The Head Hunter (2018 film)

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The Head Hunter
Vertical Entertainment
Release dates
  • October 6, 2018 (2018-10-06) (Sitges Film Festival)
  • April 5, 2019 (2019-04-05) (United States)
Running time
72 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30,000[1]
Box office$380,829 (Worldwide)[2]

The Head Hunter (originally titled The Head) is a 2018 American fantasy horror film directed by Jordan Downey, who also co-wrote, produced, and edited the film. It stars Norwegian actor Christopher Rygh as the title character, Cora Kaufman, and Aisha Ricketts. The film centers on the title character, who works as a bounty hunter for a local kingdom, all the while he awaits the eventual return of the creature responsible for the murder of his daughter.

Influenced by

Northern Portugal. Norwegian actor Christopher Rygh was cast as the leading role, in his feature-film debut, after filmmakers discovered him while searching a casting website. Principal photography later began in Bragança, Portugal, while additional scenes were shot in Norway, and Mammoth Lakes, California
.

The Head Hunter first premiered at the Sitges Film Festival on October 6, 2018, as a part of the festival's "Panorama Fantàstic" section. While the film was screened at Sitges, and Nightmares Film Festival under the title The Head, but the title was later changed to The Head Hunter due to lukewarm reactions. The film would garner several awards and nominations at the various film festivals it was screened at, and received positive reviews from critics upon its release, with many praising the film's atmosphere, cinematography, and Rygh's performance.

Plot

In the Dark Ages, after the death of his daughter, a fierce warrior known simply as "The Father" begins amassing a gruesome collection of heads of monsters he stakes to the wall of his cabin. The Father lives alone in solitude; his only company is his horse Jakke. Most of his time is spent repairing his armor, setting traps for animals, visiting his daughter's grave, and using the blood and organs of monsters to create a healing potion that heals wounds almost instantly.

The Father earns his living as a bounty hunter by hunting down the beasts that terrorize a nearby kingdom. Each time the kingdom has a new bounty, a large horn sounds off, and a new bounty is pinned to a large tree just outside the castle walls. Throughout he is shown taking the bounty, leaving to hunt down his target, then returning with the target's head which he pins to his wall. Many of these hunts leave The Father wounded and maimed, forcing him to use the elixir to heal himself. During one such hunt, he returns on foot after Jakke is killed. Soon after making a grave for his companion and visiting his daughter’s grave, another bounty is posted. Much to his surprise, it is revealed to be the creature responsible for his daughter's death.

Traveling far north to an island, he finds the monster in a cave. After a hard battle he finally

decapitates the monster and travels home to pay respects to his daughter. His victory is short-lived as one of his jars containing the elixir he left near his window is knocked over and spills over the creature's severed head, bringing it back to life
. Discovering what transpired, The Father prepares to hunt down the revived creature as it searches for a new body.

As nightfall arrives, the Father begins a game of wits against the creature, with it digging up the daughter’s grave and attaching its head to her corpse. After a lengthy chase, the Father seemingly kills the creature by severing its head from his daughter's corpse and stabbing it repeatedly in the head.

Reburying his daughter the next morning, the Father returns home. After cleaning up the mess left from the previous night, he leaves the cabin to begin repairs on his armor. While doing so, he suddenly cries out in shock and pain before going silent. A short time passes and he appears to return to the cabin, carrying what appears to be a severed head which is then pinned onto the wall. The Father's severed head is then revealed to be the one that was pinned to the wall, and the creature, its head now attached to the Father's body, leaves taking one of the jars of elixir along with it, gloating as it walks away saying, “Body Mine!”

