Dutch action filmmaker Roel Reiné directs, composes, and shoots the new survival thriller “Savage Hunt”. The film falls into the ‘Man versus Beast‘ category, centering itself around the bloody rampage of a giant bear in a sleepy Montana community. It’s a fairly straightforward genre movie that attempts to add several human layers to its story. But staying involved becomes difficult due to the film’s clear budget constraints and a paper-thin script that glosses over everything that could have made the story more interesting.

Screenwriters Chad Law and Christopher Jolley begin their story with two eco-activists making their way through the wilderness after scoping out a newly cleared construction site sitting in the middle of the pristine forest. The site belongs to a multinational conglomerate with plans of building a massive resort and spa. But as the activists are planning their sabotage, they are attacked and torn to shreds by a ravenous grizzly bear.

After discovering one of the victims and recognizing a bear attack, Sheriff Riggins (Colin Mace) and a local park ranger Kate Deeks (Fotina Papatheodorou) order the site to be shut down until they can hunt down the grizzly. Initially the site manager, Jace (Anthony Barclay) isn’t happy with their order. But he’s a bit preoccupied with the arrival of his wife Lacey (Noush Skaugen) and their daughter Alex (Priya Blackburn).

In the film’s most underdeveloped side stories, we learn Jace and Lacey are separated and she has brought divorce papers to be signed. There’s also some kind of disconnect between Jace and Alex which never fully forms into something relatable. In fact nothing about their family drama feels authentic. It’s not helped by the cold and stiff performances. But it’s mostly the script which only glazes over the themes it introduces rather than give them meaningful attention.

To add even more drama, more attacks lead Kate to seek help from Joe Regan (James Oliver Wheatley), a tormented local hunter and former ranger who she shares a traumatic history with Kate. After declining due to vague reasons that eventually gets explained (sorta), Joe reluctantly agrees and sets out to track the bear. Of course he ultimately comes face-to-face with the beast. But in the process, Joe is forced to reckon with his own haunting ghosts from the past.

Again, none of the human drama has much of an impact. And it’s hard to root for anyone when they’re constantly making bone-headed decisions, such as always finding ways to put themselves in the most dangerous positions. But at least we have the human vs. bear action, right? Well, not exactly. Much of the movie consists of people slow-walking through the scenic forest and what looks like stock footage of a bear running around in the wild. The lone exception is one weird scene of the bear randomly running down the Main Street of a small town.

Of course we’re treated to several bear kills which unfortunately range from serviceable to awkwardly bad. And other issues spring up along the way such as the shaky editing and the abrupt ending that seems strange for a movie already struggling to fill its 85 minutes. And it doesn’t help that “Savage Hunt” takes itself so seriously. It’s a mostly dour and joyless endeavor that would have been much better off embracing its absurdity. Instead we end up with a glacially paced, frustratingly hollow, and ultimately forgettable snooze.

VERDICT – 1.5 STARS