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A controversial thriller hunts down audiences on the Netflix charts

Even Donald Trump criticized it.

The Hunt tracks down Netflix charts
Image: Universal

The political landscape around the world has never been so divisive. The debates have never been more incendiary and so much has changed with social media that we’ve strangely never been further apart.

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So obviously, it’s a perfect time to revisit an incredibly controversial film which pits the left wing and the right wing against each other in bloodsport, as seen in recent Netflix chart climber The Hunt.

Made during the peak of Donald Trump’s presidency and an increasingly scary world about to be hit by a pandemic, The Hunt sees upper-class progressives kidnap and hunt down working class right wingers for bloodsport, because clearly that doesn’t incite any issues or debate.

Starring Betty Gilpin and Hillary Swank, the film saw controversy before it even released but is now in the Netflix top ten at the number nine spot. Initial reactions to the film were poor, with a report from The Hollywood Reporter suggesting test audiences didn’t feel comfortable with the overtly political nature of the film, and trailers got criticized by former president Donald Trump.

In a now inaccessible tweet, Trump describing it as an attempt to “inflame and cause chaos” in the United States. But none of that matters two years on, as it seems audiences are keen to give it a fresh look. Despite the controversy, audiences have given lukewarm reviews for the film, as it sits on a respectable 66 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, albeit a lower critics’ score of 56 percent.

The Hunt is available to stream on Netflix.