Cast

Production

Concept and development

"We’ve seen dragons, and we’ve seen monster battles before, but what we haven’t seen is how a character responds to that stuff."[1]

Writer/director Jordan Downey on the inspiration for the film's story

The Head Hunter was produced and directed by Jordan Downey, who also co-wrote the film's script.[1] Downey had previously directed several short films, including the 2014 short Critters: Bounty Hunter (

The X-Files, and Tales From the Crypt.[7]

Pre-production

Early on in pre-production of the film, the two filmmakers had decided to shoot the film around Stewart's family home in Soutelo Mourisco, a small village in

Northern Portugal, due to the remoteness of its location.[1][8][7] The filmmakers had wanted to utilize the location for some time, feeling that its remoteness and scenery "would lend itself very well to a horror movie".[7] For the titular character, the filmmakers wanted the role to look and feel authentic, refusing to cast an American actor in the role as they felt that it would not be appropriate for the time period and feared that it would end up 'looking fake'.[1] Norwegian actor Christopher Rygh was later cast as the leading role, in his feature-film debut,[8][1] after filmmakers discovered him while searching a casting website. Downey later recalled, there was no formal audition for the role, with the filmmakers casting Rygh after having a conversation with the actor in regards to the role.[1]

Construction of the film's props and various monsters in the film commenced before the script was completed, with the filmmakers experimenting with the designs and techniques that would be implemented on a low budget. In creating the look and feel of

Halloween masks by staining them and placing layers of melted plastic over them in order to create the effect of rotting flesh. Other props for the film were purchased inexpensively by the production crew the day after Halloween, as Downey recalled "we just bought every medieval thing in there we could find. Every plastic sword or shield, skeletons, and skulls, anything that just looked kind of creepy, crawly, medieval, or metal. We bought it all."[6] The title character's armor was created by Swedish costume designer André Bravin, who fashioned it out of leather.[8][6] Downey later described the armor as 'being more Leatherface-esque, rather than a Game of Thrones-style vibe', with faces and skin appearing stitched into the entire outfit. The film's main antagonist, referred at the end credits as "The Head", was designed Troy Smith, who had previously worked with Downey in both his Thankskilling series and Critters: Bounty Hunter.[7]

Filming

Principal photography began in Bragança, Portugal,[7][8][1] while additional scenes were shot in Norway, and Mammoth Lakes, California.[9] With very little dialogue featured in the film, Downey later stated that he had always been drawn to films that centered more on visual storytelling rather than relying on dialogue to convey the story.[1] To accommodate the film's low budget, the variety of creatures that appear throughout the film are only shown in glimpses or merely implied,[6] the film's low budget also limited the amount of production crew the filmmakers could hire, which, according to Stewart, only consisted of three other people, including himself and Downey.[7] Shooting occasionally proved challenging, as the costumes and props had to be shot in a certain way in order to "look right on camera", and crew members, including Downey, performing multiple roles during production.[8] The climactic fight sequence was shot in a water mine,[7][8] after one of Stewart’s cousins suggested it as a possible location to film.[7] The scene was devised as a way to enhance the threat of "The Head", by forcing the title character to fight it at less than full strength, as he is unable to use the weapons that he is accustomed to fighting with.[7] Shooting at the location, as Downey later stated, proved to be the most difficult, and frustrating portion to shoot,[7][8] with cast and crew members forced to enter the location one at a time.[8] Later the recalling the cave's conditions, Downey noted: "It was really crammed, dark and there were spiders and water up to our ankles and knees. The torch was putting off fumes and there was no ventilation."[8] Downey developed a cold after shooting at the location.[8]

Rygh, who had previously starred in the Norwegian short film Ulfberht,[10] was described by Downey as being easy to work with, and not once complained on set.[8]

Release

Theatrical release

The Head Hunter first premiered at the Sitges Film Festival on October 6, 2018 as a part of the festival's "Panorama Fantàstic" section.[11] It was later screened at the Nightmares Film Festival on October 20, 2018.[12][13]

While the film was screened at Sitges, and Nightmares Film Festival under the title The Head (the name of the film's main antagonist),

Vertical Entertainment, suggesting a change in the film's title. After "combing through all kinds of medieval literature", the filmmakers later came up with the film's current title. Downey and Stewart were originally against the name change, but later embraced it as they felt the current title shifted the focus from the antagonist to the main character.[7]

Under the new title, the film was screened at the Insólito Festival de Cine de Terror y Fantasía on February 7, 2019.[14] It would also be screened at the Fantasporto Film Festival later that month on the 24th.[15] It received a limited theatrical release on April 5, 2019.[16]

