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The Hunter

The Hunter

Thriller · Action · Comedy · 1980

During his long career, bounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson has caught over 5,000 criminals. Now, while he is working on apprehending fugitives in Illinois, Texas and Nebraska, he himself is being hunted by a psychotic killer.

Movie details

The Hunter

“He's not as fast as he used to be... That's what makes him human. He's a bounty hunter... And that's what makes him dangerous.”

1980 Thriller · Action · Comedy 1h 33m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.9 / 10

Community rating

During his long career, bounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson has caught over 5,000 criminals. Now, while he is working on apprehending fugitives in Illinois, Texas and Nebraska, he himself is being hunted by a psychotic killer.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Hunter?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Buzz Kulik

Written by

Ted Leighton · Peter Hyams

Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen

Ralph "Papa" Thorson

Eli Wallach

Eli Wallach

Ritchie Blumenthal

Kathryn Harrold

Kathryn Harrold

Dorothy ("Dotty")

LeVar Burton

LeVar Burton

Tommy Price

Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson

Sheriff John Strong

Richard Venture

Richard Venture

Pete Spota

Tracey Walter

Tracey Walter

Rocco Mason

Court is in session

Put The Hunter on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.