The 2025 Canadian action thriller Hunting Grounds has not been well received at all. So, why all the hate? The story itself is odd and a little wacky , but doggone it, the film is pretty darn good. The film offers a brilliant shift in the traditional “hero” story.
And the shift itself is pretty darn impressive.
Hunting Grounds the Story
Chloe is fleeing her ex husband; a gangster who wants his kids and her back. The woman’s witness protection program has failed miserably and she is now on her on.
This is a cat and mouse game with a difference and she may just be the cat.
Hunting Grounds Cast
Emily Alatalo is Chloe.
Tim Rozon is Jake.
Milton Barnes is Zach.
Patrick Garrow is Mick.
Greg Bryk is Donny.
Jon McLaren is Vincent.
Hunting Grounds Works
Writer/Director Derek Barnes, he shares writing credit with two other folks here, gives us an odd one here. The hero is unstable, to say the least, and Chloe, is a victim with a difference as well. *The other two writers are: James McDougall and James Mark.*
The story features a woman who is far from helpless. One who will not hesitate to fight for her kids. She turns on a dime when her path to escape from the evil ex fails to satisfy.
Barnes has a solid stunt background and it shows. The action sequences are good and, doggone it, convincing.
Problems
The main problem, of course, is that Hunting Grounds is Canadian. It looks Canadian and feels Canadian. The actors are all Canadian and the film quality is the same as other Canadian products in the industry. *Killjoys, Wynonna Earp, et al. Both of these, by the way, are personal favorites. I recognized Garrow immediately but it took some time to work out Rozon. The beard threw me completely.*
It seems that some of the hostility from the audience has to do with the above mentioned fact.
There are some glaring issues, nothing continuous but they are there nonetheless. The visual shots of Jake’s cabin, for example, bear no semblance to the actual abode when we see it.
The Verdict
Hunting Grounds entertains with a solid 4 star rating. The sudden shifts of characters works in an oddly satisfying way. Rozon kills it here as the loner hero who turns out to much more than a knight in rusty armor. Garrow brings his own brand of down trodden gravitas to his role; as usual.
The film is streaming on Prime right now. If you can look past the overwhelming Canadian feel of the movie, head on over and watch it. It is good, despite the negative reviews on offer.
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