Magnetic Mel Gibson Strengthens Formula Actor

“It takes a lot to kill someone,” observes Bowdrie, the central character in RJ Collins’ thriller. Hunting season. Played by Mel Gibson, Bowdrie is the strong and silent type, speaking only when necessary. He lives in a cabin in the woods with his teenage daughter Tag (an excellent Sofia Hublitz, Ozark) and only goes to town when he needs to collect supplies. It’s clear he just wants to be left alone – but since that wouldn’t make much of a movie, you can rest assured he’ll soon have to demonstrate that he’s developed some serious fighting skills somewhere along the way.

The film’s plot begins when Tag discovers a seriously injured young woman stranded in the river near their cabin. She suffered gunshot wounds, so Bowdrie, who apparently also has medical skills, sets about removing the bullets from her body. He advises Tag to leave the room, informing him, “It’s going to get pretty loud in here.”

It turns out that the young woman, whose first name is January (Shelley Hennig, Without friends), is pursued by a local gang led by the very sadistic Alejandro (Jordi Molla). The perpetrators also murdered a police deputy, whose body was found in the same river, as well as January’s roommate. They are obviously serious, and Bowdrie decides to protect her while keeping her presence secret from the local police whom he does not trust.

When a few thugs show up at his house looking for January, Bowdrie quickly eliminates them, burning their bodies to destroy the evidence. Later, Tag reveals that she’s just a chip off her old man’s block when it comes to handling a gun.

Recalling the actors of the B films that Charles Bronson regularly starred in the 80s, Hunting season is the kind of routine VOD-led project that former A-list movie stars turn to when their careers cool off. That’s not to say Gibson is crossing it. The actor delivers a low-key but intense turn demonstrating why he once headlined movie marquees. He’s much weathered, but his blue eyes still shine like they did when he did those Deadly weapon movies.

His character doesn’t say much in the film, and when he does speak, he gets straight to the point. “I’ll keep it simple,” Bowdrie tells a thug he’s tied up with a hooked lawnmower that dangles dangerously close to his face. “You tell me what I want to know or I’ll kill you.”

Gibson delivers macho lines like this with real conviction, but it’s more fun when he shows his playful side. Frustrated when the stubborn crook won’t talk, Bowdrie complains, “What’s wrong with you? If you had a lawnmower in your house, My face, I’ll tell you everything.

The actor’s charisma keeps the classic film afloat, while director Collins demonstrates a flair for action scenes with a well-choreographed shootout when Bowdrie invades the criminals’ lair after they get their hands on January. And as the quotes above demonstrate, screenwriter Adam Hampton offers the actors pleasantly meaty dialogue.

Movies like this need a memorable villain, and the eccentric Alejandro more than fits the bill. Molla plays him in such a strange and offbeat way that at first you don’t know whether to find the character laughable or frightening. Ultimately, the actor’s baroque flamboyance contrasts well with Gibson’s understatement, their climactic encounter proving memorable indeed.