Soundtrack release

The Head Hunter
Soundtrack album by
Nick Soole
ReleasedApril 8, 2019
GenreSoundtrack
LabelGamma Ray Gun (Digital)
CD Baby (CD)[17]

Official soundtrack for The Head Hunter was composed by Nick Soole, and was later released on

San Diego Comic Con's "Sounds of Horror" Panel on July 19, 2019.[19][20]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Something Is out There"03:50
2."Opening Titles"01:19
3."The Potion"03:35
4."Solitude"02:23
5."Summoned"02:37
6."Trophy Wall"01:00
7."Slow Days"01:32
8."Goblin Whispers"01:56
9."Dragon"00:45
10."Summoned Again"03:09
11."A Gift - It's Back"02:59
12."The Journey"02:00
13."Castle Revelry"00:32
14."The Monster's Lair"01:10
15."The Journey Home"04:12
16."The Head"04:45
17."It's out There"01:44
18."It's in Here"01:20
19."Hunting It"04:48
20."Entering the Cave"05:13
21."Final Fight"01:31
22."Arrowhead"04:35
23."The End..."07:40

Home media

The Head Hunter was released via

Video on Demand,[16] cable, and digital media on April 5, 2019.[16][7] It was later released on DVD by ADNA Films and Lionsgate on May 7, 2019.[21] It grossed a total of $380,829 in domestic video sales.[2]

Reception

Critical response

The Head Hunter received positive reviews from critics upon its release, with many praising the film's atmosphere, cinematography, and Rygh's performance. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Head Hunter holds an approval rating of 95%, based on 19 reviews, and an average rating of 7.20/10.[22]

Sandy Schaefer from Screen Rant wrote, "While he clearly had limited resources to draw from here, Downey is nevertheless able to deliver a mean and lean tale of revenge with a surprisingly rich sense of atmosphere. Armed with a pulpy spirit and plenty of monster gore to go around, The Head Hunter makes for enjoyably gnarly fantasy horror B-movie entertainment."[9] John Squires of Bloody Disgusting offered the film similar praise, writing, "Brutal, bloody, gnarly and atmospheric as can be, The Head Hunter is medieval horror gold, as well as one of the coolest and craziest horror movies I’ve seen in a long time."[23] Janel Spiegel from HorrorNews.net praised the film's atmosphere, cinematography, as well as the film's suspense, originality, and Rygh's performance.[24] Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times praised the film's "refreshing simplicity", as well as the cinematography, Rygh's performance, and action sequences.[25]

Jonathan Barkan from

Paste Magazine wrote: "If The Head Hunter had come in with a bigger budget and a different director, there would have been all sorts of attempts at injecting silly lore into this pure and primal tale. It may feature just one or two fight scenes, no cackling wizards or captive princesses, but it manages to evoke that spirit while also telling a straightforward horror story."[28] Gaming and culture website Polygon's Rafael Motamayor favorably compared to Sam Raimi's Evil Dead II, and the fantasy video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. In his review, Motamayor praised the film's production values, practical effects, and atmosphere.[29]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref.
Nightmares Film Festival October 21, 2018 Best Cinematography Feature Kevin Stewart Won [30]
Best Overall Feature Jordan Downey Won
Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival June 4, 2019 Best Special Effects Kevin Stewart
Jordan Downey
Ricky Fosheim
Troy Smith 		Won [31]
Fantasporto March 2, 2019 Best Actor Christopher Rygh Won [32]
Best Portuguese Film Kevin Stewart
Jordan Downey
Ricky Fosheim 		Won

