The Hunter’s Prayer isn’t exactly a memorable suspense-drama or anything and Sam Worthington doesn’t exactly turn in a strong performance, meaning par for the course for the actor, but I did think the young Odeya Rush was a standout and I was moderately entertained.
The Hunter’s Prayer
(2017)
Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller, Drama
Lionsgate | R – 91 min. – $24.99 | August 8, 2017
Date Published: 08/15/2017 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 3.5/5 |
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Note: This review contains plot SPOILERS, so reader’s please be aware! Plot Synopsis: Lucas (SAM WORTHINGTON) is a solitary assassin hired to kill a young woman, Ella (ODEYA RUSH). When Lucas can’t bring himself to pull the trigger, the plan falls apart, setting in a motion a twisted game of cat and mouse with his one employer, the rich and egomaniac Richard Addison (ALLEN LEECH). Now, both are marked for death and forced to form an uneasy alliance. The pair are relentlessly pursued across Europe dodging other assassins as Lucas has a price on his head and Ella has the key to money her father stole from Addison. Review: While I won’t go as far to say The Hunter’s Prayer was a surprise considering its direct-to-video status, I will say that it’s at the very least a passably entertaining thriller, one in which Sam Worthington may not deliver a amazing performance, but his Lucas assassin character being emotional reserved works well for the much maligned actor, no longer Hollywood’s next great star following a stint of box office, and critical, flops. Odeya Rush on the other hand is probably the highlight; she might not have gotten the material to utilize a ton of talent, but she was the standout. The supporting cast are more less fillers. You’ve got the appropriately named Allen Leech as the film’s primary, and rather weak, villain; Amy Lendecker, who played Dr. Bruner in Doctor Strange, portrays a corrupt U.S. government agent; and Spanish-born actress Veronica Echegui is a fellow assassin who helps Lucas before turning on him and to her credit, Echegui actually isn’t half bad for such limited screen time. Jonathan Mostow directs The Hunter’s Prayer, if the name sounds familiar, his claim to fame, as director’s go anyway, was 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, and while that film was a big letdown, I’ve found Mostow to be a serviceable director given subpar scripts (as demonstrated by T3 and Surrogates) while 1997’s Breakdown, when I last saw it many years ago, was a solid little thriller. So with that, it’s kind of nice to see him go back to the basics. There’s nothing new with the plot, though the added element of making an assassin also a junkie was rather interesting, albeit it didn’t go very far as, being pushed to quit by Lucas’ new ward, didn’t exactly ring true. Yes, he goes through painful withdraws, but seemed to get past it with little repercussions, but I suppose in the name of quicker pacing, they skipped over the recovery stage. But in any case, clocking in at a speedy 91-minutes (less with credits), The Hunter’s Prayer might not be the most memorable thriller to come out but I did find it rather entertaining based mostly on its young star, Odeya Rush, while Sam Worthington makes for a fine lead, nothing more. At the very least, this is probably worthy of a rental, but if you’re on the fence, Netflix would be a good option as well. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.25/5 |
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This release comes with a matted slip cover. Inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Featurettes:
Previews – The Assignment, Standoff, John Wick: Chapter 2, I Am Wrath, Kill Switch |
VIDEO – 4.0/5 |
| Presented in 1080p high-definition and a 2.39 widescreen aspect ratio, The Hunter’s Prayer looks fine in HD, detail is fairly good especially in close-ups while the more distant shots tend to be on the softer side. Colors are generally bright during the daylight scenes; nighttime scenes, though, have that distinctive – and cheap – day-for-night appearance, which is a bit stark in high-def. But otherwise, and considering a somewhat low budget (reportedly $17 million), it’s a rather standard looking picture that won’t wow but doesn’t look terrible either. |
AUDIO – 4.25/5 |
| The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track offers crisp and clean dialogue levels mainly through the center channel. When the action does manage to pick up, primarily with gunfire, the depth is on display with nice usage of the front channels while the rear speakers are relegated for ambient noise and a generic (i.e. forgettable) score by Federico Jusid (Black Butterfly). |
OVERALL – 3.0/5 |
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Overall, no, The Hunter’s Prayer isn’t exactly a memorable suspense-drama or anything and Sam Worthington doesn’t exactly turn in a strong performance, meaning par for the course for the actor, but I did think the young Odeya Rush was a standout and I was moderately entertained from beginning to end. That said, this is probably at best worth a rental. The Blu-ray release has good video/audio transfers while the features aren’t substantial though better than nothing… |