After being founded by writer, director and actor Jordan Peele (“Toy Story 4”) in 2012, Monkeypaw Productions has made a name for itself for producing his hit films “Get Out” and “Us,” in addition to other works, such as Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman.” The studio has also delved into the realm of television, with Peele using it to executive produce shows such as “The Twilight Zone” reboot, in addition to the recent Amazon Prime series “Hunters,” which takes a heavily stylized approach at depicting the lingering horrors of Nazism during the aftermath of World War II. Though mostly effective in portraying an entertaining, well-acted and gleefully violent story, the show occasionally contradicts itself with clashing tones and choices of style which hinder it from fully conveying its intended themes.
The 10-episode series follows the eponymous group of “Hunters” as they investigate and kill high-ranking Nazi officials while they secretly attempt to develop the Fourth Reich in the United States during the late 1970s. The show features an ensemble cast of unique characters, featuring the likes of actors such as Logan Lerman (“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”) as Jonah Heidelbaum, a new recruit to the Hunters, and Al Pacino (“The Irishman”) as Meyer Offerman, the rich leader and organizer of the group. Pacino, along with Josh Radnor (“How I Met Your Mother”) as Lonny Flash, shine in their roles with the latter standing out as perhaps the best character in the series due to his comedic presence and the intriguing role he plays in the group. Another stand-out performance is given by Greg Austin (“Class”) as the delightfully demented and villainous Travis Leich.
As a way to distinguish itself from similar Nazi-hunting stories such as Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds,” “Hunters” heavily pays homage to the 1970s, and as such frequently and sometimes abruptly cuts to scenes which are intended to reference 70s movies, game shows and other popular media from the decade. Though these scenes are often entertaining and occasionally funny, there are instances in which they feel completely out of place. They sometimes follow more dramatic or emotional moments, thereby hindering the emotional effects which the latter scenes may have on the viewer.
Despite its uneven tone, the story itself does not cease to entertain throughout each of the 10 episodes, displaying many twists and turns which should keep the viewer relatively entertained for the entire season. Contrary to what one would expect, the series also utilizes its campy exterior in order to cleverly and uniquely depict its subject matter, though this partially comes at the expense of historical accuracy. Regardless, it successfully establishes a style which, with some fine tuning in the future, will be easily, and rightfully, attributable to the up and coming writer and creator of “Hunters,” David Weil (“Moonfall”).
It may not be the strongest series in Amazon Prime’s expansive library of original content, but “Hunters” still proves to be a relatively entertaining take on a partially familiar concept. With a talented cast, intriguing premise and a gripping season finale, the show certainly has the potential to carry on into future seasons which, so long as the writers reorganize its structure and presentation, may improve upon the story’s effectiveness as a drama, while helping to maintain its charm and camp.
Image from Amazon Prime Video via YouTube
