The Hunt (2012)
Men can also be victims.
Presentation:
It should be of note that this film was made before the viral MeToo movement of the Weinstein scandal. This movie depicts the collapse of a man’s life after a seemingly false accusation of rape. What ends up happening is the inevitable ruin of the man’s reputation, which I think provides an even more relevant message than The Scarlet Letter. Although there are sexier versions of this film like Gone Girl, their Hollywood flair make it hard to take the topic seriously. This is a much more serious drama that feels like it really could happen to any man. A film about the dangers of accusations and mob mentality regardless of intentions.
Conclusion:
I don’t think this film is divisive as it was made well before political events to have an agenda. Looking back on it today, I’m sure there could be some audiences that get offended claiming this is a small percentage problem and a red herring on a bigger issue. But I feel as though it’s never accusatory in its fair presentation to cause such outrage. Perhaps it’s because I’m a man, I was nearly moved to tears even though I watched this on an airplane, mostly out of anger. I would normally feel embarrassed about admitting something like this except if you talk about it with any other man they’ll probably tell you the same. It’s a sad and upsetting injustice that most men won’t feel the right to voice and there should be more brave filmmakers to cover topics even if it’s against the social current. Perhaps that’s why this foreign production is the only way they were able to present such a story Hollywood would never produce. If you actually want diversity in filmmaking, you can still support films with alternative viewpoints even if you don’t agree with them.
Recommendations
How it feels to lose your mind.