Insólito Festival de Cine de Terror y Fantasía

February 28, 2019 Best Actor Christopher Rygh Won [33]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Whittaker, Richard (10 April 2019). "Tracking Down Grief With The Head Hunter: Filmmaker Jordan Downey on a monster movie with a fractured heart - Screens - The Austin Chronicle". AustinChronicle.com. The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b "The Head Hunter (2019) - Financial Information". The Numbers.com. The Numbers. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  3. ^ Joey, Paur (2014). "Amazing Critters: Bounty Hunter Fan Film — GeekTyrant". GeekTyrant.com. Geek Tyrant. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  4. ^ Squires, John (22 December 2014). "Fan Film Critters: Bounty Hunter Puts the Bite Back Into the Crites - Dread Central". DreadCentral.com. Dread Central. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  5. ^ Rome, Emily (17 November 2011). "Murderous turkey coming to LMU in alumni's film sequel". LALoyan.com. The Los Angeles Loyolan. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Monagle, Matthew (18 October 2019). "'The Head Hunter': How to Make a Year-Best Horror Film for Only $30K". FilmSchoolRejects.com. Film School Rejects. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Pacheco, Shawn (April 4, 2019). "Interview: Filmmakers Behind Medieval-Horror 'The Head Hunter' and 'ThanksKilling'". HorrorGeekLife.com. Horror Geek Life. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Spiegel, Janel (2019). "Interview: Director Jordan Downey (The Head Hunter)". HorrorNews.net. HorrorNews. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Schaefer, Sandy (5 April 2019). "The Head Hunter (2019) Movie Reviews". ScreenRant.com. Screen Rant. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  10. ^ Peligrosa, Pekosa (March 18, 2019). "See the Medieval Horror Trailer for "The Head Hunter"". AintItCool.com. Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  11. ^ a b "The Head - Sitges Film Festival - Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya". SitgesFilmFestival.com (in Spanish). Sitges. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  12. ^ a b "NightmareFest 2018 Schedule". NightmareFest.com. Nightmare Film Festival. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  13. ^ Baldwin, Daniel (September 24, 2018). "Nightmares Film Festival '18 Full Lineup Revealed!". BloodyDisgusting.com. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  14. ^ "Programación – Insólito Fest". IsolitoFest.com (in Spanish). Isolito Film Festival. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  15. ^ "Fantasporto 2019 Line-Up". Fantasporto.com (in Spanish). Fantasporto Film Festival. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  16. ^
    Paste Magazine
    . Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  17. ^ "The Head Hunter (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". CDBaby.com. CD Baby. April 8, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  18. ^ "The Head Hunter (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Nick Soole". Apple.com. Apple Music. April 8, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  19. ^ "San Diego Comic-Con 2019 – Panel 'Sounds of Horror'". SoundtrackFest.com. SoundTrackFest. July 19, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  20. ^ "Comic-Con 2019: Sounds of Horror: Inside Hollywood's Most Terrifying Film Scores". ComicCon2019.com. Comic Con. July 19, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  21. ^ "The Head Hunter (2019) - Jordan Downey". Allmovie.com. Allmovie. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  22. ^ "The Head Hunter". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  23. ^ Squires, John (30 April 2019). "'The Head Hunter' is the Coolest 2019 Horror Movie You Probably Haven't Seen But Absolutely Must - Bloody Disgusting". BloodyDisgusting.com. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  24. ^ Spiengel, Janel (10 May 2019). "Film Review: The Head Hunter (2018)". HorrorNews.net. Horror News. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  25. ^ Murray, Noel (April 4, 2019). "VOD reviews: 'The Haunting of Sharon Tate' is sleazy exploitation, but 'The Wind' is one to see". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  26. ^ Barkan, Johnathan (October 6, 2018). "Sitges 2018: The Head Review - Skyrim Goes Horror". DreadCentral.com. Dread Central. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  27. ^ Dee, Jake (May 15, 2019). "The Head Hunter (Movie Review)". Joblo.com. Arrow in the Head. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  28. Paste Magazine
    . Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  29. ^ Motamayor, Rafael (April 5, 2019). "The Head Hunter review: imagine a live-action Skyrim-like horror movie". Polygon.com. Polygon. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  30. ^ "2018 Festival". NightmaresFest.com. Nightmares Film Festival. October 31, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  31. ^ "Fantaspoa 2019 - Wrap Up". Fantaspoa.com (in Portuguese). Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival. June 4, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  32. ^ "Fantasporto". Fantasporto.com. Fantasporto International Film Festival. March 2, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  33. ^ Jerardo, Ernesto (February 28, 2019). ""Insólito Festival de Cine de Terror y Fantasía" llegó a su fin". ErnestoJerardo.com (in Spanish). Retrieved January 30, 2022.

External links

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