bound to be controversial with its plot about wealthy liberal elites taking revenge on the pro-MAGA deplorables who perpetuated an internet conspiracy theory that they host elaborate parties where they hunt conservatives for fun. "Manorgate" causes Athena, a high-ranking corporate executive, and her friends to lose their jobs. 

The rocky road to "The Hunt" being released indicates just how much of a fractured time it was when the movie came out. When the trailer came out, filmmakers received death threats and President Trump, while not directly referencing the title, tweeted that violent and racist "Liberal Hollywood" "create their own violence, and then try to blame others," and purposefully make films "in order to inflame and cause chaos" (via X). He had previously lashed out at Hollywood in a press conference, as reported in Variety: 

"They're treating conservatives very unfairly. Hollywood is really terrible. You talk about racist — Hollywood is racist. What they're doing with the kind of movies they're putting out, it's actually very dangerous for our country. What Hollywood is doing is a tremendous disservice to our country."

In August 2019, the divisive "The Hunt" was pulled from the studio's release schedule, its gun-happy premise deemed to insensitive after Dayton and El Paso mass shootings. It was rescheduled for March 13, 2020, just a hair away from when the entire world shut down. Since movie theaters were some of the first public venues to close, "The Hunt" had to be pulled from theaters again and was only available digitally through premium VOD (via The Hollywood Reporter). Once "The Hunt" was finally released, it got a murky reception from both sides of the political spectrum.

At the time when Pizzagate and QAnon was running rampant on social media, "The Hunt" was especially relevant. It mocks chronically online trolls and the ridiculous rumors that spread like wildfire, despite little rationality. The movie is steeped in all of the zeitgeist's vernacular, with characters accusing one another of being "snowflakes," discussing "crisis actors," and the "woke" characters calling each other out for appropriation. The liberals are more of the Machiavellian ones, saying, "We pay for everything, so this country belongs to us."

However, as Chris Evangelista writes in his review of "The Hunt," it is a "toothless" satire of political instability. Its cultural commentary has no weight because it is only in service of empty-headed gore. In the film's defense, this was entirely the intention of director Craig Zobel and writers Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof. Zobel told /Film:

"Look, I wanted it to be sort of a midnight movie. I was making a Jason Blum movie, you know? I wanted it to have the energy of an early Paul Verhoeven movie, or a Sam Raimi movie ... I wanted it to be a fun, dumb movie that could actually make everybody laugh about it and still recognize that it was so out there that people would realize at least it's not as bad as that ridiculousness."

The polemic, snarky "The Hunt" strikes entirely the wrong tone. While it's fun to watch for gorehounds, it feels lazy and irresponsible for the filmmakers to try to have it both ways by ridiculing both the left and right, without actually having much to say about either side. One thing "The Hunt" does well is its exceptional cast, which elevates the pulpy story.

In "The Hunt," Glenn Howerton channels his creepy vibe as Dennis on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" to play Richard. He has a mix of cool nonchalance and arrogance that is unsettling in the face of such carnage during the hunt. Glenn Howerton's character is just one of the many hunters who ends up becoming one of the hunted. Emma Roberts perfectly embodies the vapid yoga pants–wearing, suburban cliché you can't help but root against. Amy Madigan, who recently had a scene-stealing turn as the diabolical Gladys in the twisted "Weapons," also appears as an undercover hunter. The liberal supporting characters berate their captives by pointing out climate change, questioning why they have seven guns at home, and sarcastically calling themselves godless. The conservatives are Second Amendment-loving, mostly from rural backgrounds, and their lack of education makes them susceptible to believing the wild manor conspiracy.

The star of "The Hunt," and the movie's saving grace per our /Film review, is Betty Gilpin as Crystal, who takes charge of escaping. She is tough and unrelenting, but difficult to read with her cryptic expressions and flat, unfeeling voice. It's the kind of performance we typically see from men such as Sylvester Stallone as Rambo, or any of the strong, silent cowboys in Westerns. It's exciting to see this archetype embodied by a woman instead. The ending is a brilliant, well-choreographed showdown between Crystal and the stony Hilary Swank as Athena. 

Although 2019 isn't so long ago, "The Hunt" almost feels like a time capsule, capturing the cultural storm that was brewing and has only gotten worse in 2025. In hindsight, it was just the start of America being torn apart and the erosion of democracy as we knew it.