Home Entertainment: ‘The Head Hunter’ Blu-ray review

A father sets out on a quest for vengeance after the death of his daughter in Jordan Downey’s latest film The Head Hunter. Told within a Medieval world, our protagonist is a fierce warrior whose mission is to protect the realm from monsters. He even has a cabin full of trophy heads to prove his prows as a hunter. The one head he is missing though is that belonging to the creature that took his daughter’s life. The Head Hunter follows his determined journey to finally fill that empty spot on his wall. 

Reportedly made on the most micro of budgets, The Head Hunter manages to create a rather realistic world within which our father figure can play. Shot in Soutelo Mourisco in Northern Portugal, the production design successfully conjures up otherworldly and Medieval vibes and effortlessly transports the viewer to another plane. It’s a very impressive feat when you consider that the entire crew during production (including cast) was only five people. Downey, writer Kevin Stewart and cinematographer Ricky Fosheim, worked together across all facets of the production, and their hard-work on the visuals really pays off. The props and costumes look suitably authentic, which again is a marvel as the props were said to be cheap Halloween store-bought items worked on to appear aged and dangerous. 

Although the production design is sound, the restrictive budget does cause plenty of problems for the film. The biggest issue that arises is that, in order to keep costs down, the film seems to have sacrificed almost all of its battle sequences. With the exception of the climax, every battle between the father and a beast occurs off screen. We hear grunts, screams, and clanging swords, but the camera holds on scenery rather than follow the bloodshed. It’s a real shame as without these moments of action, all that we’re left with is a continual stream of a man sitting silently, reflecting on his quest. Even more frustratingly, we’re never really given anyone for him to properly converse with and so much of the character and his motivations remain in his head. In fact, there are so many plot jumps that the only real way to follow what is happening is to read the detailed official synopsis prior to sitting down to view; this is far from ideal. 

With the dialogue kept to a minimum it’s important that the score really takes the lead. Fortunately for Downey, composer Nick Sole does great work in crafting an aurally detailed and vibrant world. It’s a distinctive score that’s very different from the usual Medieval times pieces and almost creates the sensation of witnessing a Medieval time period, but one played out upon a different world. 

From a director with a film called ThanksKilling on their filmography, one could be forgiven for expecting a silly slew of kills, but The Head Hunter is a much more serious affair. In spite of the limited budget Downey shoots for the stars, and whilst an ambitious endeavour, it ultimately fails to fully realise its potential.    

The Head Hunter arrives on Blu-ray via 101 Films from 12th April 2021.