Amazon’s ‘Hunters’ is a Surprise
I didn’t want to watch this show. The trailer, heavily advertised by Prime Video, suggested an ugly revenge tale, full of shock violence, gore, and ironic humor —another trying-to-be-hip, tongue-in-cheek mix of serious subject matter with thoughtless, trashy comic book sensibilities. In other words, Tarantino meets the Holocaust. Oh wait. That was a movie over ten years ago called Inglourious Basterds.
My opinion changed twenty minutes into the pilot. Following an in-your-face, unbroken shot/opening sequence that swiftly sets the tone (at least, from the bad guys’ perspectives), the show introduces its hero, Jonah, played very effectively by Logan Lerman. His intimate, sweet backstory is compelling enough even before tragedy strikes which incites THE major turning point. Not really a spoiler, but I assumed the show was just about a secret ring of Nazi hunters. It’s more than that and similar to another Amazon Original series, The Man in the High Castle, which recently concluded. This time, it’s less parallel universe stuff, more pulpy espionage.
Things that caught my attention: the colorful production values, which create a tangible, visceral feeling of the time period (1977 NYC) right down to the Star Wars nods and costume design. In addition, scenes are framed with just the right comic book angles — not overdone, but enough to evoke an off-kilter, alternate reality feel. And probably the most contributing factor to the show’s power: it’s ethereal, unnerving soundtrack by Chilean composer, Cristobal Tapia de Veer. If anyone recalls that fan favorite BBC America series, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (canceled after two seasons, sigh), de Veer’s music was chilling and immersive. He uses that to an even greater effect here, expertly revving up the action and character beats while underscoring heavy flashback scenes of Jewish concentration camps and the unspeakable horrors that took place.
Which leads me to my next point (and what surprised me about this show): the incredibly emotional subject matter really works within the comic book guise AND presents Jonah as an engaging hero. He doesn’t have superpowers, he screws up a lot, and he gets hurt. Yet, his motivation is clear and relatable. Plus, you can see how his new purpose begins to transform and darken his character. Recently, I watched Joker, which has a similar tone to Hunters (albeit, a much darker one), yet I had more mixed feelings about that story: it was a comic book movie AND a critique of mental healthcare AND an homage to ‘70's urban thrillers. So far, so good, yet the movie went out of its way to make Arthur Fleck into a completely hopeless case, despite a powerful performance by Joaquin Phoenix. Even anti-heroes need an arc for us to understand their plight so we can root for them, at least for the narrative’s sake. Some argued with me that Joker was less a character study and more a commentary on society’s lack of compassion towards the mentally ill. Whatever is said and done, in the end, we cannot judge them or even try to understand them. Sorry, but that feels like a surrender to ignorance and an endorsement of victimhood.
Not so here. We may not like all these heroic comic book characters, but we can relate to them and see some light in their actions. As for the villains, the atrocities that the Nazis committed within those camps is illustrated in a way that may anger or offend many viewers, maybe confuse others (why WOULD there be a comic book handling of this material?). One particular scene involving SS officers forcing Jewish prisoners to play live action chess is pretty bold, if not implausible. Some will also get bothered by the show’s back-and-forth shifts in tone from Holocaust drama to ‘70's grindhouse. Yet, despite its trappings, this show looks right into the abyss of what revenge really means. None of the good guys, including the hero, are mindless about their tactics, approach, or feelings. Even the relentless mastermind, Meyer, a Holocaust survivor played by Al Pacino, understands the cost of revenge.
Thus, the show does not rush to deliver thrills and action. It takes its time, and it’s thoughtful in its suspense, especially with a subplot involving a dogged FBI agent, well played by Jerrika Hinton, who uncovers the Nazi conspiracy and the hunters’ trail of gruesome justice. And yes, the Nazis themselves, hiding in America, planning a Fourth Reich, are also given equal screen time, IF painted rather broadly (for audiences to hate more, I suppose). I read articles about the film, which criticized the show for exploiting the Holocaust in service of slick entertainment. I think it’s a daring perspective; a unique style of storytelling and tone, especially with its sense of humor to leaven the tragedy.
One more note: it’s clear why executive producer Jordan Peele had faith in this project. It aligns with his other creepy, societal themes in Get Out and Us. It’s even more apparent how thoughtful and personal this story is to the show’s creator, David Weil. Just the mere, inescapable fact that the US employed German (cough cough, Nazi) scientists after WW2 ended, to engineer advanced technology (to beat the Russians) is a disturbing reminder of America: we overlook our past actions for the sake of our country. Some will call Hunters an insult to Jewish culture or an overblown, ideological mess. For me, it’s one of the more absorbing TV series so far this year. Perfect? Of course not. Entertaining? You bet.
