The Hunter

Having just been released from prison Ali Alavi (Rafi Pitts) attempts to settle into family life by taking a job as a night watchman and spending time with his wife and young child. One day, tragedy strikes at the hands of the authorities – something snaps and Alavi embarks on a mission for revenge. He clearly already harbours a pre-existing grudge. State machinery has taken a hard toll on him, although whether he is a political dissident or common crook is not certain, but he is treated with disdain and inflexibility at every turn.

Pitts' filmmaking is formally accomplished, whether evoking all-consuming grief in night-time shots by the highway, painterly compositions in forested landscapes, or the most unsensational yet gripping car chase. The Hunter boasts phenomenal sound design, with a score manipulating environmental noise, unnerving drums and ear-piercing gunshots. Carefully paced, mute and primal, this is a quietly affecting cinematic gem.