Hunted By Night Review

Hunted by Night is riddled with every action cliche imaginable.  This is true to the point that in one scene characters walk away from an explosion in slow motion.  Yet this film is still an enjoyable watch.  Almost everyone in the cast and crew know exactly was type of film they are in, and this leads to the final product being a fun romp.

The film opens with a startling opening credits sequence as an unknown character an an unknown infant are rushed to a hospital after being involved in an accent.  From there we are slowly introduced to the characters and the plot tries to get everything in order so the next 90 minutes can be spent showing non-stop action.  Director Juan C. Bofill is able to maintain a good enough sense of pace in these scenes to withstand the one-dimensional characters.

Once the film breaks into its first fight scene, it really begins to pick up.  The action scenes are crisply cut. They will keep your eyes glued to the screen by being fast paced but never to the point that its annoying or overly frantic.  On top of that, the fight scenes are well choreographed.  Each character is able to maintain their own identity while fighting and this leads to some exciting entertainment.

Bofill is a success in the director's chair as he clearly had a small budget while making this film.  Yet there are scenes where he is able to hide this which is really impressive considering the action film genre is a high-tech one.  From the editing to the visual effects (especially a unique one early on in the film involving a heart), Bofill is able to use all of his tools to pull of a film that at points loses its amateur sheen.

Such a performance from the director's chair is a much needed accomplishment considering the cast doesn't do nearly as well.  Jencarlos Canela brings an odd sense of energy to the film, and it doesn't work in the action hero role.  It also doesn't help that his character is written paper-thin.  The only two supporting performances that make any impression at all are those of Al Galvez and Bofill (doing double-duty as an actor as well).  Bofill hams it up as the villain, but it works.  Galvez is great as the guy who thinks he can get away taking the easy route through life.

While the film goes on for far too long and does included a ridiculous twist that just comes off as arbitrary, each individual scene within this film is well paced.  That leads to a film that can stand above its numerous issues.  Hunted By Night is far from a great film, but its a decent and fun viewing.

7/10

Hunted by Night is available on DVD, VOD & Digital Download January 31.